Today in 1789, North Carolina became the twelfth state to ratify the US Constitution.
The state is named for English King Charles (not the current one, the one who granted some of the land he claimed in North America to his supporters).
Its largest city is named for Queen Sophia Charlotte, the wife of George III, who was king during the American Revolution.
But some names in the First in Flight State have much simpler origins, like an unincorporated community in central North Carolina that locals decided to name Whynot.
Europeans started settling in this part of North Carolina in the 18th Century; before that it had been home to many Indigenous people, such as the Keyauwee.
It was pretty small and low-key until 1853, when crews finished building a plank road running from Winston-Salem to Fayetteville.
The road passed right through the area, and a few years later, the federal government put in a post office.
And once your town has a post office, it needs a name, so the mail carriers know where to route letters.
The locals held a town meeting to choose a name; the good news was that plenty of people had suggestions.
The bad news was they couldn’t seem to agree on which one name to use.
People were saying why not name it this, why not name it that.
After hours and hours of going in circles, a farmer (Martin Auman, or maybe Alfred Yow or Noah Richardson) finally piped up and made a different proposal: “Let’s name it Why Not and go home!”
And that broke the impasse: they chose the name Why Not, originally spelled as two words and eventually shortened into a single.
Today the area is well known for its pottery and ceramic artisans.
But you have to think at least a few people also want to pose for photos near signs with the name on it.
I mean, if you’re in Whynot, why not?
Starting Saturday in Milwaukee, it’s Trainfest.
The two-day event bills itself as the largest operating model railroad show in the US.
It certainly sounds big: dozens of model train displays, hundreds of booths with model trains, tracks and accessories, plus a train that will take kids around the show.
Plus, it’s within walking distance of Milwaukee’s Amtrak station.
Whynot, North Carolina Was Named Out of Sheer Boredom (Conde Nast Traveler)
