The Unusual Meanings of These 5 Minnesota Towns

With a history as rich and diverse as the state of Minnesota, the state has acquired several towns with unique names over the years. However, the meaning behind some of the names of these communities is much different than what you would expect.

Only in Your State Minnesota made a list of Minnesota Towns and the Surprising Meanings Behind Their Names. Here are five of our favorites.

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Climax, Minnesota - Polk County, Population: 241

Get your mind out of the gutter! Climax is actually named after an old fashioned Chewing Tobacco Company. Now, why someone would name a town after chewing tobacco is beyond me, but there you have it.

Nimrod, Minnesota - Wadena County, Population: 83

Nimrod, Minnesota, got its name from the biblical figure Nimrod, known as a "mighty hunter," which was a respected title when the town was founded in 1924, despite the word later evolving to mean "idiot" due to cultural shifts, mainly because of Saturday Morning Cartoons.

Kiester, Minnesota - Faribault County, Population: 488

No, it's not named after someone's rear-end, but it is named after a prominent figure in the town's history. Jacob Armel Kiester was an area judge and legislator, along with being a local historian. The small town and nearby township of Kiester were both named in his honor.

Ball Club - Itasca County, Population: 186

According to the unincorporated community's Wikipedia Page, "Ball Club got its name from a Native American Lacrosse Stick." There are also two nearby lakes with the same name.

Nowthen - Anoka County, Population: 4,536

You can thank the Post Office for the uniquely named town of "Nowthen". It got its strange name due to a post office mix-up in the 1890s. He jokingly wrote "Now, Then" on a list of suggested names, but apparently the postal service didn't get the joke. The town's locals have since embraced the bizarre name and wouldn't have it any other way.