Where Did These WEIRD Utah Towns Get Their Names?!
Utah has some BIZARRE names, that are TOTALLY hard to pronounce and spell!
Do you ever wonder where these names come from?! Some of these places have some REALLY AWESOME stories as to where the names came from!
Tooele:
Many don't know this, but in the 1853, Tooele was actually spelled Tuilla. A MUCH easier spelling for the pronunciation! Some believe Tooele was named after Goshute Chief Tuilla, while others believe it's just a completely made up word. I guess maybe we'll never know!
Toquerville:
Again, this one has Native American Roots! Toquerville was named after Piute Chief Toquer! These town names are suddenly way cooler than we ever even knew!
Duchesne:
This is another town name that we're not SUPER clear on... But there are TWO possible reasons! There was once a French fur trapper named Du Chasne, who worked in the area in the 1830s! The other possible reason is the Ute Word Ute word "doo shane" means Dark Canyon!
Escalante:
Escalante has a bizarre name... Mostly because I regularly pronounce it TWO separate ways, Es-Kuh-Lant or Es-Kuh-Lanty. However the name comes from a Franciscan missionary, Silvestre Vélez de Escalante, who was part of an expedition to Southern Utah in 1776.
Kanab:
Kanab is known as "Little Hollywood" for all the Westerns that were filmed in the area! But what about the ACTUAL name Kanab? Well Kanab is actually a Piute word for "place of willows." These willows grow along the banks of the creek in Kanab.
Kanosh:
Ever been to Kanosh? Me neither! But the name comes from Ute Chief Kanosh. He started a farm in the area in the 1800's and was very friendly to the mormon settlers. He invited them to form a town, and eventually converted to the LDS church!
Koosharem:
I've actually been to Koosharem before. It's TINY and located really close to Fish Lake. But what does Koosharem even mean? Well, it's a Piute word for a "clover". Lots of clovers grow in the meadows there!
La Verkin:
La Verkin is ANOTHER big mystery as to where the name came from, BUT we do have some ideas! One idea is that La Verkin was originally from the Spanish word "La Virgen", as it's located on the Virgin River. Another idea is that there was a map with the spelling mistake of "LeaverSkin," which eventually just morphed into La Verkin.
You're DEFINITELY From Utah If You Can Pronounce These Towns Correctly
If you can pronounce THESE UTAH TOWN NAMES correctly... You're DEFINITELY a Utah Native!
Tooele:
Too-Will-Uh.
This is one that music stars struggle with the most. Especially because Country Fan Fest happens in Tooele every summer. It's not TOO-LEE. It's TOO-WILL-UH.
Koosharem:
Kuh-Sher-Rum.
Koosharem is pretty much the middle of NOWHERE, but it's NOT Koo-SHARE-EM!
Levan:
Luh-Van.
Do you know why it's called Levan? Because it's NAVEL backwards. As in Belly Button. As in the MIDDLE of the state. There you go!
Kanosh:
Kuh-Nosh.
No clue where this one came from. But it's not Can-ish it's Kuh-NOSH.
Moab:
Mo-Abb.
People get this one wrong A LOT. People always assume it's pronounced MOBE.
Hurricane:
Hurr-Ickin.
Don't you DARE get this one wrong. It's not the way it's spelled. It's also kind of bizarre that it's not pronounced like Hurri-CANE! It was named after the windy weather!
Kanab:
Kuh-Nabb.
All the time people pronounce this place as Kuh-NOBB. NO!
Kamas:
Kam-Muss.
This one is the hardest for me to remember. People think it's Kam-muss, kay-muss, or Kawmuss.
Manti:
Man-Tie.
This one should be pretty self-explanatory, but usually people think it's Man-Tee. NOPE!
Duchesne:
Doo-Shane.
It's NOT Do-Chesney! This one is tough, I'll give you a pass on this one!
Escalante:
Ess-Kuh-Lant OR Ess-Kuh-Lant-Tee
Truthfully speaking... I don't think anyone knows the ACTUALLY pronunciation of this place, because I always hear it BOTH WAYS!
Paragonah:
Pair-Uh-Goon-Uh.
I need to find the real reason Paragonah is named Paragonah. It sounds like a gibberish word!
Scipio:
Sip-E-O.
Of course... It's NOT SKIPPY-O. But actually... I think that would be more fun!
Black & White Utah License Plate... HOW TO GET IT NOW!
Here in Utah, we have the BEST license plate in the game... The Arches plate. Orange, Blue, White. GORGEOUS. But all the sudden, we suddenly have THE TOUGHEST plate of all time: Black & White! And you can get it on your car today!
I saw this from Twitter user: @SplashNephew where he posted these new Black & White plates on his Volvo (Below).
Twitter blew up with people wondering HOW? How can we all get these plates on our cars? Firstly: These are special plates that require annual contributions to the Utah Historical Society. Meaning, you will pay $25 for an initial contribution, and $25/year as an annual contribution. Here is a STEP BY STEP on HOW to get these plates!
- It can be obtained at ANY DMV office and will be mailed from the Utah State Tax Commission.
- To order this plate by mail, submit a copy of your current registration, any documentation required for the special plate, and a check that includes the cost of the special plate, plus $4.00 for postage to: Utah State Tax Commission, Motor Vehicle Division, P.O. Box 30412, Salt Lake City, UT, 84130.
These plates, NO DOUBT, will start showing up all over the place, so get yours today! I'm THRILLED these are finally available in Utah!
Wow! Utah's Next License Plates??
Utah's license plates are... OKAY. The Arches plate is AMAZING, but the others? Ehh...
I decided to design the NEXT license plates for MY HOME STATE: Utah!
1. The Dixie Plate:
There's not a chance this thing will fly, but I want it! I'd have it tomorrow! Fairly simple, but gives the St. George Pride Vibe with the sunset behind it. Showing clear skies that we get nearly everyday in St. George.
2. Modern Utah Jazz Plate:
No. Forget what I said on the Dixie Plate. I would have THIS ONE on my car tomorrow! The Jazz just did a whole new rebrand and they're keeping it simple. Bright yellow with the black. It pops. I love this plate!
3. The Beehive Plate:
The Beehive State, The Beehive Plate. An actual hive in the background with gooey honey running behind the numbers. This one would be the most UNIQUE plate in the world, and I'm kind of crazy about it!
4. The Elk Plate:
This ones for all the dudes out there. The Elk is the state animal of Utah, and I know there would be TONS of back-country folk that would sport this bad boy! Come on!
5. The Fry Sauce Plate:
Our most VALUABLE resource: Fry Sauce! It's a Utah staple, and it's GLORIOUS! In Fry Sauce We Trust!
6. The Califutah Plate.
This one is made for all those Californian's moving to Utah and trying to turn Utah into California. It's essentially the California license plate with Utah instead of California... Just to make them a little more comfy here.
See! It's a dead ringer! They'd LOVE IT!
Who do we need to send these to? Let's have the MOST AWESOME plates in the nation! Come on, Utah!