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Podunk facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

The terms podunk and Podunk Hollow are used in American English to describe a small, unimportant, or even made-up town. People often use "Podunk" as a placeholder name to show that a place is not very important or well-known.

Where the Word "Podunk" Comes From

The word "podunk" comes from the Algonquian languages, which were spoken by many Native American tribes. It was used to describe both the Podunk people and marshy, wet areas. One important "Podunk" location was a winter village site near what is now East Hartford, Connecticut and South Windsor, Connecticut.

The word "podunk" first appeared in an American national dictionary in 1934. It was defined as an imaginary small town. This town was seen as typical for being quiet, boring, and not keeping up with the rest of the world.

One of the earliest times "Podunk" was written down was in 1840. This was in a book called The Politician of Podunk by Samuel Griswold Goodrich. The book starts by saying:

Solomon Waxtend was a shoemaker of Podunk, a small village of New York some forty years ago.

The story is about Solomon Waxtend, a shoemaker from Podunk. He becomes interested in public policy (rules and laws for a community). He then becomes a representative in the New York State Assembly, which is like a state government meeting. But he finds he's not good at it and goes back to being a shoemaker.

It's not fully clear if the author meant a real place near Podunk, New York or just a general "small town." Maybe "Podunk" was meant to represent "plain, honest people." This would be different from more fancy people with questionable values.

In 1875, a description said that sometimes a new state, county, or town was nicknamed "Old Podunk." This was done by its own people, almost like saying their home was a very old part of national history.

The term "podunk" became widely used in America because of the "Letters from Podunk" in 1846. These letters were published in the Daily National Pilot newspaper in Buffalo, New York. The letters made "Podunk" seem like a real place, but one that was unimportant and far away.

Later, "Podunk" became known as a made-up place. For example, in 1869, the famous writer Mark Twain wrote an article. He was defending his friend, Thomas Kinnicut Beecher, whose preaching was being criticized. Twain wrote:

They even know it in Podunk, wherever that may be. It excited a two-line paragraph there.

At that time, Twain lived in Buffalo. He moved to Hartford, Connecticut in 1871. His home was about 4 miles (6.4 km) from the Podunk River. Twain had also lived in Elmira, New York, which is about 30 miles (48 km) from Podunk, New York. So, it's not clear which "Podunk" Twain was thinking of.

Real Places Named Podunk

The United States Board on Geographic Names lists several real places named "Podunk":

Other areas known as Podunk include:

Images for kids

  • Barter-Chickens for Subscription

    1874 cartoon of a farmer trading chickens for a newspaper subscription.

  • VintonsPondDam

    Vinton's Pond Dam on the Podunk River.

  • Podunk sign in Holley NY

    A sign in Holley, New York.

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Podunk Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.