The following is an adapted excerpt from Unexpected Texas,my fun travel guide to quirky, offbeat and overlooked places near Dallas and Fort Worth. Check it out if you are looking for fun road trips in north Texas. Also, for a *FREE* 50-page guide to ghost hunting groups and haunted history tours in north Texas, sign up for my infrequent-but-interesting newsletter by clicking here:
Mineola Overview
History of Mineola, Texas
It’s unclear exactly how the town of Mineola got its name. While some claim a railway official named it after his daughter, Ola, and her BFF, Minnie, others say the name was created by a surveyor who combined his daughter’s name with her friend, Minna. Either way, Mineola has a much nicer ring to it than Sodom, which is what the town was originally called. (You can’t make this stuff up, people. Well, you could, but in Texas, you don’t have to.)
TO SEE MORE PHOTOS and READ THE REST OF THIS ARTICLE, CLICK THIS LINK
AT THE END OF A POST:
To read about more weird, offbeat, and overlooked places, check out my Amazon Best Seller, Unexpected Texas.
For ghost hunting hot spots, check out my recently-released travel guide to haunted places, Paranormal Texas. Happy travels!
Tui Snider is an author, speaker, and photographer who specializes in North Texas travel, cemetery symbols, and haunted lore. As she puts it, “I used to write fiction – but then, I moved to Texas!”
Snider’s best-selling books include Paranormal Texas , Understanding Cemetery Symbols, and 100 Things to Do in Dallas - Fort Worth Before You Die.
Snider has several more books in progress, and enjoys connecting with writers and readers all over the globe through social media, her newsletter and her website: TuiSnider.com.
So pleased to have stumbled upon this thoughtful article. I’m also thankful to leave my own reflections and am looking forward to read what others feel.
One minor inaccuracy. The name Sodom was never actually the name of Mineola. Sodom was the half acre settlement five miles south of Mineola also known as one of Americas many “Hell’s Half Acre”
Source: Live here all of my life
http://www.themineolamonitor.com/news/2014-05-14/Commentary/Mineolas_founding_has_multiple_interpretations.html
[…] Texas, USA Tui Snider visits Mineola, Texas: A Delightful North Texas Getaway in Easy Reach of Dallas & Fort Worth posted at Tui Snider’s Unexpected Texas, Travel, Photos & Reviews, saying, “With […]
In regards to the name Mineola…..It is a Native American word meaning “pleasant place”. New York, Native Americans. I was born in Mineola, Long Island, Nassau County, New York. Named by an Algonguin Indian Chief, Miniolagamika……shortened to Mineola.
Hope this helps clear things up…..
Check historical records of anyone who settled in your town who came from Mineola, New York….especially Town of Hempstead.
I’ll be honest, Texas scares me a bit. But, this looks like a pretty cute little town. :) Thanks for participating in this weeks Travel Thursdays Blog Carnival, you can see the post here: http://vagabondette.com/travel-thursdays-blog-carnival-2nd-edition/. I look forward to seeing your future submissions!
Texas can seem scary if all you ever hear about it is what makes the news. It is soooooooo much more than that! Since moving here, I have come to see that while many of the cliches do apply, many do not. It’s a big state and there is a whole lot to see and do here. That’s one reason I decided to write a book about Texas. I want to show folks that there is so much more to this state than what the THINK.
[…] Snider presents Mineola, Texas: A Delightful North Texas Getaway in Easy Reach of Dallas & Fort Worth posted at Tui Snider’s Unexpected Texas, Travel, Photos & […]
That looks like a fun place to visit.
It really is. I want to go back and have a relaxing weekend catching up on my pleasure reading!