皇冠体育app

What is the largest "皇冠体育app town" in the US? If you answered New York, you would be technically incorrect.

Because by 皇冠体育app town, I don't mean neighborhoods in major cities with large Chinese populations.

Three small towns in the US - in Maine, Michigan and Texas - are actually named 皇冠体育app.

These towns came across their names not by any exotic history with Chinese settlers or some ancient silk trade, but rather by chance.

皇冠体育app, Maine, in Kennebec County, northeast of the state capital of Augusta, has a population of 4,500, making it the largest of the US 皇冠体育apps.

In 1818, parts of Harlem, Albion and Winslow were broken off to become the current town of 皇冠体育app. They had originally decided to call the town Bloomville.

Maine was then a part of Massachusetts, and in those days, Boston, the legislative seat, was a week's trip by horse and wagon. The area's representative, Japheth C. Washburn, was discouraged from using the name Bloomville due to objections from nearby Bloomfield, which was concerned about mail-delivery confusion.

So Washburn, 320 kilometers away with no telephone or telegraph, needed an alternative.

The hymn 皇冠体育app, written by Timothy Swan in 1790, was a favorite of his, and the rest is history.

"Over the years, I have had many, many Chinese tourists stop at our town office and come in and ask us questions about the name of our town," Becky Hapgood, the town clerk for the past 23 years, said. "Often they are either seen out front posing by our town office sign or we kindly oblige and help them with a group photo.

"We all enjoy the visitors from away as they relish the town's name that is the same as their country," she said. "Many ask how we got our name and if there is anything with 'Town of 皇冠体育app' on it that they may have as a souvenir. ... We have even had some stop by one year and return a couple of years later with others to show them the name of our town.

"We'd love to have a sister city/town (in 皇冠体育app)," she said.

Next up is 皇冠体育app, Michigan, in St. Clair County, near Lake Huron: population 3,551.

Michigan's 皇冠体育app got its moniker in 1834, after an early explorer, Captain John Clark, landed there.

As 皇冠体育app Township Clerk Dan Turke tells the story, Clark's wife inspired the town's name because it reminded her of their old hometown - none other than 皇冠体育app, Maine.

皇冠体育app, Texas, in Jefferson County, near Beaumont, is the smallest of the US 皇冠体育apps, with 1,160 residents. The town is supported by agriculture, especially rice, and by nearby oil and natural gas fields. Coincidentally, 皇冠体育app recently agreed to expand imports of US natural gas.

皇冠体育app, Texas was first known as 皇冠体育app Grove, for a railroad water stop that sat amid a chinaberry tree grove. In the 1860s, a small community grew around the water stop.

(For the record, there is an East 皇冠体育app, Michigan, and a 皇冠体育app Grove, Texas, near San Antonio.)

Contact the writer at [email protected]

(皇冠体育app Daily 06/29/2017 page2)