Why is picking an Old West town name so hard?

[thebinmann]

I have plenty of ideas but non seem to fit....

[Bugsda]

A town called Malice, as perfect a name for a wild west town as ever I heard 

[styx]

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.

[thebinmann]

A town called Malice, as perfect a name for a wild west town as ever I heard  

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!

[thebinmann]

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!

[Cholly]

Just add station(stage coach not train), cross or junction to a surname, works almost every time:

Jenkins Cross

Benson Station

Pike Junction

Etc....

 

[thebinmann]

Oh Malice Junction between here and HELL!

[Cory]

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.

[Dr. The Viking]

Just pick a colour (black/white/blue/red/grey) and add 'Sands', 'wash', 'haven', 'creek', 'city' or something of that ilk to it. 

[FifteensAway]

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.

[Doug ex-em4]

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

[fastolfrus]

Why not call it "Pickens" ?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slim_Pickens

[FifteensAway]

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.

[Timotl]

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...

[bandit86]

My town is Hellish wells.  Wells can be added on the back of anything too.