ARKANSAS, USA — Since Arkansas has a long and storied history of using quirky insults as befuddling town names, you might be surprised to learn that the stories behind the names can be even stranger than the names themselves.
Before we begin, I'm not sure who needs to know this, but it's possible to drive from Goobertown to Weiner, to Possum Grape, and finally to Bald Knob in under two hours. Road trip, anyone?
Without further ado, from Weiner to Toad Suck, here are the wildest stories behind some of the strangest names in the state of Arkansas:
Goobertown
- Why: We're starting strong with Goobertown; this small community reportedly began when Confederate soldiers retired from the war to raise peanuts—or as they called them for some reason—goobers. The legend only grew when T-shirts sporting a personified peanut began popping up around Arkansas.
- Author's note: I'll buy the first Goobertown T-shirt I'm offered for $200. I'm an XL.
- Where: Located in Craighead County in the northeast region of Arkansas, Goobertown's closest city is Paragould.
Nimrod
- Why: Nimrod was named after the biblical figure and great-grandson of Noah, mentioned in Genesis and Chronicles. "Nimrod" eventually came to describe a "foolish or inept" person when biblical scholars identified Nimrod as the one who ordered the construction of the tower of Babel.
- Where: Nimrod is located in central Arkansas, just an hour away from Conway and Little Rock.
Toad Suck
- Why: Though there is some disagreement about where Toad Suck got its name, both of the stories are equally odd:
- Some say that the name came from a phrase in French that refers to "a narrow channel in the river," in reference to how the Arkansas River thins in that area.
- The official Toad Suck website tells the story of a thirsty steamboat crew who "refreshed themselves at the local tavern, to the dismay of the folks living nearby, who said, 'They suck on the bottle until they swell up like toads.'"
- Where: Located in Perry County in central Arkansas, Toad Suck is relatively close to Little Rock and just a "hop, skip, and jump" away from Conway.
Booger Hollow
- Why: The name began when residents of the very small community believed the nearby valley was haunted, and came to call it "Boogie" Hollow, as in "boogie man." Somebody probably thought they were a hilarious comedian when they began to call it Booger instead, but honestly, who wouldn't pull over at a road sign advertising that?
- Where: Located between central and northwest Arkansas, the nearest heavily populated area is Russellville.
Bald Knob
- Why: One of the few places labeled as a city on this list (as opposed to an "unincorporated community") Bald Knob was named after a bunch of rocks that served as a landmark to settlers who presumably thought that just calling the place "Big Rocks" was boring.
- Where: Bald Knob sits in the northern central part of the state, near Searcy.
Possum Grape
- Why: What does a town do when half the residents want to name it Possum, and half want to name it Grape? Well, you make history, that's what you do. The name makes the perfect amount of sense: none. And thus, Possum Grape was born.
- Where: Possum Grape is located in northeast Arkansas, down the road from Newport and Bald Knob.
Smackover
- Why: According to the official Smackover City website, "When land grant settlers settled the Smackover area in the early 1830s, Sumac Couvert (meaning covered in dense sumac vegetation) was quickly anglicized to Smackover." As you can see, the cycle of settlers naming places after a thing they see there is a time-honored tradition.
- Where: Settled in southern Arkansas, Smackover is closest to El Dorado, Arkansas.
Weiner
- Why: Weiner was named after a railroad official who helped bring the St. Louis, Southwestern Railroad through the area in the late 1800s. Apparently, he was so important that residents decided honoring him was worth being giggled at by their neighbors.
- Where: Weiner rests in northeast Arkansas, near the city of Jonesboro (and excitingly, Bald Knob and Possum Grape).
Greasy Corner
- Why: According to the U.S. Geographic Survey, the town was originally called "Mack's Corner," after the man who owned the land, running a restaurant and mechanic's shop there, but when a resident visiting the restaurant was handed a plate with mechanic's grease on it, the diner remarked that the community should be called "Greasy Corner" instead.
- Where: Greasy Corner sits on the far eastern border of Arkansas, near West Memphis.
Fifty-Six
- Why: Fifty-Six, known for its natural beauty, was originally going to be named "Newcomb," but when the request was rejected by the government, locals named their home after its federal district designation, "56," seemingly out of spite.
- Where: Located in northern Arkansas, Fifty-Six is closest to Mountain View, but sits only an hour away from Flippin, a city that almost made this list in its own right.
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