9 Towns with Tasty Thanksgiving Names
Thanksgiving is upon us. For good pilgrims all across the country, it's a special day to gather together with beloved friends and beloved and/or kind of beloved family to celebrate with a bountiful cornucopia of gravy, green beans and Cool Whip. But for many people, Thanksgiving is a year-round presence as they live in towns that share their name with food items and other things related to this most delectable of holidays.
For your Turkey-day amusement, here is a list of tastily-named US towns and cities that would make us hungry any day of the year. For the residents of these delicious-sounding destinations, Thanksgiving isn't just a holiday -- it's a way of life.
- 1
Cranberry, PA
Founded in 1804, this Pennsylvania township was named for--SURPRISE!—the wild cranberry bogs growing along a local creek. Today, this suburb of Pittsburg is one of the fastest-growing areas in the US. In this economy, we’ll take a spoonful of that!
- 2
Turkey, TX
When settlers first landed on the banks of a creek near the Texas panhandle in the 1890s, they were greeted by flocks of wild turkeys roosting there. Faster than you can say, "gobble, gobble," the town had its name. Also known as the home of Bob Willis, AKA "the King of Western Swing," Turkey is home to an annual music festival that draws over 10,000 people every April. Recently, PETA asked the mayor of Turkey to
- 3
Roll, AZ
Nestled warmly in Yuma County, AZ, this small community was named for a family of settlers whose descendents still reside there today. And we bet there's not a single low-carb cookbook to be found.
- 4
Pie Town, NM
Local legend has it that in the early 1920s, WWI veteran Clyde Norman began making dried apple pies in a small roadside kitchen along what later became US Hwy 60. Word spread that the best pies anywhere were to be found in "Pie Town." Today, this mouth-watering municipality plays host to an annual pie festival every September, and is home of the famous Pie Town Café, which has been featured on the Food Network. Imagine if Pie Town got together with
- 5
Yum Yum, TN
Does Willy Wonka live here? Are the streetlamps made of licorice?? Do the ATMs dispense chocolate kisses??? Sadly, no. But this town WAS named in 1897 by local shop-owner John J. Garnett (who may or may not have employed oompa-loompas). Apparently, when then-US Senator Kenneth McKellar asked Garnett what to name the town's new post office, the merchant replied, "Just call it Yum Yum. There won't be another name like that." Can't argue with that. Though they should see about those chocolate-dispensing ATMs...
- 6
Spuds, FL
This region of the Sunshine State is known for its … wait for it … potato farms! The town is (ahem) mashed between St. Augustine and Jacksonville. No official word on whether it rains gravy there, but we’ll keep you posted.
- 7
Corn, OK
This tiny town's name is derived from the location of its first post office: a corn field. Here's a kernel of trivia: Corn, OK was settled by Mennonites in the 1800s whose main crop was (ironically) a type of WHEAT called "Turkey Red." This town practically has Thanksgiving tattooed on its lower back!
- 8
Gnawbone, IN
No, seriously. Local historians claim this finger-lickin' title derives from that of the original French settlement in the area, "Narbonne." To the ears of English settlers at the time, "Narbonne" sounded like "Gnaw Bone." And, like all bad nicknames given at birth, it stuck.
- 9
Pilgrim, MI
This itty-bitty Michigan town has a population so small it basically exists in name only. But for our purposes, it's a thriving metropolis with a perfectly-themed name. (Just ask John Wayne, pilgrim.)