We have all heard of Las Vegas (the meadows), Los Alamos (the cottonwoods), Las Cruces (the crosses), and Los Angeles (the angels). For one thing, they are American cities with Spanish names. This is not unusual, since Spain actually laid claim to a large portion of the United States at one time.

What is unusual about these and a few other cities in America is that their formal names all begin with the article “the,” albeit in Spanish. Melting pot that America is, the French have managed to brand a few such cities as well, including Des Moines (the monks) and Des Plaines (the plains).

Here are some more such towns and cities that spell their article-first names in English:

The Bluffs, Louisiana
The Bluffs, Vermont
The Burg, Illinois
The Cedars, California
The Cedars, Virginia
The Colony, Texas
The Dalles, Oregon
The Exchange at Talcott Vill, Connecticut
The Forks, Maine
The Gap, Arizona
The Geysers, California
The Glen, New York
The Highlands, Arkansas
The Highlands, Washington
The Hills, Texas
The Hollow, Vermont
The Island, Vermont
The Lakes, Nevada
The Ledges, Illinois
The Meadows, Iowa
The Plains, Ohio
The Plains, Virginia
The Rock, Georgia
The Sea Ranch, California
The Terrace, New York
The Town of Index, Washington
The Village, Oklahoma
The Village of Indian Hill, Ohio
The Villages, Florida
The Vly, New York
The Woodlands, Texas

O.C. DeeDee

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