Fun Facts About Your County

[jakeroot]

Pierce County, WA is known for a few things (other than being named after an inconsequential president):

* Galloping Gertie, the bridge (over the Narrows) that famously collapsed very shortly after construction. Since replaced by the modern twinned Tacoma Narrows Bridge.

* Mt Rainier, an active volcano that could produce a large-enough lahar to totally wipe out several cities that lie below it. It's considered to be one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the world.

* Frequent filming location for Cops; also well known for movies like 10 Things I Hate About You and the Hand That Rocks the Cradle, amongst others.

* Joint-Base Lewis-McChord; with all the military personnel, it's very common to see out of state plates all throughout the day. Particularly Texas, Virginia, Hawaii, and Alaska.

* The Ruston ASARCO Smelter; the awful pollution put off by the smelter eventually helped to inspire Frank Herbert to write Dune. Nearby Dune Peninsula is named after the book.

[dvferyance]

Waukesha County WI
Population around 400,000
3rd largest county in Wisconsin
Richard Sears founder of Sears spent his last days here
Home of NFL stars Joe Thomas and JJ Watt
Fmr Olympic stars Paul and Morgan Hamm are also from here

Until this year, it was strongly Republican, even more than the rural areas. Most suburbs of blue cities aren't that red. (It's not redder than rural Wisconsin anymore, but it's still redder than you would expect a generic suburban county to be.)

True in fact Trump did even better in Adams County until 10 years ago that county was reliably blue. Although I do expect it to move a bit to the right post Trump. Both Walker and Johnson have recently done better there. Keep in mind though that until recently rural Wisconsin was unusually more moderate than many other rural areas in the country. That has only changed in recent years.

[kphoger]

The county where I grew up, from 4th grade through high school:  Rawlins County, KS

{1}  Home of former governor Mike Hayden.

(I knew his brother, who is perhaps the opposite of a governor.  His three passions were football, his dog, and fishing.  I remember when he was assistant Boy Scouts master, the "scouting activity" often ended up being just playing football in the park.  At some point, he somehow went to Belize, fell in love with the fishing there, and acquired beachfront property.  After that each year, during the farming year he would farm his family's land in Kansas, then drive down through Mexico to Belize to enjoy fishing from his house down there during the off-season, then drive back up to Kansas again for next year's farming.  At one point, his van was stolen by thieves in Mexico, and the police basically told him "oh well, that's what you get".  When I was in high school, he was the butt of jokes and not exactly what you'd call an "eligible bachelor".  Fast-forward two decades, and he ended up marrying the most popular girl in my high school class.  Funny how life works out sometimes.)

{2}  Home of Rudolph Wendelin, artist of Smokey Bear.

(When one of the churches my dad pastored–4½ miles north of Ludell–burned to the ground one Sunday morning, due likely to old wiring, Rudy painted a picture of the church from memory.  After that congregation merged with the one in Atwood, that painting hung inside–and still does, for all I know.  Rudy used to be fond of saying he could draw Smokey Bear with his eyes closed.  After he moved to the DC area to be with family, but before he died, his eyesight failed, and he eventually forgot how to draw Smokey Bear.  Sad how life works out sometimes.)

[JayhawkCO]

Arapahoe County, CO

• 3rd highest population in Colorado
• Contains the 3rd most populous city in the state (Aurora) which might also be among the most anonymous cities in the U.S. with a population over 350K (and where I live)
• Is a minimum of six times "wider" than it is "tall"
• The border between Arapahoe and Adams counties at various points has US40, I-70, and US36 running along the county line
• Site of the first gold rush in Colorado (in Englewood)
• Has two exclaves completely surrounded by Denver - City of Glendale and Holly Hills CDP
• The county seat, Littleton, is basically as far west as you can go in the county (which is 72 miles from east to west)
• Contains a city, Centennial, that didn't exist prior to 2001.  When it was incorporated, it had >100,000 people, the largest incorporation in U.S. history

Chris

[kphoger]

Contains a city, Centennial, that didn't exist prior to 2001.  When it was incorporated, it had >100,000 people, the largest incorporation in U.S. history

Being familiar with Michener's book "Centennial", which took place in a fictional town in northeastern Colorado, I just find that so weird.

[webny99]

Contains a city, Centennial, that didn't exist prior to 2001.  When it was incorporated, it had >100,000 people, the largest incorporation in U.S. history

Being familiar with Michener's book "Centennial", which took place in a fictional town in northeastern Colorado, I just find that so weird.

Meanwhile, thanks to a book I had as a kid about the 50 states, I've known that "the Centennial State" is Colorado's nickname for many years. If anything, I'm surprised Centennial, CO hasn't existed for much longer than that!

[JayhawkCO]

Contains a city, Centennial, that didn't exist prior to 2001.  When it was incorporated, it had >100,000 people, the largest incorporation in U.S. history

Being familiar with Michener's book "Centennial", which took place in a fictional town in northeastern Colorado, I just find that so weird.

Meanwhile, thanks to a book I had as a kid about the 50 states, I've known that "the Centennial State" is Colorado's nickname for many years. If anything, I'm surprised Centennial, CO hasn't existed for much longer than that!

And had it not already been taken, there's a good likelihood that it would be used coming soon. The Stapleton neighborhood in Denver is changing its name as the Stapleton family has some KKK ties.  It's changing to Central Park, but I imagine Centennial would have been on the list of possibilities.

Chris

[planxtymcgillicuddy]

Ashe County, NC: Birthplace of the bluegrass heroine and legend Ola Belle Reed

[dvferyance]

Arapahoe County, CO

• 3rd highest population in Colorado
• Contains the 3rd most populous city in the state (Aurora) which might also be among the most anonymous cities in the U.S. with a population over 350K (and where I live)
• Is a minimum of six times "wider" than it is "tall"
• The border between Arapahoe and Adams counties at various points has US40, I-70, and US36 running along the county line
• Site of the first gold rush in Colorado (in Englewood)
• Has two exclaves completely surrounded by Denver - City of Glendale and Holly Hills CDP
• The county seat, Littleton, is basically as far west as you can go in the county (which is 72 miles from east to west)
• Contains a city, Centennial, that didn't exist prior to 2001.  When it was incorporated, it had >100,000 people, the largest incorporation in U.S. history

Chris

I wonder if nearby Highlands Ranch will ever do the same.

[Dirt Roads]

Ashe County, NC: Birthplace of the bluegrass heroine and legend Ola Belle Reed

And an old original Kraft cheese process plant that is now the center of the universe.  Or at least home to some really good old style hoop cheese. 

[US71]

Ashe County, NC: Birthplace of the bluegrass heroine and legend Ola Belle Reed

And an old original Kraft cheese process plant that is now the center of the universe.  Or at least home to some really good old style hoop cheese. 

Cheeeeeeeeese!