What's Your Town's Claim to Fame?

Only King in America

We had the only King in America. The only town on the Island is named after him, St. James, after King James Strang. He was eventually assassinated.
 
As Andy Griffith's hometown/model for "Mayberry", and granite.

Actually, that's the closest town to where I live now. Where I grew up was home of once mighty (now defunct) Cannon Mills, textiles were us.
 
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The area around San Jose was known as The Valley Of Heart's Delight because of the orchards and other agriculture. Now we are called Silicon Valley. If you are reading this, then the technology started here.

We are also known for the much maligned Sarah Winchester and her house.
 
At least in the rest of Indiana we in Lake Co. are noted as having the most corrupt democratic political machine in the state . many of our city mayors end up in jail.Really something to be proud of.
 
In 1934 Tommy Carrol, one of the Dillinger gang was gunned down in an ally downtown. Also my Dad told me we were the first city west of the Mississippi river to have two Carnegie libraries. (One of them is an attorneys office now).
 
George Washington spent a couple of winters here, 1777 and 1779. He wasn't alone though, he brought the continental army with him. While Valley Forge, PA is well remembered, the 1779 winter here was the worst of the war years.

On a happier note, Thomas Nast lived here for many years. For those that don't know him, just picture Santa Clause, Democratic Donkey, and Republican Elephant. He created those as well as serious other political cartoons.
 
In 1960 the Perry Como TV show and Kraft Foods company sponsored a contest awarding a Little League ballpark to the town that sold the most Kraft Caramels.

My hometown, which had a population of maybe 4,000 at the time, sold over 50,000 bags of caramels and won the park (Caramel Park, of course). I think Cedar Falls, IA (forgive me if that's not the correct name, I doing this from memory), a decent-sized small city (60,000 people?) was second with something like 40,000 bags.

The ballpark is still there and no one who was alive then has any teeth left (kidding).
 
Birthplace of Judy Garland. Yes, we have a "yellow brick road" downtown. And a Judy Garland museum and annual festival. Hey, here's a claim to fame -- we're the location from where a pair of the original "ruby slippers" was stolen a few years ago! Anybody know where they're at, now?!!
 
Frank Baum, who wrote the Wizard of Oz, got the Dortohy character from a child buried here. We are also the home of State Farm and BeerNuts. College avenue is one of maybe only 2 streets in the world that has a college at each end.
 
my hometown (Watkinsville GA) was slated in 1790 or so to be the home of the University of Georgia, until someone remembered there was a tavern in town, that no doubt served liquor and allowed women of ill repute a place to rest....
SOOOOO, UGA was moved 8 miles up the road to Athens....and of course, somehow all these college kids got their hands on some liquor anyway....
Interesting fact, we still have the tavern (Eagle Tavern) and now our county does not serve liquor...Athens has UGA and you can't throw a dead cat downtown without hittin' 3 or 4 bars......

Times have changed....
 
My old hometown of Gary, Indiana used to have the highest per capita murder rate in the US. I don't know who claims that desirable title now.
 
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