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Odd
Names Found
In
Kentucky's Postal
Guide
Of 1903
From
Conquerors, To Shakespeare, To Famous Women,
Kentucky's
Post Office Towns Embody A Wealth Of History
Paducah
News Democrat - 1903
There
are both instruction and amusement to be gained from the forbidding-looking
pages of the postal guide. It is simply an alphabetical list
of the post office towns of each state, but the names embody
a wealth of history, and commemorate men and women, too, who
were great in literature, war, statesmanship, and science. Not
only men but countries and cities famed for this or that, battlefields,
mountains, and rivers are celebrated in the ancient or the modern
world.
The
Conquerors
Turn to Kentucky and near the beginning of the list is Attila,
in Larue County, named after Attila the Hun, "The Scourge
of God," who swept past the legions on the Rhine and brought
desolation to the very gates of Rome. Yonder in Clay County is
Brutus, named for the noblest Roman of them all, doubtless walking
the fields of the blessed and rejoicing that he did not live
to see his nation's overthrow. Napoleon, not forgotten, gives
his name to a town in Gallatin County, while the hamlet of Austerlitz
in Bourbon County commemorates his most sensational victory.
Shakespeare
The Melancholy Dane is strewn around a water tank somewhere in
Marshall County, while Shakespeare is over in Bourbon County
with small hopes of getting to the shores of his native Avon
in Fayette County.
Dryden in Wayne County, Gray in Knox County, Deboe in Henry County,
and Rousseau in Breathitt County, show with what assurance our
pioneer ancestors could turn to the beiles lettres to find names
for things when they chose. There is Homer in Logan County, Ulysses
in Lawrence County, and Cicero in Woodford County.
Famous
Women
Rowena, Sir Walter Scott's heroine in Ivanhoe, has her good Saxon
name affixed to a Russell County village; while Roxana, the Roman
beauty, who had a shady rep, if we remember rightly, can look
with pride to Letcher County. Cleopatra, in McLean County, and
her rated rival, the Empress Augusta in Bracken County, are luckily
separated by some good English miles, else there might be a sad
lack of Concordia (Meade County). There is Carthage (Campbell
County), but no Dido. Nevertheless, the classics have supplied
us with two Goddesses, Aurora (Marshall County) and Flora (county
unknown).
The
Bible Drawn On
The frequency with which the Bible had been called on for names
for budding Kentucky towns is a testimonial to the religious
training of our fellow citizens of the commonwealth. Close to
the top of the list is Abel (county unknown), but the fratricidal
Cain has wisely been left to oblivion. In Whitley County there
is the town of Angel, while the Ark rests in Bell County. Berea,
Bethany, Bethlehem, Calvary, and so on down to Zion. The list
of Bible names is a long one. Ruth is in Caldwell County, Naomi
in Pulaski County, and Boaz is in Graves County. Balm is in Fleming
County and Gilead in Montgomery. Paradise is in Muhlenberg County
and Eden in Butler.
Gold
Bug And Free Silver
While dealing with entomological matter, however, Gold Bug, Kentucky,
looms up in the forefront. Gold Bug is in Whitley County, and
its name is held responsible for the fact that the county refused
to be persuaded by the doctrine of free silver. Gold Bug is not
far from Rye, and the revenue men who chased the blithe moonshiner
in the locality say the taste of anything but corn juice is unknown
"coming through the Rye."
Some
Bold, Bad Burgs
Other counties besides Whitley County, however, have towns with
dissipated names. For instance how about: Jamboree in Pike County,
Jingo in Ohio County, Jinks in Estill County, Gee in Anderson
County, Odds in Johnson County, Keno in Pulaski County, Kidder
in Wayne County, and Jolly in Daviess County. Nick is located
in Edmondson County, but there is no qualifying adjective to
attest to its antiquity. Cash and Coin are in Hardin and Pulaski
counties, respectively. Choice is in Clay County and Select in
Ohio County, Seventy-six in Clinton County, Eighty-eight in Barren
County, Skip in Pulaski, Stop in Grayson, Chill in Edmondson
County, Zero in Hart County, and Ice in Letcher County. Cruise
(doubtless suggested by the widow's cruise of oil) maybe discovered
if one scans the map of Laurel County closely enough, and Lazarus
may pickup a Crum somewhere in Lewis County.
An
Abbreviated Village
Whoever discovered Pulaski County was forced to resort to abbreviations,
hence the town of O. K. Kodak in Perry County is another up-to-date
place; likewise, Tobacco in Calloway County, Tolu in Crittenden
County, and Wax in Grayson County.
"Bosco
Eats 'Em Alive"
The "dark and bloody ground" must have put a sinister
touch on some of its geographical features. Way down in Calloway
County is a small place which flaunts the dreaded appellation
of blood. Bosco in Floyd County is doubtless in a region thickly
populated by snakes. Boxer is in Breathitt County, Cyclone in
Monroe County, Savage in Clinton County, and Cannon in Knox County.
Roosevelt
Popular
As far as statesmen are concerned Henry Clay, like Abu Ben Adam,
leads all the rest. The virtues of Chatham, Cooking, Hamilton,
Randolph, Henry, Adams, Blaine, Lincoln, and others are commemorated,
but for prompt and efficient commemoration nobody has been commemorated
like President Roosevelt, for though the recent trend of political
feeling is indicated by Democrat (Letcher). We can point proudly
to a Teddy in Casey County, a Roosevelt in Breathitt County,
also, and furthermore, a Schley in Logan County.
Who says there is not instruction and diversion in the postal
guide?
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