5 of America's Finest Altoonas

Wednesday, June 24, 2015
Tom Giffey, photo by Andrea Paulseth, VolumeOne

As is the case with many town names, "Altoona" is the name of many towns. It doesn't make them any less special, it just kind of adds them to an exclusive club. Below we have five different Altoonas. Pick your favorites! (We know which one we like best. It rhymes with "Schmaltoona, Schminsconsin.")

1. Altoona, Pennsylvania

America's biggest, most well-known Altoona can be found in central Pennsylvania. This city of 46,000 was first founded by the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1849. Its location in the Allegheny Mountains is probably the source of its name: Numerous sources suggest that "Altoona" comes from the Latin "altus," which means "high."

Altoona Beach, Altoona, WI

2. Altoona, Wisconsin

Speaking of railroad towns, "our" Altoona (population 7,000 and growing) also was built as a railroad hub (hence the Railroaders mascot, the since-demolished roundhouse, and the Golden Spike Bar). When it was originally platted in 1881, the village was dubbed "East Eau Claire" - because, well, it's east of Eau Claire - but the name was quickly changed to Altoona, apparently in honor of its Pennsylvania cousin.

3. Altoona, Alabama

This town in northern Alabama has about 900 residents. It too, was named after Altoona, Pa., although not because of the railroad: Coal mines were dug there when the town was founded in 1900, and Pennsylvania is coal country, too.

4. Altoona, Iowa

Want to bet on the ponies, visit Iowa's largest family resort, or buy some bass fishing gear? Then this Altoona is the place to be (at least if you find yourself smack dab in the middle of Iowa). The Des Moines suburb of Altoona, Iowa, has about 14,500 residents, and also draws its name from the Latin word "altus" because (wait for it!) it was a high point on the railroad.

5. Altoona, Kansas

This tiny city of about 400 souls in eastern Kansas was originally dubbed Geddesburg in 1869, but the next year local leaders decided to jump on the Pennsylvania-loving bandwagon and renamed it Altoona. These days, it's perhaps best known as the home of the Prairie Nut Hut, a bar and grill that specializes in what are euphemistically called "mountain oysters." Even if you just order a burger, you can buy a shirt declaring "I had a ball at the Prairie Nut Hut."

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