{"id":15351,"date":"2014-08-28T18:30:48","date_gmt":"2014-08-28T23:30:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.howderfamily.com\/blog\/?p=15351"},"modified":"2021-11-11T08:00:13","modified_gmt":"2021-11-11T13:00:13","slug":"frequent-communities","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.howderfamily.com\/blog\/frequent-communities\/","title":{"rendered":"Most Frequent U.S. Communities"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Geographic Names Information System had a little “frequently asked questions<\/a>” page I somehow overlooked until a couple of days ago. Most of the FAQ dealt with mundane issues although a few gems hid within its midst. For example,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“The most frequently occurring community name continues to vary. In the past year, it was Midway at 212 occurrences and Fairview at 202. More recently, Fairview counted 288 and Midway 256. The name Springfield often is thought to be the only community name appearing in each of the 50 States, but at last count it was in only 34. The most recent count shows Riverside with 186 instances in 46 States, only Alaska, Hawaii, Louisiana, and Oklahoma not having a community so named.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

This compilation was great from a couple of perspectives. First, I found it interesting in its own right. Second, it meant that someone else did all of the dirty work today. So I could simply steal<\/del> borrow<\/em> the idea and elaborate upon it. 12MC didn’t mind getting a brief respite from research for once.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Fairview
<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Jefferson<\/a>
NOT the Washington Monument, rather the Jefferson Davis Monument<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In recent years, the United States had more places with nice views than ones located equidistant from two points. So let’s start there. I selected Fairview in Kentucky because the border separating Christian County from Todd County cut right through the settlement (map<\/a>). I’d always favor geo-oddities above anything else.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It seemed familiar and then it clicked in my mind when I spotted the Jefferson Davis Historic Site<\/a>, a memorial to the Confederate President<\/a> who was born on this site on June 3, 1808. Reader Bill Cary brought this site to my attention in a comment<\/a> after I posted the Jeff Davis<\/a> article in April 2013.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Jefferson Davis monument looked a lot like another object named for a different first president, the Washington Monument. I’m sure that the use of an obelisk wasn’t a coincidence. However, it was considerably shorter in stature (351 feet\/107 metres versus 555 ft\/169 m). Jefferson Davis’ monument probably didn’t have a precious tip<\/a> either.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Midway<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Midway,<\/a>
Midway, Utah<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The wonderful thing about Midway was that every instance had a built-in story by definition. Someone once thought to name them for their geographic placement between two or more other locations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I focused on Midway, Utah (map<\/a>)\u00a0 it was a Midway with a decent population (about 4,000) and an interesting explanation. As noted by the city<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“A wagon road completed through Provo Canyon in 1858 brought the first settlers to the area. In the spring of 1859, many more families began moving farther to the west along Snake Creek. Two small communities were established, called the Upper and Lower Settlements… In 1866, Indian hostilities grew and territorial governor Brigham Young encouraged settlers to construct forts for protection. The two small settlements reached an agreement to build a fort halfway or midway between the two existing communities… thus the beginning of our modern day town named Midway.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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Springfield<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"The<\/a>
The Simpson’s House<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Springfield came next although there’s really only one Springfield<\/a> that matters and it’s fictional. Maybe I’ll give a nod to Springfield, Oregon (map<\/a>) because the town recently commissioned a Simpsons mural<\/a>. Also it’s just down the road from Portland which may have inspired<\/a> the cartoon Springfield. So this one had some great geographic proximity going for it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Riverside<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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