Wreckhouse winds. Snow squalls off Lake Huron. Colorado lows. Keeping track of the weather is as much a geography lesson as anything. Place names, or toponyms, are integral in our daily lives. Just ...

Imagine scaling a peak so intimidating that it was called El Capitan, a name ringing of conquest, conferred by the Mariposa Battalion, an Indian-killing militia, in the mid-1800s. Imagine the rush of ...

From Devil's Lake to Fairy Chasm, here are the fascinating stories behind how some of Wisconsin's towns, cities, and counties got their unique names.

Most place names begin as straightforward descriptions tied to land, language, or local events. Time changes how those words sound, and meanings drift while the names stay exactly the same. What once ...

Michigan was once a hub of French colonial settlements, starting in the 17th century. Across the state, place names continue to reflect Michigan's French legacy. This story has been updated with new ...