# Misleading Location Names **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 14, 2007, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misleading-location-names/419167 "2007-09-14T14:17:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2007, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misleading-location-names/419167/1 "2007-09-14T14:17:31Z")
Hamilton College is not in Hamilton, NY. It’s in Clinton, NY, 20 miles away. Colgate University, which _is_ in Hamilton, often has to tell people they’ve got the wrong college. Manhattan College is not located in Manhattan; it’s in Riverdale, NY, in the Bronx. The New York Jets and Giants do not play in New York. What other institutions/teams/etc. have place names that are misleading? ---
**Author:** ![Solfy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@Solfy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Solfy)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2007, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misleading-location-names/419167/2 "2007-09-14T14:20:10Z")
I’ve always wondered at California University and Indiana University, both of which are in Pennsylvania. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2007, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misleading-location-names/419167/3 "2007-09-14T14:21:15Z")
[Directions from Leeds Castle to Leeds](http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=d&hl=en&geocode=&saddr=leeds+castle&daddr=leeds&sll=54.162434,-3.647461&sspn=8.818892,23.203125&ie=UTF8&z=7&om=1). (The castle’s actually named after the tiny village of the same name.) ---
**Author:** ![Ellef](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8dc957/32.png) [@Ellef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellef)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2007, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misleading-location-names/419167/4 "2007-09-14T14:34:51Z")
My sister used to live in a house called “Rainsford Cottage”, which was by the side of a thundering dual carriageway in the centre of a large city. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2007, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misleading-location-names/419167/5 "2007-09-14T14:37:52Z")
Woodstock took place in Bethel. ---
**Author:** ![JeffB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeffb/32/188_2.png) [@JeffB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JeffB)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2007, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misleading-location-names/419167/6 "2007-09-14T14:40:05Z")
[QUOTE=Solfy] I’ve always wondered at California University and Indiana University, both of which are in Pennsylvania. [/QUOTE] To be fair, they are located in California, PA and Indiana, PA respectively. ---
**Author:** ![Solfy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@Solfy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Solfy)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2007, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misleading-location-names/419167/7 "2007-09-14T14:44:23Z")
[QUOTE=JeffB] To be fair, they are located in California, PA and Indiana, PA respectively. [/QUOTE] Right, and their full names are California University of Pennsylvania and Indiana University of Pennsylvania, but why go for the ambiguity? They didn’t have to name them after the towns. They could have given them more unique identifiers. For that matter, why are there towns named California and Indiana in PA? (says the person who grew up in Beaver Falls) ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2007, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misleading-location-names/419167/8 "2007-09-14T14:57:30Z")
[QUOTE=Solfy] For that matter, why are there towns named California and Indiana in PA? (says the person who grew up in Beaver Falls) [/QUOTE] “Indiana” in Pennsylvania was founded in 1803; the state joined the Union in 1819. Both probably were named for the Indiana Territory. As for California, it was a fairly common name; IIRC, it was from a book. It’s just that the state became more prominent. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2007, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misleading-location-names/419167/9 "2007-09-14T15:02:00Z")
Madison Square Garden. It isn’t on Madison Ave. The building is oval shaped. There isn’t anything that can be construed as a garden. (now the Madison Square Garden did match it’s name to location and style) ---
**Author:** ![Ellef](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8dc957/32.png) [@Ellef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellef)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2007, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misleading-location-names/419167/10 "2007-09-14T15:09:14Z")
Actually, now we’re on the subject, why is it called the “Midwest” when it’s not in the middle and it’s not in the West? Anyone care to fight this Brit’s ignorance? ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2007, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misleading-location-names/419167/11 "2007-09-14T15:16:18Z")
Not 100% relevant – but to get to my house from the expressway, you get off at a certain exit then follow the signs for Ridge Avenue East (and ignore those for Ridge Avenue West). Follow them around a huge loop, you’re actually on another road for a second, but you won’t get lost if you keep following the signs for Ridge Avenue East. When you get to the spot where the ramp dead-ends at Ridge Avenue, you have two choices: left for Ridge Avenue North, or right for Ridge Avenue South. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2007, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misleading-location-names/419167/12 "2007-09-14T15:17:33Z")
The Dublin Castle Pub in Camden, London is one that confuzzles me. ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2007, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misleading-location-names/419167/13 "2007-09-14T15:25:56Z")
[QUOTE=Ellef] Actually, now we’re on the subject, why is it called the “Midwest” when it’s not in the middle and it’s not in the West? Anyone care to fight this Brit’s ignorance? [/QUOTE] Because it originally was the Northwestern Territory of the US (more than 200 years ago, before the US had acquired territory west of the Mississippi River). My offering of confusing names: Butler County and Hamilton County are next to each other in southwest Ohio – but the city of Hamilton is the county seat of Butler County. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2007, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misleading-location-names/419167/14 "2007-09-14T15:32:36Z")
[QUOTE=Zebra] Madison Square Garden. It isn’t on Madison Ave. The building is oval shaped. There isn’t anything that can be construed as a garden. (now the Madison Square Garden did match it’s name to location and style) [/QUOTE] Note that the original Madison Square Garden _was_ overlooking Madison Square Park. ---
**Author:** ![kelly5078](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/6f9a4e/32.png) [@kelly5078](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kelly5078)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2007, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misleading-location-names/419167/15 "2007-09-14T15:54:06Z")
Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. It’s not really misleading, being named for the Miami tribe, and being much older than that one in Florida, but that’s what size and a football team will do. ---
**Author:** ![Solfy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@Solfy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Solfy)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2007, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misleading-location-names/419167/16 "2007-09-14T15:57:03Z")
[QUOTE=RealityChuck] “Indiana” in Pennsylvania was founded in 1803; the state joined the Union in 1819. Both probably were named for the Indiana Territory. As for California, it was a fairly common name; IIRC, it was from a book. It’s just that the state became more prominent. [/QUOTE] Thank you! I do love this place. Ignorance fought. For the record, although there may have been at one time, as far as I know there are no beavers in Beaver Falls, Beaver, or Big Beaver, PA. And since Sadie’s Restaurant closed, there is no longer a bill board on the turnpike (eastbound, just before exit 2) that reads “Eat at Sadie’s Big Beaver!” ---
**Author:** ![Gadarene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Gadarene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gadarene)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2007, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misleading-location-names/419167/17 "2007-09-14T16:02:26Z")
Monster Island. …It’s really just a peninsula. ---
**Author:** ![Silver\_Tyger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/fbc32d/32.png) [@Silver\_Tyger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silver_Tyger)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2007, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misleading-location-names/419167/18 "2007-09-14T16:04:28Z")
CSU Channel Islands. It’s in Camarillo at the old mental hospital. Which is why they didn’t name it Camarillo. But it’s a _beautiful_ campus. ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2007, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misleading-location-names/419167/19 "2007-09-14T16:11:47Z")
(New) Scotland Yard? ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2007, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misleading-location-names/419167/20 "2007-09-14T16:15:41Z")
– Speaking of Monster Island…Presque Isle, PA, which is a peninsula (of course, “Presque Isle” in French means “almost-island”, so it isn’t confusing in French.) – Newport News always confused me as the name of a community rather than a business. (Of course, it’s not exactly a New Port now, either.) – This happens a lot, but I-4 in Florida is technically an East-West road, although it goes at least as much north-south as east-west, and in Orlando proper, it goes directly north-south, so if you are on I-4 East you are going North. – Greenland is less green than Iceland, which is less icy than Greenland. – “Park” in the Rocky Mountain area (and for all I know the rest of the West) means or meant a flat land/meadow in the middle of the mountains. So Estes Park is a community near Rocky Mountain National Park, but is not a park itself. And within the RMNP there is a place called Moraine Park, which is not a park itself either, although located within a park. – Krakatoa is **West** of Java. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misleading-location-names/419167.md?page=2)