Have you ever been on a road trip and passed through a unknown town, empty looking, with a low population? Towns like these may be tucked away throughout big names like Chicago, San Fransisco, and New York City. There are many uniquely named towns in the United States that have a story behind them, although many do not know the story nor that these locations even exists. This list will cover the top 5 uniquely named towns in the United States with hopes to share more information about the towns that may not get a lot of publicity.
5. Baggs, Wyoming
In fifth place is the small town of Baggs, Wyoming. It is known as a historical ranching town, has a population of about 400 people, and is located in the southern part of Wyoming. The town was named after a early settler in the area, George Baggs. The town today is known for the Red Desert and the Sierra Madre Mountain Range. Other activities and attractions in the area include, hunting, visiting local historical sites, and the Adobe Town Horse Management Area which is home to a wide expanse of land with a variety of horses. Overall, this town is perfect for anyone interested in wildlife, history, and nature.
https://carbonwyedc.com/communities/baggs
https://wyomingdigitalcollections.ptfs.com/aw-server/rest/product/purl/WSL/i/fb3e92d1-9b15-4f58-9804-5a1e490f24a6
4. Truth or Consequences, New Mexico
Truth or Consequences, it is mysterious sounding, and definitely unique. Truth or Consequences, New Mexico is located in Southern New Mexico and holds a population of roughly 6,000 people. The town, Truth or Consequences, was named after a game show called Truth or Consequences in 1950. The host of the show, Ralph Edwards, had the idea to find a town in the United States that would be willing to be named after the show. The town, Hot Springs, New Mexico, at the time, heard about this idea and wanted to be the town to represent the game show. The town felt that there was already many cities in the United States with the name “Hot Springs” therefore they were willing to change their name.
https://www.krqe.com/news/new-mexico/the-truth-about-t-or-cs-name-and-also-its-consequences/
3. Dinosaur, Colorado
Dinosaur, Colorado, an engaging and interesting name. The population of Dinosaur, Colorado is quite small and is estimated to have around 340 people. The town of Dinosaur was originally called the town of Artesia although it changed its name in 1966 to Dinosaur, Colorado. It is said that many dinosaurs once roamed this area and because of this, the Dinosaur National Monument is located there. Visitors can see old dinosaur fossils and participate in different outdoor activities. Overall, the town’s name change was in honor of all the dinosaur history in that area.
https://townofdinosaur.colorado.gov/about-us
2. Whynot, North Carolina
Why not name a town Whynot? Well, it has now been done! Whynot, North Carolina is a small, rural town, located in north-central North Carolina. The story behind this unique name is that it was named out of pure boredom as the townspeople could not agree on a name for their town. When originally naming the town, the town had hosted a meeting. Citizens gathered together and everyone had different opinions. People kept asking, “Why not this name, or that name?” Finally, one citizen was tired of the back and forth and had the idea to simply name the town “Whynot” because nobody was coming to an agreed upon decision.
https://www.cntraveler.com/story/whynot-north-carolina-was-named-out-of-sheer-boredom
1. Santa Claus, Indiana
Coming in first is Santa Claus, Indiana. This town, as one would dream, has Christmas all year round. It has many Christmas themed businesses including, the Santa Claus Christmas Store, Santa’s Candy Castle, and a Santa Claus Museum and Village. How did it receive such a cool name? At the time, the town was named Sante Fe, Indiana. The story goes as follows. When the town applied for a post office, they were unfortunately denied because there was already a town named Santa Fe, Indiana nearby. So, the townspeople gathered together on Christmas Eve, families and all, to create a new name for their town. The adults were discussing when the kids came running in their meeting shouting “Santa Claus, Santa Claus” The townspeople unanimously agreed on “Santa Claus” as their town’s name and the name became officially approved.
https://santaclausind.org/blog/the-story-of-santa-claus-indiana