Humor on the Map – Funny (and smutty) real places on USGS Topo maps

Pigs Ear, Elk County Pennsylvania

Let’s choose an attractive name for our new settlement. I know – how about Pigs Ear?

Dunno how it got its name, maybe an incident involving a pig’s ear or something resembling a pig’s ear like a hill?

You Bet CA (Nevada County)

I woulda thought this would be upper Midwest, maybe Wisconsin!

Presumably related to the Gold Rush, as this is Gold Country. I kinda like the nearby places “Red Dog” and “Brady Ranch” too.

Frankenstein MO (Osage County)

What have we created here??!!

A man named Franken donated land for a town on a hill, so Frankenstein (“the stone of Mr. Franken”) seemed reasonable.

Gross, Idaho (Gem County)

I suppose that sloppy folks live here (or else population 144?)

Gross, Gem County Idaho. Assume from a settler’s name. Or a remark from a Valley Girl.

Well That Johnny Dug, Maricopa County AZ

Good Old Johnny!

Well That Johnny Dug, Maricopa County AZ, on Barry Goldwater Air Force Range

According to “the Desert Mountaineer” it is in honor of Johnny Childs, an early settler in the area.

/https://www.desertmountaineer.com/2022/04/29/six-soft-sauceda-summits/

Stoner Recreation Center, LA

Stoner Recreation Center, Los Angeles CA

“Man, I love LA – A rec Center just for us stoners…

Located on Stoner Ave., probably the source of the name. Interestingly, there is a skateboard park as part of it.

https://www.laparks.org/reccenter/stoner

Bias, WV

Bias, Mingo County West Virginia

Everyone here seems to be against me.

Named after the surname of an early settler (think basketball player Len Bias)

Appendicitis Hill, Butte County, Idaho

Sounds like no fun for anyone involved!

Appendicitis Hill, Butte County, Idaho

Refers to an actual case of appendicitis suffered by a surveyor there.

https://www.idahoaclimbingguide.com/bookupdates/appendicitis-hill/

Sex Peak, Sanders County Montana

Sex Peak – and you can rent the fire tower on top from the Forest Service! Evocative, to say the least.

According to the Forest Service site, “The peak was named by I.V. Anderson, an early forester, and Harry Baker, supervisor of what was then Cabinet National Forest. It is rumored that they named the peak after their topic of conversation at the time.”

https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/kootenai/recreation/hiking/recarea/?recid=49901&actid=101

Scrabble, Rappahannock County, Virginia

No proper nouns or slang allowed here, but if you need a fresh start, it’s a good place to trade in all your tiles.

As for the name, if I had to guess, I’d say it was from the living there being hardscrabble in the old days. The town was mainly African-American in the past and had a Rosenwald School that now houses a senior center and museum. These schools were built by a foundation dedicated to improving the education for African-American communities, mainly in the south. Scrabble School was opened in 1921 and used until the school system was integrated in 1968. See https://scrabbleschool.org/ for more information.