So today we shared the name origins of some of our famous cities…here’s the list:

Baton Rouge, LA – red stick (French)

Boise, ID – woods (French)

Des Moines, IA – of the monks (French)

Terre Haute, IN – high ground (French)

Detroit, MI – strait (French)

Anaheim, CA – hybrid of Santa Ana and the German word for home

Philadelphia, PA – brotherly love (Greek)

Athens, OH and GA – named for the Greek capital

Phoenix, AZ – named for the immortal bird of Greek mythology

Cincinnati, OH – curly hair (Latin) named for Lucius Cincinnatus – a Roman hero

Chicago, IL – wild onion (Native American)

Milwaukee, WI – gathering place (Native American)

Tucson, AZ – base of the black hill (Native American)

Los Angeles, CA – the angels (Spanish)

Amarillo, TX – yellow (Spanish)

Santa Fe, NM – holy faith (Spanish)

El Paso, TX – the pass (Spanish)

Las Vegas, NV – the meadows (Spanish)

Memphis, TN – city in ancient Egypt, named by Andrew Jackson b/c of its location on the Nile-like Mississippi River

Cairo, IL – like the Egyptian capital, pronounced CAY-roh by the natives

Odessa, TX – city in Russia, named by Russian/Ukrainian rail workers

–         I was born on May 18, 1920 in Poland
–         My real first and middle names are Karol Jozef
–         I lived in Krakow during World War II to attend college
–         When the Nazi’s closed my school, I worked three jobs and began studying for the priesthood
–         I survived the Nazi occupation of Poland and finally was ordained in 1946
–         I learned 15 languages and earned my doctorate in 1954
–         I became Archbishop of Krakow and eventually part of the College of Cardinals
–         I was elected Pope in October 1978 and served until my death in 2005
 
I am…Pope John Paul II. Congratulations to Kathleen of Mount Vernon, who guessed correctly and wins the one day pass to the Hiawatha Water Park and Pool.

Thanks for listening!
– Joe and Brogan