The Geographic Names Information System had a little “frequently asked questions” page I somehow overlooked until a couple of days ago. Most of the FAQ dealt with mundane issues although a few gems hid within its midst. For example,
“The most frequently occurring community name continues to vary. In the past year, it was Midway at 212 occurrences and Fairview at 202. More recently, Fairview counted 288 and Midway 256. The name Springfield often is thought to be the only community name appearing in each of the 50 States, but at last count it was in only 34. The most recent count shows Riverside with 186 instances in 46 States, only Alaska, Hawaii, Louisiana, and Oklahoma not having a community so named.”
This compilation was great from a couple of perspectives. First, I found it interesting in its own right. Second, it meant that someone else did all of the dirty work today. So I could simply steal borrow the idea and elaborate upon it. 12MC didn’t mind getting a brief respite from research for once.
Fairview
In recent years, the United States had more places with nice views than ones located equidistant from two points. So let’s start there. I selected Fairview in Kentucky because the border separating Christian County from Todd County cut right through the settlement (map). I’d always favor geo-oddities above anything else.
It seemed familiar and then it clicked in my mind when I spotted the Jefferson Davis Historic Site, a memorial to the Confederate President who was born on this site on June 3, 1808. Reader Bill Cary brought this site to my attention in a comment after I posted the Jeff Davis article in April 2013.
The Jefferson Davis monument looked a lot like another object named for a different first president, the Washington Monument. I’m sure that the use of an obelisk wasn’t a coincidence. However, it was considerably shorter in stature (351 feet/107 metres versus 555 ft/169 m). Jefferson Davis’ monument probably didn’t have a precious tip either.
Midway
The wonderful thing about Midway was that every instance had a built-in story by definition. Someone once thought to name them for their geographic placement between two or more other locations.
I focused on Midway, Utah (map) it was a Midway with a decent population (about 4,000) and an interesting explanation. As noted by the city:
“A wagon road completed through Provo Canyon in 1858 brought the first settlers to the area. In the spring of 1859, many more families began moving farther to the west along Snake Creek. Two small communities were established, called the Upper and Lower Settlements… In 1866, Indian hostilities grew and territorial governor Brigham Young encouraged settlers to construct forts for protection. The two small settlements reached an agreement to build a fort halfway or midway between the two existing communities… thus the beginning of our modern day town named Midway.”
Springfield
Springfield came next although there’s really only one Springfield that matters and it’s fictional. Maybe I’ll give a nod to Springfield, Oregon (map) because the town recently commissioned a Simpsons mural. Also it’s just down the road from Portland which may have inspired the cartoon Springfield. So this one had some great geographic proximity going for it.
Riverside
There were also many Riversides. I chose Riverside, California because of the Parent Washington Navel Orange. I would visit it, given the opportunity. The city even had a little park to protect the historic tree (map). I’ll let the University of California Riverside Citrus Variety Collection explain this particular specimen:
“Washington navel orange is also known as the Bahia for the Brazilian city from which it was imported into the United States in 1870. Although its origins are uncertain, it is believed to come from a bud sport found in a Selecta orange tree in the early 1800s. Upon its arrival at the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Washington, D.C. it was propagated and trees were sent to California and Florida. Although the Florida trees did not flourish, those sent to Eliza Tibbets in Riverside, California found an ideal climate for their culture.”
Why focus on one specific navel orange tree in a tiny park in Riverside, California from amongst the millions of others in groves throughout the state? Because the USDA delivered two trees to Riverside in 1873. One died in 1921 and only this other one still survives. All California navel oranges descended from those two trees. They were the parents of the entire California citrus industry.
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