Everything in the whole wide world is captured right here in Texas, so you never have to leave! Reviewing names of Texas towns is full of surprises.

The blog Estately has dubbed Texas' Ding Dong as the Lone Star State's weirdest town name. But Texas' penchant for strange and surprising town names definitely doesn't stop there.

Everything from Happy or Smiley to the romance of Sunset. The foodies feast at places like Bacon, Noodle or Oatmeal - yes, all in Texas. And did you know we are international, with cities named Egypt, Ireland and China? We wonder if cartoon characters took over in the cities of Winnie, Elmo and Kermit? What about Frogeye, Hogeye or Notrees? Or Hoop and Holler?

Okay, now that I've picked my favorites off the big list, I had to do some research. I couldn't help but wonder how six specific Texas town names came about.

Notrees was named when an oil company destroyed the one native tree in the town.

Hogeye dates back to the 1800s and was named for the symbolic eye of the Masonic lodge built there at the time.

Founded in the mid-1800s by German settlers, Oatmeal is thought to be a loose translation of the first gristmill owner Habermill.

Ding Dong was founded by the Bell Bros. But its odd name had nothing to do with the tasty treat. The community's welcome sign was painted with two bells labeled Ding and Dong. The nickname took shape!

And what about Egypt, Texas? The Wharton County town was settled in the early 1800s. The town was originally called Mercer's Crossing, but earned its new name during a severe drought.

And then there's Happy, Texas, AKA "The Town Without A Frown," just north of us near Amarillo. The town's name comes from a stream called Happy Draw that was a source of water for cowboys back in the day.

Well, it's been a great history lesson, and I love it. More reasons to love Texas!

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