NIU prof writes book on Ill. town names

BLOOMINGTON -- Local lore has it that Henpeck, Ill. got its name because its postmaster was henpecked by his wife in the late 19th century.

But it's not the only Illinois town with a curious name.

Places like Oblong, Normal and Henpeck inspired Northern Illinois University linguistics professor Edward Callary to write a book.

Callary has collected stories about how Illinois towns and cities got their names for several years. "Place Names of Illinois," published by University of Illinois Press, is the result.

From the book:

—Tolono was named, by one account, when a surveyor looking for route for the Illinois Central Railroad was asked if the site was too low. "Too low, no," the surveyor replied.

—Normal's name was changed from North Bloomington after the founding of Illinois State Normal University.

—Bloomington was first Keg Grove. Several kegs of whiskey had been hidden by early settlers, according to legend. Later, it became Blooming Grove when a settler saw some maple trees and thought "it looks blooming here."

—Oblong was named for Oblong Prairie, which had an elliptical shape.

Callary said many Illinois place names — including Kickapoo, Pontiac and Kankakee — stem from Indian tribes. The influence of French settlers can be heard in Champaign, Joliet and Bourbonnais.

"I was inspired by just driving around in Illinois, and I would see these interesting and curious names," Callary said. "I would just wonder why they were given that particular name."