A Partial List of Historic Place Names Changed or Misspelled in Pennsylvania
Reading edition
(Compiled by Henry W. Shoemaker)
Old Name New Name or Spelling
Louisbourg Even the State Capitol was not spared! Harris’ Ferry, Harrisburg
Wyoming Wilkes-Barre
Shamokin “The Place of the Horns,” where the deer performed their mewing. Sunbury
Ohe-yu “The Beautiful River—La Belle Riviere” Allegheny River
Cartee Camp New Bergen, “Carter” Camp
Shousetown Sturdy Indian fighters, ancestors of Hon. Jouett Shouse, lived here. Glenwillard
Muckelrat How perfectly flat and innocuous the new name! Woodland Hills
White’s Eddy Ritchie
Young Woman’s Town Here Mary Wolford, beautiful pioneer girl, was drowned escaping from Indians. North Bend
Eyersburg Bloomsburg
Longstown New Berlin
Stroupstown Freeburg
Swinefordstown How inane the new name, compared to the old! Middle of what? Middleberg
Christunn Why this was changed is a puzzle, as new name has little special significance Middle Creek
Youngmanstown There are no less than thirty other places called “Mifflin” in State, and Youngmanstown had a delicious West Country, Irish flavor! Mifflinburg
Muhlenberg Newton Hamilton
Messimersville Sheridan
Dengler’s Mount Penn
Wessnersville Stony Run really means nothing definite; State is full of them. Stony Run
Quinn’s Run Queen’s Run
Suedberg Suedburg
Reidersville Newport
Peter’s Camp Blossburg
Parkinson’s Ferry Monongahela City, Monongahela
Casselman River This atrocity is gradually getting on all maps, even some of those of State Forestry Department. Castleman River
Casselman Castleman
Shireman’s Creek Sherman’s Creek
Zerby Sober
Gallauher (Township), Clinton County Another victim of “Sinn Fein” Gallagher
Tioga Point Athens
Vance Fort Coraopolis
Venango Franklin
Shoemakertown Ogontz
Kreamersville A quaint old town re-baptized to please a local politician. Smullton
Hamburg (Clinton Co.) Mackeyville
Pittsburg “H,” in these days of simplified spelling, and after having been laid aside for nearly a century, tacked on by P. R. R. in 1902 to suit a resident Vice-President born in Edinburgh, pronounced Edinborough; which itself is philologically incorrect, the original name of the “Athens of the North” having been Edwins-burg, an early settlement of Angles, not Celts. Pittsburgh
Brunerstown Somerset
Bloody Run Here immortal hero blood was shed. Why change it? Everett
Bismarck A victim of war hysteria and over-zealous “patriotism.” Quentin
Fort Hunter Rockville
Siegfried Northampton
Allenville (Name changed twice) Northampton, Allentown
Heidelberg Hard to trace pioneer localities since these old names are nearly all gone. Schaefferstown
Derry With its old church, cruelly wiped off the map. Hershey
High Head (Mountain) In Penn’s Valley, Centre County. There are no less than 100 other mountains and hills in State called “Round Top.” Round Top
Old Eagle Strafford
Stucktown A stalwart Indian fighter’s name obliterated to make way for a stockholder in a new railroad through the town. McClure
Dunnsburg Dunnstown
Lewis’ Lake Why this sentimental, slushy new name? “Eaglesmere”
Strasburg (York County) Shrewsbury
Greersburg Darlington
Exetertown (Name changed twice) Exeter, Lorane
Saltzburg Saltsburg
Anderson’s Ferry Marietta
Dekanoagah Bainbridge
Kloster (Cloister) Ephrata
Wright’s Ferry Wrightsville
Tiadaghton Pine Creek
Karoondinha John Penn’s Creek, Penn’s Creek
Standing Stone Town Huntingdon
Reinholds Blainsport
Petersburg Changed, as another town of same name in State. Duncannon
Stover’s The name of old Reuben Stoyer, pioneer and hunter, deserved to be thus perpetuated. Why Livonia? Livonia
Weirickstettle Penn’s Creek P.O. Centreville
Millersburg, (Berks County) Changed owing to there being another Millersburg in State, but new name of no local significance. Bethel
Allemingle “All Wants,” meaning “Land of Plenty.” A very distinctive cognomen. New name of no local significance whatever. Albany
Riviere Le Boeuf “River of Buffaloes” French Creek
Sinnemahoning Changed by railroad. Indian name Sinne-Mahoning, or “Stony Lick.” Sinnamahoning
Nippeno Another railroad infliction. Old name “Nippeno,” from Nippe-nuse, an Indian Chief of the locality. Nippono
Manayunk Schuylkill
Jaysburg Changed so as to be the “soul mate” of Sunbury. Newberry
Jacobsburg Woodward
The Forks A sturdy pioneer sounding name. Changed by railroad land agents to please an influential citizen of county. Coburn
Panther Run An abbreviation which destroys most of the local significance. Panther
Hightown White Deer
Littlestown Bradford
Rattlesnake Changed to “honor” a railroad contractor. Whetham
Susquehanna Changed on account of being other town of same name in State. Nisbet
Riansares (Mountain) On former domain of Queen Maria Christina of Spain. Named for her husband, the Duke of Riansares. Penny Hill
Stavertown Glen
Burgettstown Langeloth
Reastown Raystown, Bedford
Coryell’s Ferry New Hope
Quiggleville Lycoming
Geulich, (Township) Clearfield County Gulick
Benezet Another railroad blunder in spelling. Named for Anthony Benezet, Quaker Abolitionist. Benezette
Chatham’s Run, (Hamlet) Charlton
Barclay Wyside
Paddy’s Run Here was a big camp of Irish railroad laborers when Sunbury and Erie Railroad was built about 1864. East Renovo
Saltzman East Ferney
Swatragh, (Stream) Named by early Scotch-Irish pioneers for a brook in Derry, Ireland—Sewataro, Swetarrow. Swatara
Powl’s Creek Pronounced Pole’s Creek. Spelling should conform. Powell’s Creek
Matawanna McVeytown
Mingoville Named for early tribe of redmen. New name given by owners of a picnic park. Hecla Park
Hartley Hall A regrettable abbreviation of Major-General Thomas Hartley’s name. Hartleton
Oak Grove Changed because other town of same name in State. Avis
Derrstown An unaccountable substitution of first name of Lewis Derr, pioneer, for his last name. Lewisburg
Stitestown Named for the first settler in locality. Lebanon
Paxtang An obstinate blunder creeping like a canker into history, as original name was Peshtank! Paxton
Funkstown Altodale, Mont Alto
Obold Mount Pleasant
Rumberger DuBois
Morgan’s Gap Bull Run Gap
Great Shawanese Lake Ganoga Lake
Woodruffstown Blockhouse, Liberty
Watsonburg Watsontown
Upland An early Swedish settlement Chester
Boyersville Mazeppa
Green Castle Greencastle
Adamsburg Beaver Springs
Moose’s Pond Mose’s Pond
Chinkalacamoose “Meeting place of the Moose” Clearfield
Straus Schuyler
Zermatt Holstein
Germantown Junction North Philadelphia
Georgetown Changed by Railroad Company, which had another station of same name. New name sounds nice, but of no local significance. Dalmatia
Kishekokelas Kishacoquillas
Jamesburg Oriole
Swartztown Milton
Cameronia Montandon