Whether you believe in Hell or not, the Devil is probably a lot closer than you think. Designer Jonathan Hull has created a map of America's most hellishly named places, and they are EVERYWHERE. Hull told The Huffington Post that he came up with the wicked idea after a trip to southern Utah, where many of the red rocks had similarly satanic names.
His research for the dark side was done on Google Maps one area at a time, as there doesn't seem to be a comprehensive list of devilish places yet. Check out the full infernal map here:
Some of the names you might find familiar, like "Hell's Kitchen," and "Route 666." However, others are much more unusual, like "Devil's Race Course," "Devil's Bathtub," "Devil's Darning Needle Hollow," or "Devil's Tea Table."
Regarding his personal favorite appellations, Hull told HuffPost, "So many delightfully weird names like 'Devil's Postpile' and 'Devil's Cup' and 'Saucer Island,' but sometimes context adds odd dimension, like 'Satan's Kingdom Wildlife Management Area' or 'Beelzebub Road' in a residential area."
Welcome to the hellish places of the Northeast:
The wicked West:
And the satanic South:
Hull speculates that America's Puritan roots may account for the satanic imagery that feature in the names of so many places. He told Fast Co. Design, "Religious or not, I think we have a perception of hell and the devil as at least a concept--one can have a hellish day with or without believing in an afterlife. Thus, applying those to names, I think that the concept of something treacherous, extreme, or remote still conjures up the names ‘Devil’ and ‘Hell’ regardless of religious specifics."
But where's heaven? Hull told the Huffington Post that he hopes to shine a light on the more heavenly aspects of the States with a follow-up map. He said, "I'd love to do one that's the flip side. There are plenty of cites that begin with Saint."
Click here to explore the full map and continue the diabolical tour of America.
Related
Before You Go
