If you’ve ever taken a quick look at a map, there’s no doubt you have probably seen some pretty weird place names around the state. Show Low, Dateland, Ash Fork, and Why are just a few that come to mind. However, it’s not every day you find places that hint at death and disagreements in their names, but that’s what you’ll find in quite a few towns and communities around Arizona.
- Canyon Diablo (Coconino County)
A Subset/Flickr The first town on our list is actually a ghost town originally located about halfway between Flagstaff and Winslow right on the outskirts of the Navajo Nation. Canyon Diablo, which is also the name of the canyon that passes through the area, was settled in 1880 as a railroad camp and was supposedly one of the most dangerous towns during Arizona’s territorial days.
- Contention City (Cochise County)
Transity/Wikimedia Commons You’ll find plenty of ghost towns scattered through southern Arizona and this one can be found among more notable places like Tombstone and Fairbank. Contention City, which was occupied for a few short years in the 1880s, received its name from the ownership dispute over a nearby mine.
- Del Muerto (Apache County)
Akos Kokai/Flickr This little community - which 329 people call home - can be found near Canyon del Muerto within the Canyon de Chelly National Monument on the Navajo Nation.
- Skull Valley (Yavapai County)
Michael Wilson/Flickr The name of this town calls to mind a desolate, hot desert where you might just find cow skulls lining the land. In reality, however, it is a surprisingly beautiful spot hidden away 12 miles from Prescott and name comes from early American settlers finding human remains in the area. Yikes… definitely creepy.
- Tombstone (Cochise County)
Alyson Hurt/Flickr If you live in Arizona and haven’t already heard of the “Town Too Tough To Die,” then shame on you! For everyone else, this town has become a living icon of the Old West, with saloons, the OK Corral, stores, a boothill cemetery, and other places making this one hot town to visit.
- Vulture City (Maricopa County)
RightBrainPhotography/Flickr I don’t know about you, but when I think of vultures, I immediately think of death and decay. A visit to this ghost town might have you thinking along similar lines, as only a few of the original buildings are still standing and the old hanging tree was the death site of 18 men who committed crimes punishable by death… by hanging.
How many of these town names have you heard of before? Are there any others with odd and creepy names that you would add to this list? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
A Subset/Flickr
The first town on our list is actually a ghost town originally located about halfway between Flagstaff and Winslow right on the outskirts of the Navajo Nation. Canyon Diablo, which is also the name of the canyon that passes through the area, was settled in 1880 as a railroad camp and was supposedly one of the most dangerous towns during Arizona’s territorial days.
Transity/Wikimedia Commons
You’ll find plenty of ghost towns scattered through southern Arizona and this one can be found among more notable places like Tombstone and Fairbank. Contention City, which was occupied for a few short years in the 1880s, received its name from the ownership dispute over a nearby mine.
Akos Kokai/Flickr
This little community - which 329 people call home - can be found near Canyon del Muerto within the Canyon de Chelly National Monument on the Navajo Nation.
Michael Wilson/Flickr
The name of this town calls to mind a desolate, hot desert where you might just find cow skulls lining the land. In reality, however, it is a surprisingly beautiful spot hidden away 12 miles from Prescott and name comes from early American settlers finding human remains in the area. Yikes… definitely creepy.
Alyson Hurt/Flickr
If you live in Arizona and haven’t already heard of the “Town Too Tough To Die,” then shame on you! For everyone else, this town has become a living icon of the Old West, with saloons, the OK Corral, stores, a boothill cemetery, and other places making this one hot town to visit.
RightBrainPhotography/Flickr
I don’t know about you, but when I think of vultures, I immediately think of death and decay. A visit to this ghost town might have you thinking along similar lines, as only a few of the original buildings are still standing and the old hanging tree was the death site of 18 men who committed crimes punishable by death… by hanging.
Do you want to read about more towns with some strange and unusual names? You can read about the brief history behind towns like Mammoth and Eloy in our previous article: Most People Don’t Know The Meaning Behind These 8 Town Names.
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