Finding Normal, USA

JF Ptak Science Books   Post 2101

As a part of my semi-developing History of Normalcy, I decided to see if I could find a place in this country that was "normal"--and indeed, I found one.  Several--quite a few, actually, Normal and Normals and Normalcies, enough for everyone.

Here's one--Normal, Illinois.  (Population, 40,000, 1990), in Normal Township.  There's also Normal Township, in North Dakota. And one in Alabama.

And the town of Normal (Kentucky) and Normal (Tennessee), Normal Hill and Normal Landing (Louisiana), Normal Park (Nebraska), Normal Square (Pennsylvania), and Normalville (Pennsylvania).

Normal may or may not be a desirable thing; if it was a model thing, there is also a place called Model (in Colorado). On the other hand although there are a number of "normals", there are no places called Average, or Mean, or Natural, or Regular, or Typcial. 

Outside of the normals, perhaps on the more combative end of normal, there are places identified called Troublesome (Colorado), Truthville (New York, Washington County), and Halfway (Georgia, Lumpkin County); there is no place called hell, though there is a Heaven(er) (Kansas). 

Oh--and there is a Standard City, Illinois.

 

Comments

[Jeff Donlan]

"Normal may or may not be a desirable thing ..." -- although isn't the "norm" always a positive thing? At least in math?

Also, there's Intercourse, PA, which is twice Halfway, GA.

[John F. Ptak]

"Positive and negative norm regulation and their relationship to therapy group size" see http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2FBF01456557