You have to be from around here to understand certain words and names, that’s certain. The name “Arkansas” itself is hard to pronounce for some, as strange as that may seem. If you’re from Arkansas or some of the areas that surround our great state, these words won’t be so hard to recognize or even enunciate. Still, there are those who just may need further description, as well as proper pronunciation. We have our share of weird town names, sure (and they’ve been mentioned before.) These words and names, however, are the ones that spark little recognition to non-Arkansans. These are the ones that need explaining.
The name of Italian explorer and European settler Henri de Tonti has largely been forgotten by all of the history books except for the ones found here in Arkansas. We're so happy that Tonti came to visit that we often refer to him as the father of our state; he even gets his own town named after him.
Located a few minutes southeast of Newport, Auvergne (pronounced "aw-vern" or "aw-ver-nay" depending on how fancy you feel) has an interesting legend about how the town's name came about. The settlement of Auvergne was named by Mrs. James T. Henderson, who moved to the area circa 1860 with her husband. As the story goes, she fell in love with the French name after either reading it in a book or seeing the name printed on a flour barrel.
The little town of Wabbaseka is located in Jefferson County near Pine Bluff. For such a small location with a uniquely Arkansas name, this place has a footnote in history. Political activist Eldridge Cleaver and teacher (as well as state flag designer) Willie K. Hocker have been noted as being from Wabbaseka.
People from anywhere else would wonder if Tyronza is a word, a name, or perhaps a type of car. Arkansans who know a thing or two about agriculture and history can tell you that Tyronza, one of the oldest towns in Pointsett County, is home to the Southern Tenant Farmers Museum where the story of African-American farming in the Natural State is told in detail.
Only Arkansans and Grecian scholars use the name Lepanto on a regular basis. Named after the Greek seaport of Lepanto, this town is best known as the filming location of the movie based on author John Grisham's 'A Painted House'.
"Well, is it in Arkansas, at least?" Kinda. Arkinda (or ar-KIN-da, however you prefer) is likely known only to residents of the Natural State and maybe some residents across the state line. This township in Little River County is a stone's throw away from the Oklahoma border.
The community of "Gamma-leel" is well known if you're a Lake Norfork enthusiast. Located just minutes northeast of Mountain Home, the area is known as a resort community with a number of great places to stay when you're headed to the lake.
Pronounced "wash-it-aw", this Native American tribe's name is recognized anywhere from Arkansas to Oklahoma all the way to north Louisiana...but hardly anywhere else. The name, which translates to "good hunting grounds", originates from the French spelling of the Caddo word 'wishita'.
Pronounced almost how it looks, the "quaw-paw" name takes precedence in a lot of areas around Arkansas. Considered the original Arkansas residents, the Quapaw people settled in the Natural State during the 17th century. As a result, the state was named for this tribe (initially referred to as the Arkansea by European settlers).
The letters are spelled out in fine script on wine bottles across mid-America (people not from around here might need help pronouncing which brand of wine they want, though). An annual all-day festival and a small village have also been dedicated to the Wiederkehr name; pronounced "witter-kur" or "wee-da-kuhur," depending on how much you've imbibed. Not many around the country recognize the name 'Wiederkehr', but Arkansas certainly takes a lot of pride in it.
Don’t feel bad if you’ve mangled the word “Caddo” when presenting your 6th grade Arkansas History paper (just don’t flat out say “Cato”–that’s a clothing store, not a tribe). It’s even alright if you giggle a little when someone says they’d like to go see “Lake Ow-cheetah”. Arkansans don’t mind taking a brief moment to explain the origin of these strange utterances you’ll hear from us. Just be careful when you’re in Little Rock. We don’t know of this “Can-TRELL” Road some speak of, but we can tell you how to get to “Cantruhl” Road just fine.
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