-
Continue reading →: She Wore Blue Velvet…
Have you ever noticed that the mayor of New York City sometimes uses a podium wrapped in luxurious looking blue velvet? No? Well, who can blame you? Most of us don’t live there, so we’re not paying attention. Now, I myself do not live in NYC. But little details that…
-
Continue reading →: Does This Ring a Bell? Part One: Pelham
In the course of my research into Massachusetts town names I came across the story of Pelham, a small town in Hampshire County which incorporated in 1743. The story goes: “The selection of the name Pelham for the town doubtless came from the fact that Lord Pelham was travelling in…
-
Continue reading →: Does This Ring a Bell? Part Two: Copy Cats
As I mentioned in Part One, I found a total of 8 other towns with a bell story. I’m going to list them in the order the stories were published, rather than the order in which the towns were incorporated. Then there is this outlier: All in all, the accounts…
-
Continue reading →: Finding Bernard’s Towns
While undertaking my survey of Massachusetts town and city names I kept running across one name: Governor Francis Bernard. Yes, we had a little love affair, me with my obsessive need to research, him with his obsessive need to name municipalities after friends, families and himself. Most of this information…
-
Continue reading →: Why Do We Call It That? Nantucket County Edition
Yikes, this county escaped my attention. Fortunately it’s short and sweet. NantucketPronunciation: Nan-TUCK-etPopulation as of 2020: 14,255, up to 80,000 in summerIncorporated: 1671Original Name: natocke, nantaticu, nantican, nautica or natockete “Whence arose the name of the island, we are not certain, but it is generally supposed that Nauticon, known by ancient voyagers, and Nantucket, are…
-
Continue reading →: Why Do We Call It That? Worcester County Edition
This is the last part of my municipal nomenclature series and I’m a little sad. But not too sad, because I know there are plenty more rabbit holes to fall down in my future. This entry is dedicated to my daughter-in-law Nicole who expressed polite interest in the project and…
-
Continue reading →: Why Do We Call It That? Suffolk County Edition
BostonPronunciation: Boss-tun, Bahs-tunPopulation as of 2020: 675,647 Incorporated: 1630 (town), 1832 (city)Original Name: Shawmut The name Boston was originally intended to be used for the capital of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, which was the land that would later be called Charlestown. What is now Boston was called Trimountaine for the 3…
-
Continue reading →: Why Do We Call It That? Plymouth County Edition
AbingtonPronunciation: Ab-ing-tunPopulation as of 2020: 17,062 Incorporated: 1712Original Name: Manamooskeagin “Governor Joseph Dudley of Massachusetts Bay Colony named Abington in 1706, six years before the town was incorporated in 1712. Governor Dudley wished to honor Anne Venables Bertie, Countess of Abington (England) who helped him secure the governorship of the Colony…
-
Continue reading →: Why Do We Call it That? Norfolk County Edition
AvonPronunciation: Ay-vahn Population as of 2020: 4,777 Incorporated: 1888Original Name:Punkapoag “On the covers of the annual town reports is a small portrait of William Shakespeare, indicating that the town derives its name from the birthplace of the immortal bard – “Stratford-on-Avon” in England.” BellinghamPronunciation: Belling-hamPopulation as of 2020: 16,945 Incorporated: 1719Original Name:…