248 pages, 5 1/2 x 8 1/2, 144 illustrations, bibliography, index. Nearly 1,000 name entries in 11 chapters.

Tennessee has never had so complete a place-names volume as this. With over 1,900 entries, this volume covers virtually all the cities, towns, villages, hamlets, and communities of Tennessee. Here you can learn when and how towns got their names. Although current names are the primary focus, previous names are also provided and discussed when information is available, and many interesting stories attached to a place have also been included. This is an essential and fascinating reference book for scholars, teachers, students, and any individual interested in the history of Tennessee.

Catalogs some 2700 Alabama communities, ranging from Abanda, in Chambers County, to Zip City, in Lauderdale County.

" From the wealth of place names in Kentucky, Rennick has selected those of some 2,000 communities and post offices. These places are usually the largest, the best known, or the most important as well as those with unusual or inherently interesting names. Including perhaps one-fourth of all such places known in the state, the names were chosen as a representative sample among Kentucky's counties and sections. Kentucky Place Names offers a fascinating mosaic of information on families, events, politics, and local lore in the state. It will interest all Kentuckians as well as the growing number of scholars of American place names.

Place names in the United States are often taken from the European nation that first colonized the land. Many names that have been transferred from Britain, as is the case with Barnstable, Massachusetts and Danbury, Connecticut. Many others are of French origin, such as Detroit, Michigan, which was established along the banks of the river they called le détroit du lac Érié, meaning the strait of Lake Erie. Many in the former New Netherland colony are of Dutch origin, such as Harlem, Brooklyn and Rhode Island. Many place names are taken from the languages of native peoples. Specific (personal or animal) names and general words or phrases are used, sometimes translated and sometimes not. However complicated the tracing back of the place names was, this encyclopedia lists thousands and thousands of place names in the United States of America and provides valuable information as to the origin and the history of the name. A fantastic reference work for everyone interested in American history.

This extensive guide shows how the history and culture of Illinois are embedded in the names of its towns, cities, and other geographical features. Edward Callary unearths the origins of names of nearly three thousand Illinois communities and the circumstances surrounding their naming and renaming. Organized alphabetically, the entries are concise, engaging, and full of fascinating detail revealing the rich ethnic history of the state, the impact of industrialization and the coming of the railroads, and insight into local politics and personalities. Many entries also provide information on local pronunciation, the name’s etymology, and the community’s location, all set in historical and cultural context. A general introduction locates Illinois place names in the context of general patterns of place naming in the United States. An extremely useful reference for scholars of American history, geography, language, and culture, Place Names of Illinois also offers intriguing browsing material for the inquisitive reader and the curious traveler.