Unique, Odd, or Interesting Signs aka The good, the bad, and the ugly

[andrepoiy]

Found on I-90 WB near Erie, PA.



https://goo.gl/maps/8kVaMf953Lm71Kzy8

[Amaury]

It is Mundys Corner.  The US Board of Geographical Names does not like apostrophes and permits very few exceptions (Martha's Vineyard is one of them).

Mary's Corner, Washington, would be another one of those exceptions.

Westbound US 12: https://goo.gl/maps/FAVjYEhQfj2bWjQh8
Eastbound US 12: https://goo.gl/maps/FXPshfpuCRpgAvRV6

Although it's certainly by no means consistent, such as Coles Corner, Washington.

Westbound US 2: https://goo.gl/maps/m95nDfL2KDLxoLyo9
Eastbound US 2: https://goo.gl/maps/k4CmtB1imtf5e59g9

According to Wikipedia, the former is named after Mary Loftis, but the Wikipedia article for the latter doesn't really provide much background information. So, I don't know if it's named after someone named Cole or if Coles is a last name, like Stevens Pass, named after John Frank Stevens, but not as belonging to him.

What I have seen more often is them using apostrophes to abbreviate words, such as "national" being "nat'l."

[LilianaUwU]

I'm not familiar with the area, obviously, but is it also supposed to be Mundy's Corner? (The apostrophe.)

It is Mundys Corner.  The US Board of Geographical Names does not like apostrophes and permits very few exceptions (Martha's Vineyard is one of them).

Which is dumb. Theres no reason to omit apostrophes. Why was this apostrophe ban even implemented anyways?

[roadman65]

How come the spelling Nazi hasn't weighed in on this?

[hotdogPi]

How come the spelling [redacted] hasn't weighed in on this?

It's only been 8 hours, and his current posting rate is way less than once per day.

[ethanhopkin14]

It is Mundys Corner.  The US Board of Geographical Names does not like apostrophes and permits very few exceptions (Martha's Vineyard is one of them).

Mary's Corner, Washington, would be another one of those exceptions.

Westbound US 12: https://goo.gl/maps/FAVjYEhQfj2bWjQh8
Eastbound US 12: https://goo.gl/maps/FXPshfpuCRpgAvRV6

Although it's certainly by no means consistent, such as Coles Corner, Washington.

Westbound US 2: https://goo.gl/maps/m95nDfL2KDLxoLyo9
Eastbound US 2: https://goo.gl/maps/k4CmtB1imtf5e59g9

According to Wikipedia, the former is named after Mary Loftis, but the Wikipedia article for the latter doesn't really provide much background information. So, I don't know if it's named after someone named Cole or if Coles is a last name, like Stevens Pass, named after John Frank Stevens, but not as belonging to him.

What I have seen more often is them using apostrophes to abbreviate words, such as "national" being "nat'l."

Carl's Corner, Texas is another exception.

[CoreySamson]

Carl's Corner, Texas is another exception.

Another Texas example of a town with an apostrophe is the village of Bailey's Prairie.

That speed limit sign above reminds me somewhat of this.

[ethanhopkin14]

Carl's Corner, Texas is another exception.

Another Texas example of a town with an apostrophe is the village of Bailey's Prairie.

That speed limit sign above reminds me somewhat of this.

Bois D' Arc
D'Hanis
O'Donnell

Not possessive, but apostrophes just the same. 

[Big John]

and Coeur D'Alene ID

[ethanhopkin14]

and Coeur D'Alene ID

True.  I was sticking to Texas for my examples.

[US 89]

Apparently the general prohibition is on possessive 's apostrophes, as they don't like to have official place names that suggest possession or ownership. There is no such prohibition on apostrophes if they replace a missing letter (Grand Lake o' the Cherokees) or are otherwise part of a name (O'Fallon, MO).

[hotdogPi]

How does that justify the various "Fishs" places?

[Amaury]

Apparently the general prohibition is on possessive 's apostrophes, as they don't like to have official place names that suggest possession or ownership. There is no such prohibition on apostrophes if they replace a missing letter (Grand Lake o' the Cherokees) or are otherwise part of a name (O'Fallon, MO).

I can sort of see that, but in that case, I'd rather they just get rid of the S in all cases where it would be possessive countrywide and have something like Mundy Corner or The Mundy Corner, like The Dalles, Oregon. I would say Corner of Mundy, but that would just be too awkward. Places like Stevens Pass would remain unchanged since it's not possessive there and is just named for/after people. Of course the more logical fix would be to just rid of the possessive S rule.

For some fun trivia:
Blewett Pass: Edward Blewett
Sherman Pass: William Tecumseh Sherman
Snoqualmie Pass: Snoqualmie people
Stevens Pass: John Frank Stevens
White Pass: Charles A. White

There are also Cayuse Pass, Chinook Pass, Disautel Pass, Loup Loup Pass, Manastash Ridge–as well as North and South Umtanum Ridges, both also along I-82–Rainy Pass, Satus Pass, Washington Pass, and Wauconda Pass, but I can't seem to find what or who they were named for/after.

EDIT: For clarity, I'm referring to passes only in Washington.

[ethanhopkin14]

How can I forget Lake O' the Pines that is labeledLake O' Pines on this BBS.

[74/171FAN]

Abnormal "NO OUTLET" sign in Harrisburg, PA.  (https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10219146910064118&set=a.10218247474178783)

[Big John]

^^ also a doghouse containing a right turn arrow should not be signed right turn signal.

[thenetwork]

Found on I-90 WB near Erie, PA.



https://goo.gl/maps/8kVaMf953Lm71Kzy8

The EVIL I-90 Pennsylvania 55 MPH "Urban" Zone...

[74/171FAN]

Odd signage in Kirklevington Park in Lexington, KY:  https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10219142813321702&set=a.10219142981085896

[roadman65]

https://www.flickr.com/photos/54480415@N08/50403619933/in/album-72157716195839548/
It looks like Cairo the Third.

It seems like both KY and TN like the old school state abbreviations over the two letter ones.

[J N Winkler]

We got a new national park.  The sign says so.

[Max Rockatansky]

I'm equally confused at how Cutler and Orosi are supposed to be on CA 198?

[Amaury]

This is the only exit on Interstate 82 that has a tabbed exit gore point sign: https://goo.gl/maps/Ufj4iLcWbB1faN5T8 And it's only on the eastbound side. The westbound side uses a standard exit gore point sign: https://goo.gl/maps/tF94jVuZANZ6rjZz7

The only other place I've seen tabbed exit signs like that in Washington is in the Seattle area along Interstate 5.

I also noticed this unique white sign in West Richland and Richland today on SR 224, heading eastbound:

West Richland: https://goo.gl/maps/3txoqRzv8YaaewnPA

Richland: https://goo.gl/maps/73EToUq26ZED1Mo79

Westbound has the sign, too, of course, I just wasn't driving westbound:

Richland: https://goo.gl/maps/ZybaB9n7Tk1fBjAf7

Technically also Richland before crossing the bridge into West Richland: https://goo.gl/maps/FPCEUjFGQ4UMTwTW6

I don't know why the one for westbound traffic on the Fallon Bridge is on the left side, but yeah.

[Bruce]

This is the only exit on Interstate 82 that has a tabbed exit gore point sign: https://goo.gl/maps/Ufj4iLcWbB1faN5T8 And it's only on the eastbound side. The westbound side uses a standard exit gore point sign: https://goo.gl/maps/tF94jVuZANZ6rjZz7

The only other place I've seen tabbed exit signs like that in Washington is in the Seattle area along Interstate 5.

This is widely used by the WSDOT Southwest Division.

[jakeroot]

This is the only exit on Interstate 82 that has a tabbed exit gore point sign: https://goo.gl/maps/Ufj4iLcWbB1faN5T8 And it's only on the eastbound side. The westbound side uses a standard exit gore point sign: https://goo.gl/maps/tF94jVuZANZ6rjZz7

The only other place I've seen tabbed exit signs like that in Washington is in the Seattle area along Interstate 5.

This is widely used by the WSDOT Southwest Division.

The rebel division of WSDOT. They love their tabbed exit numbers, be it a gore sign or overhead sign.

[J N Winkler]

I'm equally confused at how Cutler and Orosi are supposed to be on CA 198?

This sign detail comes from a just-advertised contract (06-0X7004) to resurface the length of SR 63 in Visalia immediately south of the SR 63/SR 198 dogleg overlap.   The new sign is intended to replace one that references SR 63, Cutler, Orosi, and the National Parks.

Personally, I think the existing sign is less confusing, though it can still be understood as referring to fictional "Cutler and Orosi National Parks" if seen out of context.