Goofy Kentucky Town Names ... (Pine Knot, Science Hill: moving to, yard, friendly)

[bobbyconn]

You also forgot Bugtussle.

Bugtussle, Kentucky - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[MerryLore]

This is a little off topic, but our county used to use route numbers instead of names, and the county decided to give those routes names in order to assist the 911 system. Most got really pretty, "romantic" names - Holly, Summer, Berry, etc, but I know of an area which got Ashhopper. There are people there who cannot even pronounce Ashhopper, and I'm sure you can imagine what they're saying.

Also, don't forget Horse Picture and Spankum Branch!

[Pleasantlygoofy]

In Grayson County there is a defunct community called Blowtown which has been swallowed up by the county seat, Leitchfield. Blowtown Church usually gets a few snickers around here, and then there is Do Stop, Jugville and Fragrant.

[kygirl100%]

Originally Posted by kytenn

My cheeks and sides hurt after finding this thread. One thing that no one has mentioned is all the unusual pronunciations for KY town names. Natives may not even be aware that some of the pronunciations are so odd. Here are a few:

Versailles is pronounced "ver-SALES" not "ver-SIGH"
Athens is "A-thens" (long "A" sound)
Marrowbone is "MAR-bone"
Cairo is "KAY-row" like Karo syrup
Slade is "SLAY-dee"
Hollow is always "HALL-er." Sometimes it is actually spelled holler
So Loretta Lynn is from Butcher Hollow but it is pronounced Butcher Holler.

So if you are traveling to KY, don't ask for directions to Versailles if you pronounce it like the city in France. No one will have a clue what you're talking about.

Anyone else know of others?

You make us sound like we are uncivilized. I live in versailles, ky and it is named for versailles, france..which is know for its beautiful rolling hills and vineyards. As a matter of fact I live in Nonesuch, Kentucky. which was named by a highborn southern lady passing through. She came upon some carpet baggers, who had built a fire in the middle of the crossroad. She passed by then exclaiming that she had never seen a NONESUCH place and it stuck. You need to remember there is rich heritage in alot of these small out of the way places. The language and the accents of many different cultures are blended to make them so unique. my heritage is of french, irish, cherokee indian and British decent and quite possibly scottish. You will never meet a more friendly people who live in these areas. But don't by any means think they are stupid. If the lights go out for good they will most likely the ones to survive.

[holland_11]

Bull Skin, Ky

Puncheoncamp, KY

Stab, KY

[CraigCreek]

So many of these names go back to pioneer times, and describe wildlife and/or natural features. As noted by an earlier poster, all those licks describe salt licks - important if you wanted to find game or needed salt to preserve meat. Names of early explorers and settlers were given to creeks, mountains, forts (also called "stations" in early Kentucky), and names of birds and animals were often used as well.

Those early folks had a lot of stuff to name, so if they saw a flock of pigeons roosting, "Pigeon Roost" it was. Shoot a big deer with remarkable antlers? "Buckhorn". Your valuable bull gets stuck in the creek? "Bull Creek" (or this might have been named for a bison). Need water and can't find any? "Dryhill". Really tough, steep, overgrown land? "Hellfercertain".

Et cetera.

Later, coal and railroad companies did their share of bestowing remarkable names that made perfect sense at the time, hence Blue Diamond, Helechawa, etc. Often names of favorite daughters were used, hence there are a lot of feminine place names in the coal country. Surnames of company owners were also commonly used. Coal towns were often termed "camps" in the early days, and a few of these names persist.

BTW, the original "Nonesuch" was Henry VIII's most spectacular palace. Located south of London, its site is marked but fire destroyed it long ago, alas. The name lives on in music, traditional dance - and Kentucky geography.

[10khope]

Originally Posted by desiree253

When I sent out letters of inquiry to police depts back in 1991.. I got a response from the "postmaster / Tireman" in Eighty-Eight, KY. It was somewhere by the Tennessee line.. maybe near Whitley County? Not quite sure anymore..

LOL... I got a kick out of that one..

I live 4 miles from 88, KY in Summer Shade, KY. 88 is in Barren county, near Glasgow, KY which is a hour away from Bowling Green, KY.

[10khope]

Summer Shade, 88, Turkey Neck Bend, Goodluck.... South Central KY

[baker Freesia]

I haven't read all the posting on names of the various areas around, many are just to hilarious, as I was reading along I said to myself it seems like someone just opened a dictionary or encyclopedia & pointed & said this is it,, this is going to be the name of our town. It also crossed my mind perhaps on some of the names mentioned there were a few drinking in on the decision making. Just imagine many folks driving through what they must be thinking when they see some of these names. I may one day be one of those people,,,,, I hope so,,,,, as DH & I want to one day (doesn't seem soon enough) want to relocate somewhere in your beautiful state. I'm sure we have weird names in our state too, I haven't given it much thought to look into it though, we do have a town name HELL & CHRISTMAS.

[sebladj09]

Originally Posted by charz

Tyner is my maiden name. Presumably, the name of that town came from a family surname. There's also a Tyner, Georgia.

There is also a Tyner, Indiana. My husband's grandmother lives there...