The Weirdest Town Names in South Dakota, Iowa, and Minnesota
With more than 2,200 cities and towns in Iowa, Minnesota, and South Dakota, coming up with clever and innovative names for all of those places proved to be quite the challenge.
Some towns were named after historical figures, others after nearby landmarks, and still others were given names that made little or no sense.
A recent article in USA Today highlights some of the more offbeat town names from across the United States.
The story introduces us to among others:
- Hot Coffee, Mississippi
- Satan's Kingdom, Massachusetts
- Elmo, Utah
- Good Grief, Idaho
- Bread Loaf, Vermont
- Dead Women Crossing, Oklahoma
- Waterproof, Louisiana
So what about our tri-state area?
Their picks for the most unusual town names in Iowa, Minnesota, and South Dakota don't rank nearly as high on the 'weird meter' as a lot of other places in America. So, we got that going for us.
The Weirdest Town Name in Iowa
In the Hawkeye State, they chose What Cheer, Iowa
This Keokuk County town of 607 residents is about 80 miles East of Des Moines.
Legend has it that early settler Joseph Andrews named the town after the English greeting 'What Cheer'.
The Weirdest Town Name in Minnesota
In the North Star State, the choice is Harmony, Minnesota.
This Fillmore County town of 1,020 is just North of the Iowa border in the Southeast part of the state.
Harmony supposedly comes from a spirited debate between residents about what to name the town. Legend has it that things got so intense at one point that an onlooker stepped and said, 'Let’s have Harmony here!'
The Weirdest Town Name in South Dakota
In the Mount Rushmore State, the pick is .
This Ogala Lakota County town of 925 is about 20 miles South of Badlands National Park.
There are two theories on the origins of the name.
One is the abundance of animals of the same name in the area. The other is a nod to a nearby butte which was covered with pine trees, making it look like a porcupine.