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Miniatures Adventure => Old West => Topic started by: thebinmann on 24 August 2012, 11:48:39 AM

Title: Why is picking an Old West town name so hard?
Post by: thebinmann on 24 August 2012, 11:48:39 AM
I have plenty of ideas but non seem to fit....
Title: Re: Why is picking an Old West town name so hard?
Post by: Bugsda on 24 August 2012, 12:46:44 PM
A town called Malice, as perfect a name for a wild west town as ever I heard  8)
Title: Re: Why is picking an Old West town name so hard?
Post by: styx on 24 August 2012, 01:05:16 PM
I have plenty of ideas but non seem to fit....

Most names had common elements like:
1) Woman's name: Abby's Town
2) Weather/Geography aka Dry Gultch or Serenity
3) What made them famous or why established? Aka Silver City, Tombstone

This is off the top of my head, I would Google Old West town names and get a pattern elements....after that I would always suggest my favorite means which is going to a Thesarus to find a word similar to another town name you like.
Title: Re: Why is picking an Old West town name so hard?
Post by: thebinmann on 24 August 2012, 01:51:50 PM
A town called Malice, as perfect a name for a wild west town as ever I heard  8)

;) That's top of my list because of song by the greast English band ever!!! Can't believe you picked it first time. Though I might go for Malice Falls

I thought if sounded cheesy, but given the number of OW films you know by heart I'll go for it!
Title: Re: Why is picking an Old West town name so hard?
Post by: thebinmann on 24 August 2012, 01:57:39 PM
Most names had common elements like:
1) Woman's name: Abby's Town
2) Weather/Geography aka Dry Gultch or Serenity
3) What made them famous or why established? Aka Silver City, Tombstone

This is off the top of my head, I would Google Old West town names and get a pattern elements....after that I would always suggest my favorite means which is going to a Thesarus to find a word similar to another town name you like.

Nice advice!
Title: Re: Why is picking an Old West town name so hard?
Post by: Cholly on 24 August 2012, 02:00:27 PM
Just add station(stage coach not train), cross or junction to a surname, works almost every time:

Jenkins Cross

Benson Station

Pike Junction

Etc....

 ;)

Title: Re: Why is picking an Old West town name so hard?
Post by: thebinmann on 24 August 2012, 02:08:24 PM
Oh Malice Junction between here and HELL!
Title: Re: Why is picking an Old West town name so hard?
Post by: Cory on 24 August 2012, 03:45:33 PM
As gamers we want a town name that is manly, evokes the period, and preferably has a bit of humor in it and that does restrict the options.

On the other hand town names in the west changed, sometimes frequently so don't feel obigated to stick with your first one.

As an aside several years back I worked on a historical grant for saving two buildings from a small town called Pioneer. The bank building was emblazened with the name Triumph City but we couldn't find any record of the town ever having gone by that name. Turned out that the bank president thought a town called Pioneer wouldn't catch on so he changed the name of the bank and bought some ads but the name never caught on. The town didn't either and slowly died. The bank was later hauled a few miles away and used as a cabin, the false front taken down and used as a sheep loading chute with part of the Triumph City name still showing so the railroad initially called the siding Triumph Bank.
Title: Re: Why is picking an Old West town name so hard?
Post by: Dr. The Viking on 24 August 2012, 05:10:19 PM
Just pick a colour (black/white/blue/red/grey) and add 'Sands', 'wash', 'haven', 'creek', 'city' or something of that ilk to it.  ;)
Title: Re: Why is picking an Old West town name so hard?
Post by: FifteensAway on 25 August 2012, 08:33:30 AM
I traveled a different road for my primary wild west town's name and, yeah, I will probably have three towns.  One will be the outrider town along the rails far to the west, the other will be down amongst the cacti and the Apache along the still quite active stage trail.  Neither of those are named yet, though the ladder will probably have 'wells' at the end.  The other like as not will involve some sort of tree in the name, just had this pop into my head and I like it: Cedar Creek.  We're talking back waters in both those cases, even if one is pretty dry.

Now, that main town, and its a pretty big place, gets its name because I have a rather eclectic collection of figures, both for the old west and 'bracketing' that time period.  The name?  It is: Anachronism.  And keep the "weird" out of my west, thank you very much.  (though it enjoy in yours if that's what floats your wagon)  But I can use that name as an excuse to get away with things might be hard to justify otherwise.

Hmm, I think I'll go with Alkali Wells.  Hey, there.
Title: Re: Why is picking an Old West town name so hard?
Post by: Doug ex-em4 on 25 August 2012, 02:56:41 PM
I named mine after a Bonzos track which had a western theme.
Clue "...is like an egg stain on your chin. You can lick it but it still won't go away...."

http://lyrics.wikia.com/Bonzo_Dog_Band:Bad_Blood

Doug
Title: Re: Why is picking an Old West town name so hard?
Post by: fastolfrus on 25 August 2012, 08:07:37 PM
Why not call it "Pickens" ?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slim_Pickens
Title: Re: Why is picking an Old West town name so hard?
Post by: FifteensAway on 30 August 2012, 06:22:50 AM
fastolfrus,

I like the way you think!  Might just steel that bit myself - but use it for the name of the copper mine down in my  Apacheria.  The Pickens Mine, where the findings have been a might 'slim' of late.  Yeah, I like it.  Nice ring to it.
Title: Re: Why is picking an Old West town name so hard?
Post by: Timotl on 30 August 2012, 06:39:28 AM
Maybe this is too obvious but have you thought about looking at the western states on Google maps? I just looked and there are some excellent "Old West" sounding towns, likely because they are "Old West" towns! My favorite were Hoxie, Broken Bow, Wilbur, Marlowe, Magnum, and Sweetwater. This list goes on...
Title: Re: Why is picking an Old West town name so hard?
Post by: bandit86 on 02 September 2012, 07:29:51 AM
My town is Hellish wells.  Wells can be added on the back of anything too.
Title: Re: Why is picking an Old West town name so hard?
Post by: exploding youth on 03 September 2012, 11:28:36 AM
We named the town we built for the FLGS I used to work at a few years back "Complaint" on account of all the complaining that went on in the store!
Title: Re: Why is picking an Old West town name so hard?
Post by: Ray Earle on 03 September 2012, 09:13:22 PM
Sometimes reality can be your friend. If you can't dream up the name of a town, pick a real one;

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_ghost_towns_in_the_United_States (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_ghost_towns_in_the_United_States)

Theres some pretty good ones in there.  :D
Title: Re: Why is picking an Old West town name so hard?
Post by: Elbows on 05 September 2012, 09:06:21 AM
The first time my buddies and I met up for a gaming/shooting weekend it happened to be at my buddy's great aunt's farm in a town called Drake's Branch, VA.  Needless to say, as we played out 4-5 games of LOTOW, the name Drake's Branch stuck.

Our "town" has been that ever since.  You couldn't have scripted it any better.  :D
Title: Re: Why is picking an Old West town name so hard?
Post by: DS615 on 05 September 2012, 08:44:42 PM
Just pick whatever.  The trouble comes from trying to pick a "cool" sounding name.  Real towns don't get named like that so it's pretty odd to do that for your own.

No matter what you choose, after some time the town and the name will be perfect.  You couldn't imagine it any other way.
Title: Re: Why is picking an Old West town name so hard?
Post by: Monk on 26 October 2012, 07:27:28 PM
I grew up in a western town named Paradise.  Supposedly the town had been named Pair-o-dice, but the town elders had modified the name to sound less like a rowdy logging town.

In the same vein, I've wanted name a gaming town Personville (said Poisonville), Dashiell Hammett's "The Red Harvest".
Title: Re: Why is picking an Old West town name so hard?
Post by: Cory on 26 October 2012, 08:50:19 PM
Monk, which Paradise was that?
Title: Re: Why is picking an Old West town name so hard?
Post by: abu iskander on 27 October 2012, 06:05:14 PM
There are plenty of colorful real life names out there; just look at a map.  Loads of old mining boom towns that now consist of one building which simultaneously serves as the post office, bar, and general store.  I grew up south of the Little Big Horn so I saw a bunch of these kinds of places just driving around as a kid.

I frequently use two names: Salty Springs and Wetasse Creek. Maybe not the most clever, but at least I amuse myself.
Title: Re: Why is picking an Old West town name so hard?
Post by: Doomsdave on 28 October 2012, 02:23:00 AM
There are so many odd town names all over the USA.  Perusing a map should give you endless inspiration.  Here in Georgia we have towns named Between and Climax.  I have driven through Coon Dog Cemetery, Alabama and Monkey Eyebrow, Kentucky.  There are a few towns in the country named Intercourse.  It's endless. 
Title: Re: Why is picking an Old West town name so hard?
Post by: Gary Mitchell on 28 October 2012, 04:59:29 AM
Springfield?
Title: Re: Why is picking an Old West town name so hard?
Post by: LeadAsbestos on 30 October 2012, 08:42:09 PM
Mine is called Dry Hump, so I can giggle like a fool every game. ::)
Title: Re: Why is picking an Old West town name so hard?
Post by: Overlord on 30 October 2012, 09:11:28 PM
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v480/overlord_awc/Wild%20West/Clintwood.jpg)

 :D

Title: Re: Why is picking an Old West town name so hard?
Post by: Dr DeAth on 30 October 2012, 09:14:49 PM
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v480/overlord_awc/Wild%20West/Clintwood.jpg)

 :D



Brilliant!!  lol lol
Title: Re: Why is picking an Old West town name so hard?
Post by: Hu Rhu on 04 November 2012, 02:58:37 PM
My current favourite is El Diablo or some other version of hell.
Title: Re: Why is picking an Old West town name so hard?
Post by: smokezombie on 04 November 2012, 04:29:56 PM
Dry Humps. 
 lol
Love it!!!!
Title: Re: Why is picking an Old West town name so hard?
Post by: DoctorDuckButter on 06 November 2012, 03:48:58 PM
Awesome!!!!!!!! :-*
Title: Re: Why is picking an Old West town name so hard?
Post by: Michi on 06 November 2012, 04:08:11 PM
(http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/ll111/wamasaka/Mini2011/MiniaturenfotosOriginale1087.jpg)
Title: Re: Why is picking an Old West town name so hard?
Post by: thebinmann on 06 November 2012, 10:32:57 PM
very nice!!!!!!!!!
Title: Re: Why is picking an Old West town name so hard?
Post by: The_Beast on 11 November 2012, 05:35:24 PM
Interestingly, a reference to the classical, such as Syracuse, of which there's a small town in Nebraska so named. Works best if misspelled or inappropriate, such as Eden for a town in the desert.

Other twists will come to you. I was once challenged by an easterner who took umbrage to me referring to Norfolk, NE, as 'north fork'. Claimed it should be 'nor folk'.

1) North Fork WAS the original pronunciation AND spelling, when an eastern postal official decided to change it (I'm a US liberal, but can understand a certain antipathy to DC interference),
2) having passed through the eastern US, and also hearing some Brit speakers, I'd have to say the common pronunciation is actually 'nah-fuk'.  ;)

As a youngster, I tried to imagine our North Fork was the one in The Rifleman. Then they got around to mentioning the territory...

That twist in speaking the name can add a world of color.

Cairo? On the Mississippi, and in Nebraska, it's 'kayr-row'.

Doug
Title: Re: Why is picking an Old West town name so hard?
Post by: Johan on 11 November 2012, 09:06:07 PM
our old west town was called Nowhere Gulch, it had a hotel and many saloons and all the other necessary buildings like a school and church and the end of a railway + station, cattle pens and the obligatory silver mine. Nowhere Gulch was presented at Crisis 2000 something.
Title: Re: Why is picking an Old West town name so hard?
Post by: pocoloco on 23 November 2012, 07:10:56 AM
Back in the day my town... well village, was just plain and simple 'Hickville'. Had some buildings (store, water tower, bar/inn, mortuary...) etc made by yours truly but have none left, not even pics it seems.

Now I hope to start over at some point and name I have been toying with currently is 'Dos Cruces'. Just found out there's quite a horrific music video of the same name:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Cqm6voAYc0
Title: Re: Why is picking an Old West town name so hard?
Post by: Monk on 25 November 2012, 09:42:56 PM
Monk, which Paradise was that?

It's Paradise, CA.
Title: Re: Why is picking an Old West town name so hard?
Post by: Mississippi on 26 November 2012, 10:36:50 PM
My town is going to be "Purgatory".
My church will be. "New Church of Deliverance".
Still working on the Saloon names.
Title: Re: Why is picking an Old West town name so hard?
Post by: 6mmfan on 18 December 2012, 08:07:43 AM
I called my Mexican town "El Segundo" after a 80s song by Tribe called quest.

(http://6mm.wargaming.info/photos/town1.jpg)

Cheers
Kieran