Strange town names decorate the Texas map

SAN ANTONIO, Nov. 27 (UPI) -- Texas is host to hundreds of towns with strange names, including one dubbed Nameless, a folklorist says.

The town of Nameless got its handle after several other names for the proposed town were rejected by the U.S. postmaster in 1880, the San Antonio Express-News reported Sunday.

Finally, after the sixth rejection, a resident sent a note to the postmaster saying, "Let the post office be nameless and be damned!" And thus the town of Nameless was born.

Other towns adopted names for specific reasons, said Rhett Rushing, a folklorist at the Institute of Texan Culture.

Some residents named their towns after large cities as a way of raising attention, such as Atlanta, Detroit, Paris and Carthage.

Others were named after the town's roots, like Bovina, where cattle were shipped to market, and Muleshoe, which grew around a blacksmith's shop.

Happy, Joy, Utopia, Paradise, Eden, Placid, Prosper and Loyal Valley were all named with good feelings.

There are dozens of towns named after men and women, Native American tribes, food and actions, while some are just bizarre. Looneyville, Fluvanna, Loco, Noodle, Cut And Shoot, Gun Barrel City and Lazbuddie can all be found on the state's map.