The Monmouth inquirer. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1865-1933, 1923-09-06
HOW TOWN COT
PECULIAR NAME
Peculiar, Mo-, unconscIously
Cristened by Peeved Post
office Department Official.

Washington. There is very pc
culiar story connected with the nam
ing Of Peculiar, Mo.-which Is also
peculiar name for town.
The federal government does not
name towns and hamlets when they
are born or feel the urge for cog
nomen, but the Post Office department
does regulate them to the extent Of
prohibiting duplicating Of names with
In the same state So when newly
formed community in Missouri sug-
gested certain name for its post
Office, the department informed the In
habitants there was already one by
that name In their state.
Several other names were chosen by
the residents and submitted, but al
ways with the same result. Finally
an exasperated officials the depart
ment. In refusing the latest choice,
wrote the city fathers among other
things "that 1t was mighty peculiar
they could not find good name for
their town.
Whereupon he received the follow
ing reply: Acting on your sugges
tion, we select the name Peculiar"
And so Peculiar Is on the map Of to-
day.
Rule in Naming New Towns.
There is only one rule In the NAM
ing of new towns, and that Is that
there shall be but one of the same
name In state. But that does not
prohibit other states from Boosting
towns of the same name For instance.
there are As names used more than 20
times each to designate towns and
cities
Benjamin Franklin Is remembered
as an inspiration more than any other
| person. and Franklin as town name
takes the prize, occurring 81 times In
81 states.
The others In point of popularity
run: Clinton, 80 times; Chester and
| Arlington, % Of each; Washington. %:
Troy. Salem, Madison. Marion, Man
chester and Clayton, 27; GlenwoOd.
Kingston and Newport, 26: Ashland.
Centerville and Cleveland, Is; Auburn.
Dover, Hillsboro. Lincoln, Monroe,
Oxford. Princeton. Springfield. War.
rem and Union. "a; Greenville ana
Wilson. %; Belmont, Buffalo, Canton.
Dayton, Eureka. Liberty, Milford and
Plymouth. %; Burlington and Leba-
Ron, III; Portland. Lexington. James
town, Hudson and Danville. 20
| Bane Of Postcfflce cierks.
| Duplicated names are the bane Of
the postal clerk, and the Yankee repu-
tation for originality rises staggering
when confronted by the apparent lack
of Imagination used to name Amerf
can communities. There are even two
Chicagos, six Philadelphia, seven De
| troits and IA Denvers.
| Similarity In names also causes the
postal department considerable trou-
BILE. Indistinct penmanship might
easily confuse Eldoro, Iowa. with Eli
/ dorado, Iowa, In Pennsylvania alone
| there are 10 communities whose names
begin with the prefix Green: Greene,
Greenbriar. Greenbur, Greencastle.
Green Land, Greenoch, Greenpark.
Greenboro, Greensburg, Greensboro,
Queenstown. Greenville and Green
wald.
There Is partially for Bloom as
prefix In New York state. as, for 'ex-
ample. Bloomburg. Bloomingdale,
Blooming Grove. Bloomington and
Bloomville.
Foreign cities have contributed
their names freely in this country.
There are Is towns known as Paris
and like number of Genevas. II Ber-
Inns, despite the war, IL Moscows. IL
viennas, six PekIns- and two Brussels.