It's gonna be as hot as Seven Devils this week. Sure would love some Relief.

We are blessed here in North Carolina to have ample good qualities like good food, a variety of landscapes, cultures, etc. We also have a fair number of quirky town names, as we have discussed in the past. As we are heading into one of the hottest weeks of the year (so far), it struck me that some of these names are relevant. To wit:

For instance, it is going to be as hot as Seven Devils this week as the temperature gets over Old Hundred. You could probably Toast bread on a Bee Log. The last thing I need to drink is a Toddy or visit Thermal Creek. Sure would love to take a dip in some Cool Springs right about now -- or, better yet, in Coldass Creek! That would give me some Welcome Relief.

As always, be sure to check out the N.C. Gazetteer for more interesting N.C. place names.

Gazetteer fun: S-U

The highly entertaining and educational North Carolina Gazetteer was recently updated for the first time since it was first published in 1968.

We figured we would highlight some of our favorites from the book every now and then. This version will look at random listings that begin with letters, S, T and U. (Click here to see some older versions.) There are some 2,ooo-plus listings in the Gazetteer, so feel free to search for your own faves.

Sapphire, community in s(outh)w(est) Transylvania County s(outh) of Horsepasture River. Named because sapphires are found in the vicinity or for the vivid blue of the sky and water.


Toddy, community in w(estern) Pitt County. The community was known as Tugwell and the railroad name was Toddy Station in the early twentieth century. Named for the fact that a drink of whiskey could be had at a local store.


Utah Mountain, central Haywood County between Snakeden Top and Fulbright Cove. Named for the fact that a band of Mormons lived there in the 1880s and 1890s. Their practice of polygamy made them unpopular with their neighbors, and the Mormons were forced to leave North Carolina. Their houses, barns, fences, and other property were abandoned, and the ruins still exist. Orchards and vineyards, as well as ornamental flowering shrubs, are now growing wild in the vicinity.