Ever been to Lake Chaugagogmanchahgagaggchaubunagungagaug?

The longest town name in America.  And making matters more complicated… it’s in the state with the longest name… so if you’re looking for the lovely lake on the google… type in  Chaugagogmanchahgagaggchaubunagungamaug, Massachessets.

Out of necessity… the town’s Welcome sign is 16 feet long.  The name is a native american term for the boundary between the English and the local Indian Tribe. 

49 letters … that town name.  The letter G is used 15 times… and when the state wanted to get rid of some of them to make life easier for map makers… the town rose up as one… behing a poet named Bertha who wrote.

Tho Gogg and Magogg shout and thunder;
Chaugagogmanchahgagaggcaubunagungamaug, renown
Shall blaze, the beacon of the town,
While nations gaze and wonder.”

Once a poet gets involved it’s game over… and  the state gave up … So 49 letterse it stays… but the crystal blue lake dotted by cottages  has changed.  These days it's hot real estate.   Houses are going up… trees are coming down…  and the newest residents of Chaugagogmanchahgagaggcaubunagungamaug have as hard time with the name.   Spelling it is murder if you didn’t grow up there… so they just call it Lake Webster.

And when they have to write their address by hand on that form at the doctors office… they just use the five digit equalizer that the same length for every town in America… Zip code 01570.

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