Pennsylvania is full of funny place names; in fact, the entire Commonwealth is full of fun, silly names. You can take a trip from Peach Bottom to Intercourse to Virginville. Panic, Pancake, and Pigeon are just three of many towns travelers could visit this summer, according to a map compiled by MyDatingAdviser.com.
In Northeastern PA, there are also misplaced places like Rome, Athens, and Moscow. And in the West, you can find Mars, Lover, Paint, and Panic. Not to mention some more questionable locations like Intercourse, Blue Ball, Climax, Bird-in-Hand, and Bumpville.
Of course, here in western Pennsylvania, we also have several cities and towns with great names and their origins! Here are just a few:
- Big Run: This western Pennsylvania lumbering town was named after a creek called Big Run.
- California: This town was settled during the height of the California Gold Rush and named for that great state filled with gold.
- Clearfield: This town is located in Jefferson County and was named in the early 1800s for a cleared area in the normally rugged timberlands.
- Indiana: Located in western Pennsylvania, Indiana took its name from the Native Americans living in the area.
- Mars: For some reason, this western Pennsylvania town was named after the Roman god of war.
- Moon: This township outside of Pittsburgh got its name from a bend in a nearby river that looks like a crescent-shaped moon.
- Prosperity: Located in Washington County, and was so named because of the wishful thinking of the early settlers.
- Punxsutawney: Located in northwestern Pennsylvania, Punxsutawney was named by the local Native Americabs for a vicious sandfly that caused them to avoid the area.
- Slippery Rock: Located in Butler County and is named after slippery rocks in the nearby creek. Some of the locals say that the town was so named because George Washington was fleeing an Indian and chose to cross the creek at Slippery Rock. The Indian who was following him lost his footing on the slippery rocks and misfired, thereby sparing Washington and giving the town its name.
- Versailles: Located in western Pennsylvania near Pittsburgh, Versailles got its name from the famous French palace, although the reason is unknown, as it doesn’t seem to have had French settlers. The locals pronounce it “ver-sales.”
