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: A-C

The highly entertaining and educational North Carolina Gazetteer has been updated for the first time since it was first published in 1968. (Kudos to Michael Hill at the N.C. Office of Archives and History for undertaking the updating of William Powell's monumental publication.)

For those unfamiliar with the book, it is quite simply a listing of place names in North Carolina. Some are well-known, most are not; some are funny, some are sad and some are just ... quirky. It's a must-have for natives and "furriners" alike.

We figured we would highlight some of our favorites from the book every now and then. This first version will look at random listings that begin with letters, A, B and C. There
are some 2,ooo-plus listings in the Gazetteer, so feel free to search for your own faves.

Enjoy!

Aho, community in s(outhern) Watauga County near the heads of Stony Branch, Moore Branch, and Buffalo Creek. It is said that a group of men gathered to select a name for the community but, being unable to agree on a name, decided that that next word spoken by any one of them would be accepted. After a long silence, B. B. Dougherty arose, stretched, and said "Aho!"


Bloodrun Creek, rises in w(estern) Chatham County and flows s(outh)w(est) into Brush Creek. Local tradition says that a "hot skirmish" occurred between small bands of Whigs and Tories during the Revolutionary War. Each side, not wishing to reveal its losses, buried its dead secretly. One of the sites selected as a burying ground was near the small stream, and it was given its present name to commemorate the shedding of blood in the battle.


Chicamacomico, the name given to three communities on n(orthern) part of Outer Banks, e(astern) Dare County, s(outh) of Pea Island: formerly North Rodanthe, South Rodanthe, and Clarks, now known as Rodanthe, Waves, and Salvo.

The North Carolina Gazetteer is published by UNC Press. To order one, click here.

Some funny/quirky/disgusting place names in N.C.

This follows along with the recent discussion of nicknames.

In my office is a map of North Carolina that is about five-feet wide. It appears to have every city, town, crossroads, community, hamlet, burg, etc., that exists in this fine state. I will occasionally take a look at a section of the map and find some place name that I had never heard of. More often than not I come across a place with a name that is, well, interesting and makes me chuckle. Through the years, I have attempted to jot some of these down. I claim that these are -- or were at one time -- real places in the Old North State. And I'm sure I've only scratched the surface. Enjoy!

Floral, fruit, food and gem names:

Hothouse

Waterlilly

South Hominy

Fruitland

Scuppernong

Zirconia

Graphite

Heavenly names:

Valhalla

Zionville

Job names:

Ranger

Farmer

Spies (?)

Mason

Warrior

Huh?

Ogreeta

East Laport (but there’s no West Laport)

Uree

Mashoes (Possibly pronounced “my shoes?”)

Walla Watta

Blatant shills:

Duke Power Village

Texaco Beach

Named for famous -- and not-so famous -- people?

Nixonton

Standing Indian Mountain

Ellijay

Othello

Boomer

Henry

Doolie

Georgeville

Timothy

Ivanhoe

Elroy

Lizzie

Bruce

Crisp

Mildred

Travis

Named for natural traits:

Newfound Gap

Sandymush

Paint Rock

Thermal City

State Road

White Stone

Old Field

Merry Oaks

Orange Factory

Bushy Fork

Wood

Outlaws Ridge

Stumpy Point

Named after feelings or human traits:

Thankful

Relief

Welcome

Wise

Friendship

Intelligence

Named for other states/large cities:

Oakland

Quebec

Minneapolis

Long Island

Francisco

Houston

Philadelphia

W. Philadelphia

Liberia

Shanghai

Phoenix

Belfast

Kilkenny

Milwaukee

California

Cisco

Buffalo City

Nebraska

Yuck!

Bat Cave

Meat Camp

Roten Fig

Pigeonroost

Bee Log

Boger City

Frog Pond

Finger

Colon

Frogsboro

Bug Hill

Savage

Goat Neck

Crab Point Village

“Store” names:

Hesters Store

Gentrys Store

Dennys Store

Dixons Store

Others:

Democrat (in the west, or “left” part of the state)

Republican (you guessed it -- in the east/right!)

Shooting Creek

Mountain Home

Idlewild

Happy Valley

Sunshine

Cricket

Horneytown

Pumpkin Center

Sunnyside

Toast

Handy

Eldorado

Gum Tree

Quick

Cognac

Old Hundred

Hasty

Quail Roost

Picks

Marmaduke

Justice

Emit

Tomahawk

Charity

Cabin

Institute

Shine

Best

Old Sparta

Speed