# Shelbyvilles, i.e. places that look like they have a generic place name in them but don't **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 14, 2026, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shelbyvilles-i-e-places-that-look-like-they-have-a-generic-place-name-in-them-but-dont/1027667 "2026-02-14T17:27:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2026, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shelbyvilles-i-e-places-that-look-like-they-have-a-generic-place-name-in-them-but-dont/1027667/41 "2026-02-15T18:19:11Z")
> [@Mr.Greenjeans](#): > > Pennsylvania route 132 in Bucks and Montgomery County, also from colonial times, is also known as Street Road. It takes its name from an early meaning of street (which meant a paved road). Whenever I see a street called Prospect Avenue, I think of this. Because one of the few Russian words that I know is “prospekt” meaning “avenue”, so I always joke to myself that it means Avenue Avenue. ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2026, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shelbyvilles-i-e-places-that-look-like-they-have-a-generic-place-name-in-them-but-dont/1027667/42 "2026-02-15T18:49:31Z")
The Minor Latham Playhouse at Barnard College is named after Professor Minor W. Latham. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2026, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shelbyvilles-i-e-places-that-look-like-they-have-a-generic-place-name-in-them-but-dont/1027667/43 "2026-02-15T19:06:08Z")
There’s a notable Rochester family called Strong, and there are quite a few institutions bearing their name, but most of them manage to not _sound_ like they are describing something strong despite having strong in their name. With the exception of Strong Children’s Research Center. I wonder what organization researches average to weak children? ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2026, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shelbyvilles-i-e-places-that-look-like-they-have-a-generic-place-name-in-them-but-dont/1027667/44 "2026-02-15T19:12:55Z")
We have a That Road here, which I’m sure got its name because everybody called it “That.” There’s also a Lois Lane, but it’s near a subdivision, so it’s probably a deliberate joke. ---
**Author:** ![furryman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/furryman/32/99_2.png) [@furryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furryman)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2026, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shelbyvilles-i-e-places-that-look-like-they-have-a-generic-place-name-in-them-but-dont/1027667/45 "2026-02-15T19:16:18Z")
There was also a Margo Lane in a community near me. ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2026, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shelbyvilles-i-e-places-that-look-like-they-have-a-generic-place-name-in-them-but-dont/1027667/46 "2026-02-15T19:38:20Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > There’s a notable Rochester family called Strong There are a lot of cemeteries in Indiana that started out as the corner of a family’s property where they buried the family. When farms were bought by contractors, the solution to the situation of what to do with the graves, if they were numerous, was to sell the lot they were on, and several adjacent ones, to the county, which turned the whole thing into a cemetery, administered by a company hired by the county. It was then named after the original family: there’s a Silver Cemetery, a Haislup Cemetery, and a Wampler Cemetery. Owen Co., IN has The Gross Cemetery. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2026, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shelbyvilles-i-e-places-that-look-like-they-have-a-generic-place-name-in-them-but-dont/1027667/47 "2026-02-15T20:34:42Z")
I just saw a random Facebook post about Booger Hollow, Arkansas. Sadly, it turns out to really be named after boogers in a hollow and not after a founder named Booger Hollow. ---
**Author:** ![hibernicus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hibernicus/32/2802_2.png) [@hibernicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hibernicus)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2026, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shelbyvilles-i-e-places-that-look-like-they-have-a-generic-place-name-in-them-but-dont/1027667/48 "2026-02-15T20:57:38Z")
Not a perfect fit with the OP, but the name of the village of Valleymount on the edge of the Wicklow Mountains has nothing to do with valleys or mountains. It probably comes from an Irish phrase meaning (the town on) the way to the moor, which coincidentally sounds like the English words valley and mountain. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2026, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shelbyvilles-i-e-places-that-look-like-they-have-a-generic-place-name-in-them-but-dont/1027667/49 "2026-02-15T22:04:23Z")
Tennessee has a real-life Bug Tussle. God help us. > **[Bugtussle (Macon County, TN)](https://roadsidethoughts.com/tn/bugtussle-xx-macon-profile.htm)** > > Local information and community profile for Bugtussle (Macon County, State of Tennessee). Contains: area codes, time zone, elevation and much more. ---
**Author:** ![SunUp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SunUp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SunUp)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2026, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shelbyvilles-i-e-places-that-look-like-they-have-a-generic-place-name-in-them-but-dont/1027667/50 "2026-02-15T22:21:28Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > At my alma mater (Rensselaer) one of the freshman dorms is Hall Hall, named after someone named Hall. Georgia Tech had a chemistry classrom and lab building named Lyman Hall; it’s full name was “The Lyman Hall Laboratory of Chemistry”, being named after Tech’s second president, rather than someone whose last name was Lyman (and had a hall named after him). The building now houses the Bursar’s office. ---
**Author:** ![pirviii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pirviii/32/3233_2.png) [@pirviii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pirviii)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2026, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shelbyvilles-i-e-places-that-look-like-they-have-a-generic-place-name-in-them-but-dont/1027667/51 "2026-02-16T03:49:50Z")
> [@RivkahChaya](#): > > There’s also a Lois Lane, but it’s near a subdivision, so it’s probably a deliberate joke. Growing up, the Seagate plant was on Disk Dr., also intentional I assumed at 10 years old. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2026, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shelbyvilles-i-e-places-that-look-like-they-have-a-generic-place-name-in-them-but-dont/1027667/52 "2026-02-16T03:57:03Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > Whenever I see a street called Prospect Avenue, I think of this. Because one of the few Russian words that I know is “prospekt” meaning “avenue”, so I always joke to myself that it means Avenue Avenue. Visit Toronto, and enjoy a drive down Avenue Road. ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2026, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shelbyvilles-i-e-places-that-look-like-they-have-a-generic-place-name-in-them-but-dont/1027667/53 "2026-02-16T05:13:24Z")
Apple headquarters used to be on a ring road called Infinite Loop. ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2026, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shelbyvilles-i-e-places-that-look-like-they-have-a-generic-place-name-in-them-but-dont/1027667/54 "2026-02-16T17:18:17Z")
I haven’t seen a Della St., but there’s probably one out there somewhere. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2026, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shelbyvilles-i-e-places-that-look-like-they-have-a-generic-place-name-in-them-but-dont/1027667/55 "2026-02-16T18:03:45Z")
Just typing “Della Street” into Google Maps showed me at least four of them in the U.S., but I wouldn’t be surprised if there are many more. ---
**Author:** ![SunUp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SunUp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SunUp)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2026, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shelbyvilles-i-e-places-that-look-like-they-have-a-generic-place-name-in-them-but-dont/1027667/56 "2026-02-16T19:27:14Z")
Which brings up the question: is there an eponymous burger restaurant in Hamilton, ON? ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2026, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shelbyvilles-i-e-places-that-look-like-they-have-a-generic-place-name-in-them-but-dont/1027667/57 "2026-02-16T19:29:34Z")
> [@SunUp](#): > > is there an eponymous burger restaurant in Hamilton, ON? Only losers eat there. 😉 Hamilton Burger lost nearly every case against Perry Mason; in the original TV series, he only won twice over the course of 271 episodes. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2026, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shelbyvilles-i-e-places-that-look-like-they-have-a-generic-place-name-in-them-but-dont/1027667/58 "2026-02-16T19:48:08Z")
A cross street near my home plays on the common abbreviation of “Lane,” and is named “Shangri.” ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2026, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shelbyvilles-i-e-places-that-look-like-they-have-a-generic-place-name-in-them-but-dont/1027667/59 "2026-02-16T21:40:07Z")
Shangri Ln? Seems like it doesn’t quite scan. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2026, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shelbyvilles-i-e-places-that-look-like-they-have-a-generic-place-name-in-them-but-dont/1027667/60 "2026-02-16T21:53:14Z")
Pacific, Missouri was originally called Franklin. Two years after it was founded, the Pacific Rail Road (eventually the Missouri Pacific and finally the Union Pacific) came through town, so the town changed its name. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shelbyvilles-i-e-places-that-look-like-they-have-a-generic-place-name-in-them-but-dont/1027667.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shelbyvilles-i-e-places-that-look-like-they-have-a-generic-place-name-in-them-but-dont/1027667.md?page=4)