Beatosu and Goblu facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Beatosu and Goblu |
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Beatosu (left arrow) and Goblu (right arrow)
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| Created by | Peter Fletcher |
| Type | City |
| Notable locations | Ohio |
Beatosu and Goblu are two fake towns that don't really exist in Ohio. They were secretly added to the official state map of Michigan in 1978. These funny names are a secret message! "Goblu" sounds like "Go Blue," which is a cheer for the University of Michigan sports teams. "Beatosu" sounds like "Beat OSU," which is a cheer against their big rivals, Ohio State University.
The Story Behind the Fake Towns
A man named Peter Fletcher was a big fan of the University of Michigan. He was also in charge of the Michigan State Highway Commission, which makes decisions about roads and maps. Peter had a clever sense of humor.
One day, a friend teased him about the colors of the Mackinac Bridge. The bridge was green and white, which are the colors of Michigan State University. Peter explained that he had to follow rules for bridge colors. But he realized he had more control over the state map!
So, Peter told a mapmaker to add two fake towns to the official Michigan map. "Goblu" was placed near a real town called Bono, Ohio. "Beatosu" was placed near Archbold, Ohio.
These maps were only printed for a short time. Because of this, they have become special items that people like to collect. Some people even thought the map brought good luck to the University of Michigan football team! In 1978, the team beat their rivals, Ohio State, with a score of 14–3.
Beatosu and Goblu in Pop Culture
Even though they are fake, these towns have appeared in stories!
- In the G.I. Joe comic books, a character named Road Pig is said to have been born in Goblu, Michigan.
- The movie Paper Towns talks about "paper towns." These are fake towns that mapmakers sometimes add to maps. They do this to catch anyone who tries to copy their maps without permission. A map showing Beatosu is even used as an example in the movie!
