# Earthy city names **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 14, 2008, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earthy-city-names/456438 "2008-07-14T14:45:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Tripler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripler/32/21807_2.png) [@Tripler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tripler)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2008, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earthy-city-names/456438/21 "2008-07-14T17:55:23Z")
[QUOTE=Gordon Urquhart] On a macro scale: [Earth, Texas](http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&rlz=1T4GGLR_enUS261US262&q=%22town+of+earth%22+texas&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&resnum=1&ct=title) (link to Google Maps). [/QUOTE] [Hijack] Hey, what’s that [crater-like thing](http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&q=%22town+of+earth%22+texas&ie=UTF8&ll=34.159901,-102.487121&spn=0.012802,0.018711&t=h&z=16) due Southwest of Earth, TX, just east of Hwy 303? [/Hijack] Tripler And come to think of it, what’s the antennas to the West? ---
**Author:** ![yellowval](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/919ad9/32.png) [@yellowval](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yellowval)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2008, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earthy-city-names/456438/22 "2008-07-14T18:03:52Z")
[QUOTE=RunSilent] How about counties? In Minnesota we have Rock County and Blue Earth County. [/QUOTE] There’s also Pipestone County and the city of Pipestone, MN both named after the red rock quarried there (Pipestone is sacred to Native Americans and used to carve peace pipes). Granite Falls, MN also comes to mind. ---
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2008, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earthy-city-names/456438/23 "2008-07-14T18:15:25Z")
[QUOTE=Tripler] Hell, there’s a bunch of 'em out West. [/QUOTE] Yeah, I guess that shouldn’t have been a surprise to me. I think Copperopolis, CA, mentioned upthread, so far wins for fakest-sounding name. I somehow managed to forget [Hematite, MO](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hematite%2C_Missouri) earlier. ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2008, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earthy-city-names/456438/24 "2008-07-14T18:30:44Z")
[QUOTE=Tripler] [Hijack] Hey, what’s that [crater-like thing](http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&q=%22town+of+earth%22+texas&ie=UTF8&ll=34.159901,-102.487121&spn=0.012802,0.018711&t=h&z=16) due Southwest of Earth, TX, just east of Hwy 303? [/Hijack] Tripler And come to think of it, what’s the antennas to the West? [/QUOTE] That’s _gotta_ be a crater. See the rays radiating off in all directions? Cool. I’d like to see that. ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2008, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earthy-city-names/456438/25 "2008-07-14T18:39:52Z")
[QUOTE=Tripler] [Hijack] Hey, what’s that [crater-like thing](http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&q=%22town+of+earth%22+texas&ie=UTF8&ll=34.159901,-102.487121&spn=0.012802,0.018711&t=h&z=16) due Southwest of Earth, TX, just east of Hwy 303? [/Hijack] Tripler And come to think of it, what’s the antennas to the West? [/QUOTE] Wow…what is that? There are only two impact craters in Texas that I know of, and that isn’t either of them. I’ll try to find out. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2008, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earthy-city-names/456438/26 "2008-07-14T18:43:45Z")
It appears far too circular to be a crater, plus there are equally spaced spokes going off in straight lines. I don’t think it’s a crater or a stock tank and if you pull back you see it’s right inbetween an upper and lower trend of agriculture. I’m callin’ Earth City Hall. ---
**Author:** ![Dazzling\_White\_Diamonds](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/41988e/32.png) [@Dazzling\_White\_Diamonds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dazzling_White_Diamonds)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2008, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earthy-city-names/456438/27 "2008-07-14T18:48:37Z")
Terre Haute, Indiana. ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2008, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earthy-city-names/456438/28 "2008-07-14T19:04:06Z")
Lithopolis, Ohio. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2008, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earthy-city-names/456438/29 "2008-07-14T19:08:47Z")
Okay, a wonderfully kind Lori from Earth says those are sand hills south of town and chock full of rattlesnakes and arrowheads, that lots of folks go down there to look for both but handle one. The Water Commisioner looked at it in Google Maps and thought maybe it was an old “pivot point” for a well that’s been overrun by cattle, but couldn’t be sure. ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2008, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earthy-city-names/456438/30 "2008-07-14T19:18:13Z")
Very agreeable, those Earthlings. ---
**Author:** ![3acresandatruck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/e79b87/32.png) [@3acresandatruck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/3acresandatruck)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2008, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earthy-city-names/456438/31 "2008-07-14T19:41:25Z")
You already mentioned Hematite, MO, which is close to me. Other nearby towns include Chloride, Cobalt City, Iron Mountain, Ironton and Irondale, Syenite, Mineral Point, Steelville, Graniteville, Old Mines and Valles Mines; all in Missouri. ---
**Author:** ![It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/it_s_not_rocket_surgery/32/312_2.png) [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/It_s_Not_Rocket_Surgery)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2008, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earthy-city-names/456438/32 "2008-07-14T20:11:52Z")
Kentucky has Gravelswitch, Mud Lick, and Quicksand. (Also Krypton, but you specified “earthy”.) ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2008, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earthy-city-names/456438/33 "2008-07-14T20:30:07Z")
Does Fossil, Oregon count? ---
**Author:** ![Encinitas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@Encinitas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Encinitas)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2008, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earthy-city-names/456438/34 "2008-07-14T20:34:31Z")
[Trona](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trona), California ---
**Author:** ![Merhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5a626/32.png) [@Merhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merhouse)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2008, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earthy-city-names/456438/35 "2008-07-14T20:43:29Z")
Since a bunch of my others were taken, how about: [Rock Island, IL](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_Island,_Illinois) ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2008, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earthy-city-names/456438/36 "2008-07-14T20:49:00Z")
[QUOTE=It’s Not Rocket Surgery!] Kentucky has Gravelswitch, Mud Lick, and Quicksand. (Also Krypton, but you specified “earthy”.) [/QUOTE] There’s also a Sulphur Well, Ky., a very tiny place (not that Gravel Switch is your basic booming metropolis). Cave City, Ky., strikes me as “earthy” (it’s near Mammoth Cave). There’s Blowing Rock, N.C., which sounds like such a violent place; also Flat Rock, N.C. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2008, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earthy-city-names/456438/37 "2008-07-14T20:53:20Z")
British Columbia has an “Argenta.” Last time I went through there I asked a local if there were silver mines around. “Not any more, but Argenta was originally a silver mining town. How did you know about that?” Heh. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2008, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earthy-city-names/456438/38 "2008-07-14T20:58:33Z")
Shale City, Oregon ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2008, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earthy-city-names/456438/39 "2008-07-14T21:37:20Z")
We’ve got Rock Hill, SC, White Rock, NC, and High Rock Lake, also in North Carolina. Don’t ask me how you go about naming a lake after a rock, though. ---
**Author:** ![movingfinger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@movingfinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/movingfinger)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2008, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earthy-city-names/456438/40 "2008-07-15T02:07:03Z")
Iron County, Utah. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earthy-city-names/456438.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earthy-city-names/456438.md?page=3)