With a diverse history, its only natural that America would have some of the strangest town names.? Read about the stories (or guesses) behind some of the strangest names for towns.
Dinkytown (Minneapolis)
This neighborhood near the University of Minnesota in east Minneapolis has been called Dinkytown since at least 1948, but locals disagree as to why.
The most popular theory: The name dates back to the 1930s and ’40s when trolley cars, ?nicknamed Dinkys, ran through the neighborhood.
Strawberry Mansion (Philadelphia)
This Lower North Philadelphia neighborhood takes its name from a building called the Strawberry Mansion in East Fairmount Park.
The center part of the mansion was built in the Federal style around 1790. The house’s second owner, Judge Joseph Hemphill, added two Greek Revival wings in the 1820s. His son grew strawberries on the property, hence the name.
Jamaica Plain (Boston)
This Boston neighborhood was established in the 1630s as part of the town of Roxbury, Mass. Many have assumed it is named after the Caribbean island, which the English took over in 1655. During Colonial times, New England was linked with England and Jamaica in a trade triangle involving sugar, slaves and rum.
But Jamaica Plain predates that period, and it is more likely that the neighborhood takes its name from the Anglicization of Kuchamakin, a leader in the Massachusett tribe when British settlers arrived.
Beerline B (Milwaukee)
This neighborhood along the Milwaukee River developed in the 1990s after the removal of the Beerline B railroad spur that once served Milwaukee’s Pabst, Blatz and Schlitz breweries. It adjoins Brewers Hill, a neighborhood with homes in a variety of styles ? including Greek Revival, Italianate, Queen Anne and Colonial Revival ? from the 1850s to the 1920s.
Brewers Hill takes its name from the many brewery workers and owners who once called that neighborhood home. Beerline B, whose development has been much more recent, is mainly home to condominiums boasting views of the river and downtown.
Deco Ghetto (San Francisco)
This San Francisco neighborhood, centered on Market Street between Franklin and Guerrero streets, gets its informal name from the large number of Art Deco furniture stores that call the area home.
Also known as Mid-Market or the Hub, the neighborhood has more to offer than antique stores. Many cafes, bars, restaurants and boutiques have opened in the past decade.