“Coming soon: ‘Centerville: A Saga of Mid-America’”
That is the title of an article I spotted on Google. My first thought was, which Centerville? Then I asked myself, “just how many Centervilles are there in the U.S?”
The answer is 45, making it the second most common place name in the country. Riverside is number one, in 46 states; excluding Hawaii, Alaska, Louisiana, and Oklahoma. Runners up include Fairview (43 states), Franklin (42), Midway (40), Fairfield (39), Pleasant Valley (39), Troy (39), Liberty (38), and Union (38).
As for the story behind the title, a new book will soon be published detailing the history of Centerville and Appanoose County. Which Centerville? Iowa’s. Read about this upcoming book in this article posted in the Daily Iowegian:
By Brooke Sherrard,
Daily Iowegian Daily Iowegian
CENTERVILLE — Local historian Enfys McMurry is nearing completion on a history of Centerville and Appanoose County that will narrate local experiences in relation to national and international events.
McMurry has been working on the book, tentatively titled “Centerville: A Saga of Mid-America,” for more than 10 years. It will cover 100 years of Centerville history, starting in 1846 when the town was first platted and ending with the troops returning from World War II.
She has been in talks over the years with the University of Iowa Press, though increasingly university presses are short on money and are not taking on such projects. She said she is currently considering other avenues and also may split the book into two volumes because she is covering so much material.
Click here to read the full article.
Source: Geography at About.com