The naming of things is quite important in our society, and more times than not, there is meaning behind the names we give to the objects, people and places we encounter or create. Across the nation, many cities and towns are named for their distinguishing characteristics, intriguing history, and specific statements made to the rest of the world. Some places have an unsavory past, while others simply carry disturbing names. If you take a look at the “United States Devil Map, you will find that we’re surrounded by quite a few disturbingly named destinations – all of which have something to do with the Devil.
From lakes to mountains to thinly-populated towns, references to Satan, the Devil, Hell, and other associated names are found all over the map of the United States. For instance, located in Central California, Devils Den in Kern County, California supposedly got its name after an unusual volcanic formation that was found four miles to the west.
Then there is Livingston County, Michigan, which famously has a rather small community living in Hell. The residents there (who are referred to as ‘Hellions’) have a reputation for promoting the name of their town with special celebrations for Halloween and Friday the 13th, where people travel for miles to collect hell-themed souvenirs. One year, a souvenir diploma was handed out to visitors from a fictional ‘Damnation University.
California also has a locale called Hell.
Other interesting observations include:
- Locations may use a part of the body to make reference to their Devil-named city, town or geographic attraction, such as Devil’s Head or Devil’s Thumb in the state of Colorado. A mountain on the Alaska/British Columbia border is also called Devil’s Thumb, as well as a rock outcrop in a canyon in California. Devil’s Thumb also serves as the name for an inert hot spring in Mammoth Hot Springs at Yellowstone National Park. In the Gold Butte Region (around 2 ½ hours from Las Vegas), the remote Devil’s Throat is a favorite of adventurous hikers who must navigate the giant desert sinkhole.
- States with bodies of water that bear the Devil’s name include Wisconsin, Oregon, North Dakota, Minnesota, and at least two in Michigan. Interestingly, Saskatchewan in Canada had a Devil’s Lake, but is now ironically known as Lucky Lake.
- You will find Lucifer Falls at Robert H. Treman State Park in New York. Another ‘Lucifer’-related location is Lucifer Lake in Montana. In Arkansas, there is a place called Morning Star, which is a name sometimes used to refer to Lucifer.
- Satan’s Kingdom State Recreation Area is a state park located in the town of New Hartford, Connecticut, and attracts people interested in tubing to the area. Vermont and Massachusetts are also home to their very own Satan’s Kingdom.
The ‘United States Devil Map’ was a creation uploaded to visualizing.org by a user named jonathanorjack, who followed his interest in cartography to explore how many geographic locations in the United States incorporated the name or references to the Devil and Hell. While his map is not a comprehensive collection of all that exists in the United States, there are quite a few places of interest to take note that proves the ‘Devil’ is indeed everywhere – even if it’s just in a name.