# US Cities Namesakes' Death Certificates

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-cities-namesakes-death-certificates/694175>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [July 27, 2014, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-cities-namesakes-death-certificates/694175 "2014-07-27T17:49:13Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 3

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\
**Post date:** [July 29, 2014, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-cities-namesakes-death-certificates/694175/41 "2014-07-29T13:44:01Z")

</div>

Henrietta, NY: possibly consumption (tuberculosis)

> [@etv78](#):
>
> Assume Lewiston ME is the same guy.

Lewiston, Maine, originally called Lewistown, was named and settled years before Meriwether Lewis became famous. It’s probably named for Job Lewis, a Boston businessman. I have no idea how Job died.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\
**Post date:** [July 29, 2014, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-cities-namesakes-death-certificates/694175/42 "2014-07-29T15:30:01Z")

</div>

Interestingly, the best known Alexandrias in the US were not named (ostensibly) after Alexandria, Egypt, and hence after Alexander the Great (who died of malaria, typhoid, poison, or something else). Alexandria, Virginia, was named after the Alexander family, Alexandria, Louisiana after founder Alexander Fulton, and Alexandria, Minnesota after early settler Alexander Kinkead. I haven’t found causes of death of any of them. Of course, the form of the name is based on the city in Egypt, but they commemorate people other than Alexander the Great.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![VunderBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/839c29/32.png) [@VunderBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VunderBob)\
**Post date:** [July 29, 2014, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-cities-namesakes-death-certificates/694175/43 "2014-07-29T16:40:05Z")

</div>

> [@Chefguy](#):
>
> Custer, SD: any questions?

Arrow shirt?  
Lexington Park, MD: Gunshot wounds (multiple torpedoes and surface gunnery)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\
**Post date:** [July 29, 2014, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-cities-namesakes-death-certificates/694175/44 "2014-07-29T20:06:27Z")

</div>

Franklin, Tennessee: pleurisy

Hamilton, Kansas: fatally wounded in a duel

Polk, Wisconsin: cholera

Harrison, Ohio: pneumonia, jaundice, and septicemia

Fillmore, New York: stroke

Rough and Ready, California (Zachary Taylor): dysentery

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\
**Post date:** [August 18, 2014, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-cities-namesakes-death-certificates/694175/45 "2014-08-18T04:55:39Z")

</div>

Randolph MA: apoplexy.  
And thanks to bibliophage for the Lewiston ME info.

[Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-cities-namesakes-death-certificates/694175.md?page=2)