US Cities, Towns, and Village Sobriquets Quiz

Answer: Tuscaloosa

Tuscaloosa is the home of the University of Alabama. The city is called "The Druid City" but you will find little evidence of Druid culture nor a representation of Stonehenge. It is recorded that the Druids found oak trees sacred and since Tuscaloosa has many such trees, the name was adopted.

Hueytown is the 'Home of the Alabama Gang' in reference to the Allisons, Red Farmer, and Neil Bonnett, all famous NASCAR drivers.

Cedar Bluff calls itself the "Crappie Capitol of the World" because of the record numbers of crappie caught in nearby waters.

Scottsboro is the "Lost Luggage Capitol of the World" as there are firms that dispose of lost luggage via sales in Scottsboro. The city is also known for an early trial in the struggle for civil rights.

Answer: Anchorage

Anchorage is quite proud of its appearance and displays, perhaps because of its relatively short growing season recording sub-freezing temperatures historically in all months except July. Anchorage relies on being a transportation hub for rail and air and well as a military presence.

Haines is the "Eagle Capital of the World" due to its nearness to the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve.

Ketchikan is noted for being the "Salmon Capital of the World" due to the fishing industry there.

Cordova is "Clam Town" another fishing community.

Answer: Tombstone

Tombstone brings forth the image of the shoot-out at the OK Corral, depicted in several films. Silver was important early in its history but now the town relies on tourism as the basis for its economy, attempting to capitalize on western traditions and rich history.

Similarly Kingston, as the "Heart of Route 66", fosters the romance of that famous highway, although Route 66 has been by-passed by modern inter-state highway systems. "Route 66" as a song was first recorded by 'Nat' King Cole in 1946. From 1960 to 1964, "Route 66" was a television program producing 116 episodes.

Chandler bills itself as the "High Tech Oasis of the Silicon Desert" as it is the home on Intel, which produces parts found in most computers.

Wickenburg is the "Dude Ranch Capital of the World" for those seeking a 'western' experience. Although this type of tourism has declined in recent years, expansion of golf courses and restaurants have added to the economy.

Answer: Hope

Hope has a watermelon festival each August. In 2008 a 158 pound watermelon was displayed. President Clinton was born in Hope which converted an old railway depot into a museum to honor him.

Nashville proclaims itself "Peach Capital". I wonder if that news has reached Atlanta? Freezing and thawing devastated the 425 peach orchards in the area during the 1950s so much of that land has been converted to other uses.

Green Forest is the "Tomato Capital"

Dumas is the "Home of the Ding Dong Daddy from Dumas" as in the song that goes in part:

"Just a rinky dinky daddy from the Dumas
Who you'll see me doin' my stuff

I'm a peach pie papa
From Jackson's Holla
Ah, you oughtta see me strut

I'm a honey drippin' daddy
Got a hard-hearted baby
She's a sheep shakin' Sheba
And hallelujah!

I'm a ding dong daddy from Dumas
And you oughtta see me strut!"

Answer: Pasadena

Pasadena hosts the Rose Bowl Parade and the Rose Bowl football game each year on New Year's Day.

Yuba City is the "Prune Capitol". It keeps locals on the run.

Willow Creek is the "Bigfoot Capital of the World". They honor that elusive fellow with a festival each year.

Placerville is "Hangtown" which refers to a former name of the community that was noted in the mid 1800s for its quick treatment of offenders. Citizens demanded a friendlier name, hence Placerville.

Answer: Trinidad

Stanley Biber, a surgeon returning from the Korean War, decided to set up a practice in Trinidad. At the urging of a social worker, he performed a sex-change operation. Thus he gained a vast reputation for this surgical art and often performed as many as four such operations a day.

Alamosa, on a table land surrounded by mountains, is the "Hub of the San Luis Valley".

Fairplay claims to be the real town upon which the animated, sometimes irreverent, television series "South Park" is based.

Nederland celebrates each year the "Frozen Dead Guy Day". In 1989 a body was preserved in dry ice. Since then efforts have been made through cryonics to keep the body frozen through various scientific and legal means. So each year one day is set aside in Nederland to celebrate Grandpa Bredo, the most famous corpse in Colorado.

Answer: New London

New London was once one of the busiest ports for whaling ships in the world. It is the location of the United States Coast Guard Academy. Eugene O'Neill is one of its famous citizens and some of his dramas are set in New London.

Danbury is the "Hat City". At one time 25% of hats produced in the United States came from Danbury.

Stamford still calls itself "Lock City" although the famous Yale Lock Company has long departed.

Wilimantic clings to the title of "Thread City" even though American Thread Company fled to North Carolina in 1985 causing a severe blow to the local economy. The town maintains a textile museum.

Answer: Wilmington

Wilmington is the home of the E.I. Du Pont Corporation since 1802 and still maintains its headquarters there. They are a long time sponsor of Jeff Gordon's NASCAR racing team.

Seaford bills itself as the "Nylon Capital of the World" as Du Pont built the first nylon producing factory there in 1939. Du Pont spun off nylon production to other companies in 2004.

Rehoboth Beach is the "Nation's Summer Capital" as during the summer many of its vacationers and summer residents are from the Washington D.C. area.

Bethany Beach/Fenwick Island are resort areas and are often referred to as the "Quiet Resorts".

Answer: Gainesville

Gainesville was known as Hogtown for many years. When the State Legislature was seeking a home for the proposed University of Florida, the name was changed to Gainesville as a more apt name for a city to house a seat of higher learning.

The abundance of fossilized shark bones in the area lead Venice to proclaim itself the "Shark Tooth Capital of the World".

Pensacola is the "City of Five Flags" as the flags of Spain, France, Great Britain, the Confederate States, and the United States have flown above the city.

Tarpon Springs was one of the leading producers at one time of sponges, now often replaced with modern plastic imitations. In 1947 an algae destroyed the sponge beds but the title of "Sponge Capital of the World" has been retained.

Answer: Plains

Besides a marker proclaiming its love for peanuts, Ashburn also has a Fire Ant festival. Go figure.

The Peanut Corporation of America in Blakely, which produced a commercial type of peanut oil that was used in a number of products, was closed in 2009 due to alleged salmonella contamination. It is trying to rebuild its image.

Sylvester claims to produce more peanuts per acre than anywhere in the world.

Plains is the home of former President Jimmy Carter who was a peanut farmer but the town lays no formal claim to the crop.