Little Comfort: Whitman was originally known as the “Little Comfort” section of Bridgewater. It became part of Abington in 1712, then stood on its own as South Abington. On May 3, 1886, a vote was taken at a town meeting and the name was changed to Whitman.
Scotland: Southwest part of Bridgewater. Scottish immigrants settled there in the 18th century.
Queertown: This was one of the names suggested for the town of Norwood when it was incorporated in 1872. Balch, Cedarville, and Ames were also rejected.
Jerusalem: The northwest corner of West Bridgewater, around Manley and Walnut streets.
Madagascar: The southwest part of West Bridgewater; adjacent to the Scotland section of Bridgewater.
Happy Alley: Area around County Road in north Marion.
Spotless Town: Nickname for north Randolph.
Shall I Go Naked Pasture: A parcel of land located by Braley Lane, between Route 3 and South Street in Plymouth. It was once occupied by a poor woman who would go to town elders for assistance, and whenever they turned her down, she reportedly replied, “Shall I go naked?”
New Dublin: Runs from Silver to Fowler Streets on Warren Street in Randolph.
Wheel of Fortune Corner: Located at the junction of Mattapoisett Road and New Bedford Road in Rochester. It appears on a 1903 map of Rochester, and has been featured as a landmark in historical tours of the town.
Shoestring Village: A neighborhood in Carver that was named for the William F. Jenkins & Co. shoestring factory, which opened in 1852 and was located off Tremont Street, opposite Mayflower Road.
Brewer’s Corner: The junction of Garfield and Granite streets in Quincy, named after Frank Brewer, who owned a store there in the late 19th century.
Sources: “West Bridgewater” by James E. Benson; Town of Norwood website; Town of Whitman website; Town of Randolph website; Massachusetts Historical Commission; “Marion” by Judith Westlund Rosbe; “Ancient Landmarks of Plymouth” by William T. Davis; Joseph H. Plumb Memorial Library; “Carver” by Constance Jenney Shaw and Amy B. Sheperdson
