Hell, Michigan
Notorious4life/Wikimedia Commons
Notorious4life/Wikimedia Commons
In a report for Business Insider, Amanda Adler noted that the story behind how Hell, Michigan came to get its unusual name in 1841 is not a consistent one. Some say the mosquitoes made even Hell’s founders hate it, while other legends suggest it was named either out of indifference or out of a translation of the German term for “beautifully bright” (schön hell).
But however Hell came to be named, it seems that nobody finds the name more amusing than its residents. Spooky and hellish decor is everywhere in town, as are Hell-related puns. Since it’s an unincorporated community, visitors can even pay to be mayor for a day.