In the land of the road trip, the marking of town borders becomes a matter of town pride. Towns like to welcome visitors, who may only be passing through, with announcements about their history (Vincennes, IN: "Indiana's First City"), industry (Leominster, MA: "Pioneer Plastics City"), geography (Pittsville, WI: "The Exact Center of Wisconsin"), or positive attitudes (Happy, TX: "The Town Without a Frown"). Here are 17 town signs that don't quite fit the mold.
1. Eaton Rapids, MI
"Welcome to the only Eaton Rapids on Earth."
2. Readlyn, IA
"857 friendly people and one old grump"
3. Abbeville, GA
"Keep it in mind!"
4. Old Concord, PA
"Originally Concord"
5. Heppner, OR
"Gateway to the Blues"
6. Earth, TX
Gerald Thurman/Road Trip America
"Welcome to Earth, Est. 1924"
7. Santa Claus, GA
"The city that loves children"
8. Hartville, WY
"Wyoming's oldest incorporated town that is still in existence"
9. Belgium, WI
"Home of Luxembourgers"
10. Kermit, WV
"Striving to be the state's cleanest town"
11. Gravity, IA
"We're down to earth. If Gravity goes, we all go."
12. Gettysburg, SD
"Where the battle wasn't"
13. Boyd, WI
"The friendly town – why go by?"
14. Washta, IA
"The coldest spot in Iowa"
15. Cherryfield, ME
"The blueberry capital of the world."
16. Nevada, IA
"26th best small town in America"
17. Hyder, AK
"The friendliest ghost town in Alaska"