# What's your town famous for? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 20, 2004, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-town-famous-for/270285 "2004-10-20T21:33:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2004, 7:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-town-famous-for/270285/101 "2004-10-22T07:17:39Z")
> [@AndyPolley](#): > > As a proud Long Islander, I could mention folks like Amy Fisher or Sarah Hughes or Joe Satriani…but that’s too broad a brush to paint with here. On the other hand, I was raised in Merrick, and that town _can_ lay claim to Amy Fisher. Also Debbie/Deborah Gibson, who graduated from my high school some years before I did. She’s an alum of the drama program that I devoted most of my time too. Lindsay Lohan (Mean Girls, Freaky Friday) also lived in good old Merrick and also went to Calhoun high school, though the IMDb says her stay was brief. I’ve been told by contacts that she was a bitch, but at least she didn’t shoot anybody. ---
**Author:** ![Tentacle\_Monster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ba9def/32.png) [@Tentacle\_Monster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tentacle_Monster)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2004, 7:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-town-famous-for/270285/102 "2004-10-22T07:34:16Z")
My hometown of Poplar Bluff, MO gave us… **Linda Bloodworth-Thomason** , wrote for and produced a number of TV shows, including _Designing Women, Evening Shade_, and, uh… _Emeril_. One of the characters on _Designing Women_ (the blonde one, Charlene I think) was from Poplar Bluff, and made several references to it. Also, there’s a bar in Poplar Bluff called _Evenin’ Shade_, but I can’t remember which came first-- the show or the bar. **Scott Innes** , current voice of Scooby-Doo, Shaggy, and… Scrappy. Also did the voice of Prof. Pat Pending on the _Wacky Races_ game for the Dreamcast. He also did the voices for the gang in an episode of _Harvey Birdman: Attorney At Law_, which gives him serious cool points in _my_ book, at least. ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2004, 8:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-town-famous-for/270285/103 "2004-10-22T08:07:51Z")
Long ago, my hometown was in the news because we had a gorilla at our zoo who was about to give birth, so they brought in a trainer to show her videos of wild gorillas caring for their young to try and teach her how to take care of hers. Seemed to work. Later, we were in the news as Nancy Kerrigan’s home town. Her brother (good hockey player) was in my class. Just last month, we were in the news again for an elderly man losing control of his car and accidentally ramming into a group of schoolchildren. One of our friends had just picked up her kids and was there when it happened. ☹ As for the town I’ve made my home (see Location), well, you’ve probably heard of it. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2004, 8:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-town-famous-for/270285/104 "2004-10-22T08:09:32Z")
> [@Sublight](#): > > As for the town I’ve made my home (see Location), well, you’ve probably heard of it. Oh yeah… Godzilla’s from there, isn’t he? ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2004, 8:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-town-famous-for/270285/105 "2004-10-22T08:24:39Z")
Yep, lives next door. And you know, he’s not as bad a neighbor as you might think. That whole building-smashing, breathing fire thing? All just a role. In real life, he’s a friendly, quiet kind of guy. ---
**Author:** ![Grape\_Girl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3da27b/32.png) [@Grape\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grape_Girl)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2004, 8:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-town-famous-for/270285/106 "2004-10-22T08:54:03Z")
Hey guys, Long time lurker, 1st time poster. (Please be nice) Anyways the reason my town draws tourists is cos we have a head of a saint in our church!! not even mummified or anything! Its gross but for some reason it draws 1000’s of tourists every year! ---
**Author:** ![AsecretK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7ab992/32.png) [@AsecretK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AsecretK)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2004, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-town-famous-for/270285/107 "2004-10-22T13:31:39Z")
Archibald Willard was born in my hometown of Bedford, Ohio. He painted The Spirit of 1776 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Kizarvexius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/da6949/32.png) [@Kizarvexius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kizarvexius)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2004, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-town-famous-for/270285/108 "2004-10-22T15:21:20Z")
Well, let’s see. 1. Immortalized in a country song about a bar fight. Yippee. 2. Recently named the “sweatiest city in America.” 3. Filming location of [_‘Manos’ the Hands of Fate_](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0060666/), considered by many to be the worst movie ever made. 4. Birthplace of Richard Ramirez, " the Night Stalker." 5. Home to the tallest smokestack in North America, part of an inactive (thank God) copper smelting plant. I’m so proud (sniff). :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Kizarvexius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/da6949/32.png) [@Kizarvexius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kizarvexius)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2004, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-town-famous-for/270285/109 "2004-10-22T15:33:11Z")
Oh, I almost forgot. Greetings and saluatations to \*\*dwyr \*\*. I have plenty of relatives in E-Town. ---
**Author:** ![NinjaChick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/71c47a/32.png) [@NinjaChick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinjaChick)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2004, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-town-famous-for/270285/110 "2004-10-22T16:20:44Z")
I’m counting the nearest major city to where I grew up (about 20 minutes from my house) as home. Famous for: The Congressional Congress, the Declaration of Independence, the Liberty Bell, cheesesteaks, the Art Museum steps, Rocky…I’m thinking that’s the major ones. I’ll let you all guess what city. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Angua](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8baadc/32.png) [@Angua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Angua)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2004, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-town-famous-for/270285/111 "2004-10-22T16:23:52Z")
Sir Ian McKellen was born in my hometown of Burnley. In the same neighbourhood in fact. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Misnomer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misnomer/32/14897_2.png) [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2004, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-town-famous-for/270285/112 "2004-10-23T03:49:22Z")
[Foster’s](http://www.fosters.com.au/beer/) is “imported by Century Importers, Reston, Virginia.” I used to hear that tag line on radio ads all of the time, but I never knew where Reston was…now I live and work here. 🙂 I went to college in Radnor, Pennsylvania, which is the home of TV Guide. ---
**Author:** ![Enola\_Straight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dec6dc/32.png) [@Enola\_Straight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Straight)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2004, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-town-famous-for/270285/113 "2004-10-23T06:34:28Z")
> [@Kizarvexius](#): > > Oh, I almost forgot. > > Greetings and saluatations to \*\*dwyr \*\*. I have plenty of relatives in E-Town. I have, too! In fact, my uncle is an honest-to-God Kentucky Colonel, just like KFC’s Col. Sanders! ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2004, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-town-famous-for/270285/114 "2004-10-23T06:47:28Z")
> [@Krys92gp](#): > > we’re home to Mrs. T’s Pierogie Headquarters! 😛 _drool_ ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2004, 6:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-town-famous-for/270285/115 "2004-10-23T06:52:57Z")
I grew up and lived for most of my life in Altoona, PA, famous for many railroad-related things, such as the World Famous Horseshoe Curve and the Samuel Rae Car Shops (believe me, to railroad afficionados, these are big things). Also, Slinkies were invented and are manufactured at James Industries, in nearby Hollidaysburg. My current town, Lancaster, PA, is famous for Amish people and surrounding villages with such charming and quaint names as Bird-in-Hand, Blue Ball, Intercourse, and Paradise. ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2004, 8:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-town-famous-for/270285/116 "2004-10-23T08:26:34Z")
I couldn’t tell you anything about the city I currently live in but I was born and raised in Cleveland, Tennessee and it’s known for … nothing. The only things I can think of is that the Church of God’s international headquarters is located there and the Scott Stapp, the former lead singer of Creed, was kicked out of Lee College, the school that the aforementione Church runs in the city. What’s weird is that he attended while I literally lived next door to campus and I probably saw and/or passed him at least a couple times. Yeah… that’s as exciting as my hometown gets. ---
**Author:** ![Kilvert\_s\_Pagan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c37758/32.png) [@Kilvert\_s\_Pagan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kilvert_s_Pagan)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2004, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-town-famous-for/270285/117 "2004-10-23T19:01:45Z")
> [@Aesiron](#): > > I couldn’t tell you anything about the city I currently live in but I was born and raised in Cleveland, Tennessee and it’s known for … nothing. Chin up, **Aesiron**. Cleveland Tennessee is famous for being the-great-shortcut-if-you-want-to-miss-Chattennooga-on-75. Or at least it used to be… now it’s too built up, so maybe your pathos is right on… 😃 ---
**Author:** ![akennett](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ee59a6/32.png) [@akennett](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/akennett)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2004, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-town-famous-for/270285/118 "2004-10-23T19:18:31Z")
America’s oldest continuously operating brewery! Oh, and for building a six-man gallows to hang a bunch of Irishmen in 1877. But they backed out of using it, and hanged them in pairs, much more humane of them. ---
**Author:** ![Ignatz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/3be4f8/32.png) [@Ignatz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ignatz)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2004, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-town-famous-for/270285/119 "2004-10-23T22:00:53Z")
> [@SolGrundy](#): > > My current city is famous for homosexuals, street cars, a prison, fog, and a neat bridge. > > My hometown is where part of “The Dukes of Hazzard” was filmed, as well as a pilgrimage destination for many Christians, because a woman claimed to see the Virgin Mary on her **fram** once a month for several years. Is that why you never changed the filter? ---
**Author:** ![Ignatz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/3be4f8/32.png) [@Ignatz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ignatz)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2004, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-town-famous-for/270285/120 "2004-10-23T22:11:01Z")
> [@Ignatz](#): > > Is that why you never changed the filter? :smack: Sorry, I meant “she”, not “you”. Pls forgive. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-town-famous-for/270285.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-town-famous-for/270285.md?page=7)