Where?

The Simpsons - the family with Bart, not OJ - live in Springfield. So did the Andersons, from "Father Knows Best." 

But it was years after Homer and family were on TV before we found out just which Springfield they called home.

"Springfield was named after Springfield, Oregon," their creator, Matt Groening told Smithsonian magazine. "The only reason is that when I was a kid, the TV show 'Father Knows Best' took place in the town of Springfield, and I was thrilled because I imagined that it was the town next to Portland, my hometown. When I grew up, I realized it was just a fictitious name. I also figured out that Springfield was one of the most common names for a city in the U.S. In anticipation of the success of the show, I thought, 'This will be cool; everyone will think it's their Springfield.' And they do."

This is great, even though it was sad for me to read that Matt Groening grew up. But there they are, way out in one of the many Springfields that dot our nation like cloves on a baked ham. In fact, the U.S. Geological Survey says there are 33 places named Springfield in 25 U.S. states. Five of them are in Wisconsin, which must make for a lot of confusion at the high school cheesemaking competitions. 

Just here in Baltimore County, Maryland, widely regarded as the best county in the nation, we have Phoenix, Jacksonville, Texas, Providence*, Hawthorne, Verona, Fullerton, Stevenson, among other towns that are also famous elsewhere...and some that I am sure are unique to us: Putty Hill, English Consul, Pot Spring.

But the people at the xkcd.com website have made for us a handy map to show that there are duplicate place names from sea to shining sea. They call it "no, the  other one."

My favorite has to be Jersey Shore, Pennsylvania, a borough in Lycoming County, far from Snooki and The Situation and the rest of that crowd.

I can't wait to vacation in scenic Niagara Falls, Mississippi.

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*my home town!