[PW] Politically Incorrect Town Names?

[Waters, Sally]

In the same vein, Lee County SC's very own Scape Ore Swamp -- famous as
the home of the Lizard Man, Lee County's very own cryptid -- has various
legends attached to its name, the most common one being that a returning
soldier came home from war to find his wife with another man and chased
her into the swamp....thus the Escaped Whore Swamp. (There's also a
legend that it's a name showing great disdain for the British soldiers
there during the Revolutionary War - again, the Escaped Whore Swamp, OR
a name showing that they Escaped O'er there.)


Sally G. Waters, Q of R, proud to be from the Lizard Man's hometown!
Stetson College of Law Library
Gulfport, FL
www.law.stetson.edu/faculty/sally
 
"I think true happiness can be found only in the wanton indulgence of
animals." -- Hobbes


-----Original Message-----
From: project-wombat-open-bounces at lists.project-wombat.org
[mailto:project-wombat-open-bounces at lists.project-wombat.org] On Behalf
Of Laura Crossett
Sent: Monday, April 02, 2007 5:59 PM
To: list at project-wombat.org
Subject: Re: [PW] Politically Incorrect Town Names?

I can't confirm that specifically, but there is a creek in the Shoshone
National Forest labeled Warhouse Creek on the maps.  It was, or so the
story goes, originally known as Whorehouse Creek, after the women at a
lodge run by A.A. Anderson.  Depending on whom you talk to, these women
were either a) artist's models, b) prostitutes, or c) both.  When the
USGS came to map the area, they decided to change the creek's name.  I
don't have any documentation on this (though I'll see what I can dig
up), but it does suggest, in combination with the story below, that
either we love prurience over truth or that there have, in fact, been
many place names that were later renamed in the name of good taste (if
that's not too many names for you).

Laura

Laura Crossett
Branch Manager
Meeteetse Branch, Park County Library
2107 Idaho / PO Box 129
Meeteetse, WY 82433
307.868.2248 (phone & fax)
AIM: theblackmolly | Y!M: lcrossett

> -----Original Message-----
> From: project-wombat-bounces at lists.project-wombat.org [mailto:project-

> wombat-bounces at lists.project-wombat.org] On Behalf Of Kathleen Stipek
> Sent: Monday, April 02, 2007 12:29 PM
> To: list at project-wombat.org
> Subject: Re: [PW] Politically Incorrect Town Names?
> 
> I remember reading somewhere that a prude in the names office at the 
> postal service demanded that a wide spot in the road out West called 
> something like Two Whore Springs commemorating tiny brothel in an 
> equally tiny gold rush settlement be renamed Bad Woman Springs, but 
> not until the 1930s.  Evidently Victorian letter carriers weren't 
> distressed by the name, but it was felt that 20th century carriers 
> might be shocked.  I wish I could verify this because if it's true, 
> it's wonderful.  Any ideas or suggestions?
> 
> Kathleen Stipek
> Alachua County Library District
> 401 East University Avenue
> Gainesville, Florida 32601
> 352-334-3931  (fax) 352-334-3948
> 
>      --Non, merci.
>        Cyrano de Bergerac



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