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

“[A] linguist . . . takes readers on a tour across the state, using names and language to tell its history.” ―Alcalde Was Gasoline, Texas, named in honor of a gas station? Nope, but the name does honor the town’s original claim to fame: a gasoline-powered cotton gin. Is Paris, Texas, a reference to Paris, France? Yes: Thomas Poteet, who donated land for the town site, thought it would be an improvement over “Pin Hook,” the original name of the Lamar County seat. Ding Dong’s story has a nice ring to it; the name was derived from two store owners named Bell, who lived in Bell County, of course. Tracing the turning points, fascinating characters, and cultural crossroads that shaped Texas history, Texas Place Names provides the colorful stories behind these and more than three thousand other county, city, and community names. Drawing on in-depth research to present the facts behind the folklore, linguist Edward Callary also clarifies pronunciations (it’s NAY-chis for Neches, referring to a Caddoan people whose name was attached to the Neches River during a Spanish expedition). A great resource for road trippers and historians alike, Texas Place Names alphabetically charts centuries of humanity through the enduring words (and, occasionally, the fateful spelling gaffes) left behind by men and women from all walks of life. “[A] quite useful book.” ―Austin American-Statesman

The Place Names of New Mexico is an invaluable guide to the state's geography and history. It explains more than 7,000 names of features large and small throughout the state--towns, mountains, rivers, canyons, counties, post offices, and even abandoned settlements--as well as providing relevant information about location, history, and current status. The revised edition contains more than fifty expanded and updated entries. The accounts are also journeys into New Mexico's past, offering glimpses of the lives and values of the people who named the place. Humor, tragedy, mystery, and daily life--they can all be found in this book.

Every populated place, however small, has a name, and every name is chosen for a reason. This fascinating dictionary gives the history, meanings, and origin of an enormous range of country, region, island, city, and town names from across the world, as well as the name in the local language. It also includes key historical facts associated with many place names. Place-names are continually changing. New names are adopted for many different reasons such as invasion, revolution, and decolonization. This dictionary includes selected former names, and, where appropriate, some historical detail to explain the transition. The names of places often offer a real insight into the places themselves, revealing religious and cultural traditions, the migration of peoples, the ebb and flow of armies, the presence of explorers, local languages, industrial developments and topography. Superstition and legend can also play a part. All this fascinating detail is included in the Concise Dictionary of World Place Names. In addition to the entries themselves, the dictionary includes two appendices: a glossary of foreign word elements which appear in place names and their meanings, and a list of personalities and leaders from all over the world who have influenced the naming of places. Containing over 10,000 names, from Aachen to Zyrardów, this is a unique and fascinating guide for geographers, travellers, and all with an interest in current world affairs.

Despite the plethora of books about the Civil War, the origins of many of the placenames associated with the conflict remain a mystery. This gazetteer provides information on nearly 1600 sites, including not only locations of battles and skirmishes but also hospitals, prison camps, military academies, factories and navy yards, both North and South. Also listed are islands, rivers, creeks, fords, ferries and railroad stations, as well as many temporary fort and camp names. From Abbeville, Georgia, where Jefferson Davis stopped in May 1865 days before his capture near Irwinville, to Yorktown, Virginia, which was besieged by General George B. McClellan at the start of the Peninsula campaign, entries explain the origin of each placename and its wartime connections. An appendix listing town and city population figures from the 1860 census completes this informative supplement for Civil War scholars and enthusiasts.

Everything is bigger in Texas—including ghosts—especially in San Antonio, considered one of the ten most haunted cities in the world by National Geographic. As the saying goes, “dead men tell no tales.” Or do they? From its humble beginnings as a Spanish settlement in 1691 to the bloody battle at the Alamo, San Antonio’s history is rich in haunting tales. Discover Old San Antonio’s most haunted places and uncover the history that lies waiting for those who dare enter their doorways. Take a peek inside the Menger Hotel, the “Most Haunted Hotel in Texas,” and just a block away, peer into the Emily Morgan Hotel, renovated after a decade of being vacant, was once the city’s first hospitals where many men and women lost their lives. Explore the San Fernando Cathedral, where people are buried within the walls and visitors claim to see faces mysteriously appear. Uncover the legends behind Bexar County Jail. Join authors James and Lauren Swartz and decide for yourself what truly lurks behind the Alamo City’s fabled past. Includes photos!

This anniversary edition concentrates on the origins of the names currently used for the cities, towns, settlements, mountains, and streams of California, with engrossing accounts of the history of their usage. The dictionary includes a glossary and a bibliography.