A recent article from Mental Floss explains how 50 cities in Texas got their name.

It's something you probably don't think about very often, but most cities are named after historical figures, such as Lubbock. However, some got their names in very unique ways.

LUBBOCK:  Thomas Saltus Lubbock was a soldier in the Texas Revolution and served as a Texas Ranger in support of the Confederacy during the Civil War. He was also the brother of the ninth governor of Texas, Francis R. Lubbock, who served from 1857 to 1859.

Just down the road is Brownsville:

BROWNSVILLE: Major Jacob Brown was a soldier in the Mexican-American War. He served as commander of Fort Texas, where died during a Mexican attack, and posthumously gave this city its name.

Midland has an interesting history. Apparently, it was almost called "Midway:"

Midland began in 1881 as Midway Station, a section house located halfway between two stations on the Texas and Pacific Railway. Because Texas already had towns called Midway, the name was changed in 1884—as many do—to facilitate establishing a post office.

 

Abilene was named after Abilene, KS.

ABILENE: When the town was founded in 1881, C.W. Merchant took the name from Abilene, Kans. in the hope that its Texas counterpart could become as important as its sister in the cattle ranching business.

Odessa has background ties to Russian immigrants:

ODESSA: Russian railroad workers likely named this city for its resemblance to the landscape of Odessa, Ukraine.

And apparently, the origin of Dallas isn't exactly clear. Here's what the site's report said:

DALLAS:  Likely the surname of a historic figure, the precise origin of Dallas’s name is unknown. It could come from George Mifflin Dallas, vice president of the United States under James K. Polk, or his brother, Commodore Alexander J. Dallas of the United States Navy, or Joseph Dallas, who settled near the new town in 1843.

It's an interesting list. If you'd like to see more, check out the full report on Mental Floss.

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