I've always been fascinated by small towns and town names.  All the history that goes with them.  Every structure in a small town that looks like it's seen better days has a story to tell.  How people over a century ago came up with these town names that we now call home in North Dakota has a story too.

When I was younger I used to literally make maps of North Dakota on sheets of paper.  I would then add all the towns, rivers, lakes, and roads.  I may have missed my calling as a map maker.  I guess the official term for that is a "cartographer".  According to GIS Geography, map makers are still relevant today, but like everything else, have moved into the digital age.

I recently was on a road trip across the state and coming through some of these towns got me thinking about the city names that sound out of place.  Most of these towns I'm about to share with you are pretty sparse when it comes to living people. Absolutely nothing against any of the fine folks living in these cities or towns.  Some of them are very, very beautiful places to hang your hat.  I just can't help but chuckle a bit when it comes to their names.

So, without further ado, here are "The Top 10 Town Names That Don't Sound Like They Belong in North Dakota."  Sit back and enjoy!

11 Town Names That Sound Out Of Place In North Dakota


 

 

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Many of the included towns jump out at the casual observer as popular summer-rental spots--the Ozarks' Branson, Missouri, or Arizona's Lake Havasu--it might surprise you to dive deeper into some quality-of-life offerings beyond the beach and vacation homes. You'll likely pick up some knowledge from a wide range of Americana: one of the last remaining 1950s-style drive-ins in the Midwest; a Florida town that started as a Civil War veteran retirement area; an island boasting some of the country's top public schools and wealth-earners right in the middle of a lake between Seattle and Bellevue; and even a California town containing much more than Johnny Cash's prison blues.

Gallery Credit: Peter Richman

 

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