What’s in a name, and who names towns and cities anyways? A town name gives it its personality, its culture. We’ve found the strangest city names in the U.S, and we hope they aren’t a reflection of the town’s personality.

Hell, Michigan

The story of Hell’s birth is such a myth we don’t know if we’ll ever find the truth, but here it goes. Back in 1841, the founder of the area, George Reeves, ran a flour mill on the banks of the creek. As legend has it, the state of Michigan asked him what he’d like to call the city and he said, “You can name it Hell for all I care.” So they did.

Hell, for some reason, is a hot destination for bikers, hosting the Blessing of the Bikes rally every year. Other than that, it’s a great place for families. Go figure.

Pull out a map of the United States and you’re sure to find a few names that could effectively compete with the best tongue twisters. Others, however, just seem to give us cause for pause. With strange names, we often find ourselves mystified and wondering just what led the founders of these towns to choose the names they did. Here are a few of our favorites, along with their stories.

Chicken, Alaska

We thought Alaska was well known for salmon, crabs, and even scallops, but apparently chicken tops the list as well – at least in this crazy town. In reality, the town name pays homage to the gold miners who lived off of ptarmigan chickens during their stay.

Chicken, Alaska isn’t exactly a hot spot for those who like to keep in touch with the rest of the world. There is a post office, two small restaurants, a gift shop, and a saloon. Forget phones, running water, and electricity, though – they simply don’t exist. There is, however, still gold in the waters and you are free visit Busby’s Gold Camp if you’d like to try your hand at panning.

Tightwad, Missouri

Tightwad is a tiny town – perhaps because they’re too cheap to spend any money on expansion? Not really, but in reality the town was named after the owner of one of the first businesses in this small community. The mailman wanted to buy a 60-lb watermelon for $1.50, paid for it, and left to finish his route. Later in the day, someone else offered $2 for the watermelon, and the storekeeper sold it to him even though the mailman had already paid for it.

Needless to say, the mailman wasn’t very happy when he returned and found a smaller watermelon where his prized purchase once stood. He tried to get his money back, but the owner of the store didn’t believe he had done anything wrong and refused the return. The mailman called him a “Tightwad,” on his way out the door!

Rabbit Hash, Kentucky

We’re not sure if a place with no boundaries or government can really be called a town, but that’s exactly what Rabbit Hash is. Years ago there was a flood and the rising waters of the Ohio River forced the rabbits housed in Carlton to run to higher ground. The farmers up there were hungry and those poor little beasts became the main ingredient in many pots of rabbit hash.

Years later, the river town of Carlton needed to decide upon a new name because there was too much confusion with nearby Carrolton. Rabbit Hash was quickly voted as the new name. Visitors will be surprised at the lack of activity, the Rabbit Hash Museum is sure to entertain.

Toad Suck and Pickles Gap, Arkansas

Toad Suck and Pickles Gap are actually two separate places, but they’re so close to each other they may as well be considered one. Legend has it that the tavern in Toad Suck was a popular place for crew members to wait for the waters to rise before moving their steamboats along. They “sucked on bottles until they swelled up like toads,” per Mabel at the Pickles Gap Village store.

Hot Coffee, Mississippi

At first we thought this was going to be the story of another McDonald’s coffee run gone wrong, but we were surprised at just how quaint the tale really was. Back in the 1800’s an inn was built where Hot Coffee Road and Mount Olive Lane crossed. The owner of the inn put a sign out front, shaped like a coffee pot with the words “Hot Coffee” written on it.

Anyone heading towards Ellisville used the Hot Coffee sign as a landmark and eventually the words “Hot Coffee” appeared on road signs. The best place to get coffee in Hot Coffee is McDonalds – the general store, not the hamburger chain!

Truth or Consequences, New Mexico

Remember the old radio quiz show known as Truth or Consequences? Let’s just put it this way – the game was not named after the town. As part of a publicity stunt to celebrate their 10^th anniversary, the station promised to broadcast the game show from a town as long as the town agreed to rename itself Truth or Consequences for at least a year.

What was once Hot Springs, New Mexico first celebrated its new name on April 1, 1950, with a hot fiesta that is now held in May of each year. The partying must have gone to their heads, because they never thought to change the name back once the year was up!

There are dozens of other strange cities throughout the country. Keep your eyes peeled the next time you’re on the road. You may just discover one of your own!

Image credits: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7