World traveling, at home

Why is there a Paris in Texas? Discover 12 U.S. towns with foreign names

Image: Florian Wehde

You don’t need to leave the U.S. to take a trip around the world. All you have to do is check a map! Scattered across the country are dozens of American towns and cities named after faraway places, from Athens, Georgia, to Barcelona, New York. Did you know about these 12 cities and the origin of their names?

Image: Tom W

Birmingham, Alabama, was founded in 1871 and named after Birmingham, England, to reflect its industrial ambitions. James R. Powell, one of the founders, had recently visited the English city and proposed the name.

Inspired by England’s iron and steel hub, the new Birmingham quickly grew and earned the nickname "The Magic City" for its rapid industrial development.

Image: Chris Karidis

Named after the French capital city, Paris, Texas, was officially established in 1844 and became the county seat of Lamar County before the Civil War.

The name was supposedly chosen by founder George W. Wright in a lighthearted or playful spirit, according to local lore.

Image: Florian Wehde

Berlin, Connecticut, was formed from parts of several nearby towns. It was originally called Kensington before being renamed after Berlin, the then capital of Prussia.

The name likely reflected admiration for Frederick the Great, seen as a supporter of the American Revolution. Unlike its German namesake, the town's name is pronounced with the stress on the first syllable.

Image: David Köhler

Rome, New York, was named after Rome, Italy, following a trend of naming towns in upstate New York after classical European cities. The area was previously called Lynchville, after its Irish settler Dominick Lynch.

The name "Rome" had already been given to the township during the "Classical Naming Period."

Image: Florian Wehde

Madrid, Iowa, was named after Madrid, Spain, but the choice was rooted in personal spite. During the third town survey in 1855, local landowner Gaston named it to irritate his Swedish in-laws and a Spanish employee.

Despite the odd origin, the name remained through subsequent surveys and was officially kept when the town was incorporated in 1883.

Image: Constantinos Kollias

Athens, Georgia, was named after Athens, Greece, to reflect ideals of learning and culture. The name was chosen in 1801 by John Milledge when he purchased land for the University of Georgia.

Inspired by classical traditions, Milledge wanted the new town to symbolize intellectual pursuit, much like its ancient namesake.

Image: Michael Parulava

Moscow, Pennsylvania, was settled in the 1830s, with Reverend Peter Rupert, a Lutheran minister, playing a key role in its founding. The town’s early economy centered on lumbering and agriculture.

It was named after Moscow, Russia, possibly due to Russian settlers or shared religious ties with Reverend Rupert.

Image: Brandy Willetts

Versailles, Kentucky, was founded in 1792 on land owned by Hezekiah Briscoe. His guardian, Major Marquis Calmes, named the town after Versailles, France.

The name honored General Lafayette, a family friend and Revolutionary War hero with strong ties to the French city. It was chosen as a personal tribute and reflected French influence.

Image: Ben Seymour

Oxford, Mississippi, was founded in 1837 and named after Oxford, England, to attract a university. The founders hoped to establish the town as a center of learning.

Their plan succeeded when Mississippi chose Oxford as the site for its first state university in 1841. The university opened in 1848, fulfilling the city’s academic vision.

Image: Lāsma Artmane

Frankfort, Illinois, was named after Frankfurt-am-Main, Germany, the hometown of early settler Frederick Cappel. He named it Frankfort Township in 1850.

When the railroad arrived in 1855, it established "Frankfort Station." The village later dropped "Station" when it was officially incorporated.

Image: Joshua Stannard

Venice, California, was founded by Abbot Kinney, who aimed to recreate the charm of Venice, Italy. He designed the town with canals, pedestrian bridges, and Venetian-style architecture.

Kinney envisioned it as a seaside resort with a romantic, European feel. The canals became a key attraction, drawing visitors and shaping the town's unique identity.

Image: Ken Cheung

Barcelona, New York, was originally called Portland and laid out in 1813. In 1836, a local businessman who had spent time in Spain urged the name change to Barcelona.

The village thrived as a harbor in the 1830s and 1840s, but declined after railroads took over regional transport. It later became part of the Town of Westfield.

IN GOOD SPIRITS

Do You Know The Origin Of These 10 Alcoholic Beverages?

Image: Adam Wilson

You probably know many alcoholic beverages that you enjoy drinking alone or combined in different cocktails, but do you know where their names come from? From whiskey and gin to rum and absinthe, the origins of spirits have fascinating stories to tell. Are you ready to explore them? You will surely learn some curious facts to share at your next party!

Image: emkanicepic

Whiskey is one of the most consumed alcoholic beverages in the world. It is produced by distilling malt fermented with cereals such as wheat, barley, corn, and rye, and the resulting spirit is subsequently aged in white oak barrels.

In the Middle Ages, alcoholic beverages were classified into two main groups: "aqua ardens" (burning water) and "aqua vitae" (water of life). Whiskey falls into the category of "aqua vitae." The Latin term was translated into Middle Irish as usque beatha, which in turn derived into usquebaugh, pronounced: "wiskyba," giving rise to "whisky" (Scotland) and "whiskey" (Ireland and the United States).

Image: Timothé Durand

The word brandy is an abbreviation of brandywine, an English term dating from the early 17th century. It comes from the Dutch brandewijn, meaning "burnt wine" or "burning wine," referring to the distillation process.

Brandy is made from the distillate of wine or fermented fruit pulp, primarily grape skins. There are different types of brandy. Perhaps one of the best known is cognac, a high-quality wine distillate, named after the city in France where it is produced.

Image: John Fornander

Gin is a distilled drink made from juniper berries, among other ingredients. The term gin is an abbreviation of the Old English word genever, which in turn derives from the Dutch jenever and the French genièvre. Moreover, all these words trace back to the Latin word for juniper, juniperus.

This drink emerged among European monks during the Middle Ages as a medicinal liquor. Then, in the 17th century, gin gained popularity in England and transitioned into the modern drink we know and love. Nowadays, gin is used to prepare different cocktails, including Tom Collins, Negroni, and the popular Gin & Tonic.

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The first references to this drink date back to the mid-17th century in Barbados, a small Caribbean island with sugar plantations that was under British rule for several centuries. When rum began to be produced on a large scale in the colonies, the English imported it to Europe and popularized it throughout the continent.

There are many theories about the origin of the word rum. The most accepted one suggests that it comes from the English slang word rumbullion which means "great tumult." This term might have originated in the Devonshire area on the southwest coast of England. From rumbullion, it became known as rum in English, rhum in French, and ron in Spanish.

Image: Deeliver

Vodka is an emblematic drink of Eastern European countries and is used to prepare a multitude of cocktails, including the Martini Vesper, Moscow Mule, White Russian, Cosmopolitan, and Bloody Mary, among others. The word vodka comes from the Russian word voda, which means "water." The ending -ka makes it diminutive, translating to "little water."

Vodka is a distillate that comes from the fermentation of potatoes, wheat, barley, grapes, beets, or any plant rich in starch. Originally, the aim was to obtain a simple, alcoholic liquid composed of ethanol and water, with no pretensions in terms of aroma or flavor. It also needed to have a high alcohol content to cope with the harsh Russian winters. Traditionally it has a graduation around 40º, although there are vodkas that reach 80º and up to 96º. It is hard to believe that it’s simply called water!

Image: Ryan Parker

This distillate made mainly from corn, was first introduced in the United States in the 18th century. The first known producer was Reverend Elijah Craig, a Baptist minister. Legend has it that the clergyman established the first distillery in Fayette County, Kentucky, with the help of a Southern farmer who provided surplus corn from his harvest.

Although it was born in Fayette, this variety of whiskey was named after another nearby county, Bourbon County, where the spirit began to be produced on a large scale. The names of both Kentucky counties have their origin in the same historical figure: Gilbert du Motier, the Marquis de Lafayette, a French aristocrat related to the House of Bourbon.

Image: Giorgio Trovato

The word vermouth comes from the German word wermut, which means "wormwood," one of the main herbs used to make this beverage. This fortified wine, flavored with different botanicals (flowers, herbs, roots, and spices), has been used since ancient times for medicinal purposes. However, the modern version we know today was first introduced in Turin, Italy, in the 18th century.

In the 19th century, vermouth became a global trend thanks to the rise of bars and cocktails, as it was —and still is— an essential ingredient to prepare classic drinks such as Martinis, Negronis, and Manhattans.

Image: Deeliver

Tequila is, without a doubt, a staple of Mexican culture and a famous drink around the world. In ancient times, it was considered a gift from the gods. Today it’s served as an aperitif or combined with other beverages and ingredients to prepare cocktails.

This spirit is produced from the distillation of fermented juice obtained from the heart of a plant known as "blue agave." Its name comes from the Nahuatl word Tekilan, which means "place of the workers."

Image: alandiaspirits

This popular anise-flavored spirit, made from wormwood oil and other herbs, has a high alcohol concentration. With a bitter taste, absinthe’s color is usually pale green. Its name derives from the Latin absinthium, which in turn comes from the Greek apsínthion, meaning "wormwood."

The use of wormwood to make alcoholic beverages dates back to the 1st century, but it was not until the end of the 18th century, in French-speaking Switzerland, that the drink we know today was created. At the end of the 19th century, absinthe, often called "Green Fairy," was the most popular spirit in Europe, enjoyed by all social classes, especially artists and bohemians. However, years later its consumption was limited because it could cause hallucinations, which gave birth to the term absinthism.

Image: eKokki

Peru and Chile, neighboring South American countries, share many things: the Andes mountain range, common ancestors, customs, and, notably, the debate over the origin of pisco. The true birthplace of this spirit has long been questioned, with both countries claiming it as their own. What we do know is that the name pisco may derive from the Quechua word Pisku, meaning "bird."

Peruvian and Chilean pisco are different varieties but have in common that they are grape distillations, made similarly to brandy and cognac. Despite the ongoing controversy, no one should miss trying a good pisco sour!