Naming oddities

10 oddly named US towns and cities and their surprising stories

America is home to over 19,000 incorporated cities and towns. While many have familiar names, others sound so unusual that they often force credibility. However, behind these atypical names, there are stories rooted in America's past, from the Gold Rush and the westward expansion to local legends that have endured for generations. Let's walk through some of the most peculiar city names out there and discover their surprising origins.

Founded in 1879 by prospector Ed Schieffelin, Tombstone owes its notoriously bleak name to a sarcastic remark. While searching for silver in southeastern Arizona, Schieffelin was warned by soldiers that the only thing he would find in Apache territory was his own tombstone.

Instead, Schieffelin struck one of the richest silver deposits in the American West. He named his mining claim Tombstone, and the booming town that sprang up around it quickly became one of the frontier's most prosperous communities, best remembered today by Old West figures like Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday.

Originally known as Hot Springs, this community was founded in the late nineteenth century around a series of natural mineral springs that attracted visitors. By the middle of the twentieth century, it had become a well-known spa destination in the Southwest.

Everything changed in 1950, when radio personality Ralph Edwards announced that he would broadcast the anniversary episode of his wildly popular show Truth or Consequences from any town willing to adopt the show's name. In one of the most successful publicity campaigns in American history, the residents of Hot Springs voted in favor of the change, and the town still bears its unusual name more than 70 years later.

In 1944, minister and radio evangelist Curtis Howe Springer established a health resort in the Mojave Desert and deliberately named it Zzyzx. Springer claimed that he chose that specific name with the intention of making it the last word of the English dictionary.

Although the resort eventually closed and the federal government reclaimed the land, the name survived: today, Zzyzx is home to a desert studies center operated by California State University, and remains one of the most unusual names in America.

Founded during the colonial era, Accident traces its origins to a remarkable surveying mistake during the 1750s. Two surveyors, working independently, selected exactly the same 315-acre parcel while mapping western Maryland.

The overlapping claim became known as "The Accident", and when settlers established a community there, the name stuck. More than two centuries later, the town continues to embrace the name and its fortuitous history.

The community of Chicken was established during Alaska's gold rush around 1902. Prospectors frequently hunted the local ptarmigan for food and originally wanted to name the settlement after the bird.

The problem was that few of the miners could agree on how to spell ptarmigan. Rather than risk embarrassment, and because the two species share some similarities, they chose the much simpler name Chicken.

Founded in 1868, as the railroad expanded across western Missouri, the community encountered an unexpected problem when applying for a post office: Every proposed town name had already been claimed elsewhere in the state.

The story goes that the local postmaster, in frustration, wrote to Washington stating that he didn't care what the town was called as long as it was something "peculiar." More than 150 years later, Peculiar still bears the name with pride.

"Why" is a community located in the Sonoran Desert, whose unusual name is the product of an unexpected legal technicality. The settlement developed during the early twentieth century at the point where the State Routes 85 and 86 intersected in the shape of the letter "Y."

The community originally wanted to call itself "Y" in honor of that intersection, but because Arizona law required community names to contain at least three letters, they spelled it out. As a result, even after the intersection has since been redesigned, the town of Why still keeps one of the most curious and memorable names in America.

While the name "Boring" may sound unflattering, its story is a pretty common one. The town is named after William Harrison Boring, a Union Army veteran who moved into the area in the 1870s and became one of its earliest settlers.

Over time, the accidental double meaning of Boring turned it into a tourist curiosity. The community, rather than shy away from the jokes, embraced them, even forming a lighthearted partnership with the village of Dull, Scotland, to celebrate their similarly harsh names.

Hell began as a small milling community in southern Michigan during the 1830s, when pioneer George Reeves established it along nearby waterways. The exact origin of its name is shrouded in legend and local folklore.

One of the most popular stories claims that, when Reeves was asked what the settlement should be called, he jokingly replied: "Call it Hell for all I care." On the other hand, some historians believe that the name evolved from early German settlers using the word hell, meaning "bright".

While the true origin of the name may never be known, the town of Hell fully embraced its reputation, welcoming thousands of visitors each year with thematic attractions and souvenirs.

Unlike many Western towns that grew naturally around mines or railroads, Jackpot was created almost overnight in 1954 as a direct result of Idaho banning casino gambling. Entrepreneurs realized they could attract Idaho residents simply by building casinos just across the Nevada border.

The new community was aptly named Jackpot, and it quickly became a thriving destination. Few towns have a name that so perfectly matches the reason they came into existence.

From head to toe

This is what happens when you crack your knuckles! 10 human body myths

Image: BUDDHI Kumar SHRESTHA

Is it true that we only use 10% of our brains? Do carrots really improve your vision? Science has spoken and said, "Fake!" There are many widely believed myths about the human body, but despite their popularity and long history, it has been proven that most of these claims are actually not true. Join us as we uncover 10 myths about the human body that have been debunked!

Image: GMB Fitness

What do you usually do when you're nervous? Some people tap their feet, others fuss with their hair, and some crack their knuckles like a fireworks show on the 4th of July. If you belong to the last group, this info will help you.

There's a common myth that cracking your joints can cause you to develop arthritis. However, while most doctors advise against making a habit of this practice, there isn't enough scientific evidence to establish a direct link between the cracking (caused by gas bubbles forming and collapsing) and arthritis.

Image: Helen Barth

You've probably heard that shaving makes body hair grow thicker and darker. But this is a myth!

While it may seem like the hair grows back thicker, there's actually a simple explanation for this. The razor cuts the hair at the surface of the skin, leaving a blunt tip. As the hair grows back, that tip feels sharp to the touch, which is why we tend to believe that the hair has become thicker. In contrast, when you wax, every hair is removed from the root, so it grows back with a softer tip.

Image: Milad Fakurian

This is one of the most famous myths related to the human body. Although it's quite interesting, it's actually false that we only use a small percentage of our brains.

Neuroscience has shown that we use all of our brain, with distinct parts dedicated to different functions. In fact, various tests, such as MRI and PET scans, reveal that different areas of our brain are active even when we're asleep.

Image: David Travis

Carrots' high vitamin A content can help maintain eye health. However, this vegetable won't make you skip the eye doctor.

Perhaps this is bad news for Bugs Bunny, but the myth that eating carrots drastically improves vision has already been disproved. This idea is thought to have arisen during WWII when it was suggested that eating carrots helped British pilots see better at night. In reality, the pilots' improved vision was due to the use of radar, but the association between carrots and better vision stuck.

Image: Robina Weermeijer

There was a theory that the human body can't produce new neurons after a certain age. That's a bit scary, isn't it? Fortunately, neuroscience has once again put on its gloves to prove this is a myth.

It has been shown that our body is indeed capable of producing new neurons through a process called "neurogenesis." Although less frequent than in childhood, neurogenesis does occur in adulthood and is boosted by physical exercise and mental stimulation.

Image: Marvin Meyer

Remember that time when you accidentally swallowed gum, and an adult told you it would stay stuck in your stomach for years? Well, thankfully, that's just a myth!

Although your body can't digest gum like other foods, the natural movement of your digestive system helps it pass through and eventually be expelled.

Image: Mustafa Bashari

For years, egg yolks have been viewed with suspicion. Many believed they were bad for your heart or could significantly raise your blood cholesterol levels.

However, recent studies suggest that if you're not at risk or don't have specific cholesterol-related issues, there's no need to worry much about egg yolks.

Image: Raphaël Biscaldi

There's a well-known idea that swimming after eating is dangerous to your health and can cause cramps. Remember those moments of staring longingly at the pool, counting down the mandatory 30 minutes after eating? Thankfully, this wait is no longer necessary, as that idea has been discredited as a myth!

While you may feel a little heavy if you go swimming shortly after a meal, the truth is, under normal conditions, swimming with food in your stomach is generally considered safe.

Image: Harris Ananiadis

Often portrayed in movies, TV shows, and cartoons, there's this idea that waking a sleepwalker can have fatal consequences. But it turns out that there's no need to fear, as science has confirmed that as a myth.

However, while it's safe to (gently) wake a sleepwalker, it's generally better to simply guide them calmly back to bed instead.

Image: Oleg Ivanov

It has long been believed that a person's nails and hair continue to grow even after passing away. Although there are reasons to believe it, this creepy myth has been disproved.

What actually happens is that the skin dehydrates and retracts, creating the illusion that the nails or hair are longer. Both hair and nails require living cells and a blood supply to grow.