Recently, while reading a novel, I happened upon a curiosity I was unfamiliar with—phantom settlements. No, these aren’t communities where ghosts hang out, or locations that disappear (though the latter might be closer to the truth). Also known as paper towns, these are spots that don’t actually exist, but appear on maps. Cartographers included them as copyright traps in order to point to plagiarism if their work was stolen.
One of the most famous phantom settlements is Agloe, New York.
The tale starts in the 1930s when Otto G. Lindberg and Ernest Alpers of the General Drafting Company—a small mapmaking firm—came up with the idea of creating foldable maps for motorists. These were sold at gas stations, and could be conveniently stored in the glovebox. Prior to that, most maps were bound in large heavy books, and weren’t easily transportable. Rand McNally was the industry giant; Lindberg and Alpers, small fish.
But these guys had vision! With more people taking to the roadways, and recreational driving becoming popular, they saw a bright future in foldable maps. They’d also invested a lot of research and time into creating their map of New York State. The last thing they wanted was for a competitor to come along and copy their work, but what to do?
The two men put their heads together and hit upon the idea of creating a fictitious town using letters from their names and scrambling them. They dropped “Agloe” onto a dirt road intersection in the Catskill Mountains—trap set. Years later, Rand McNally produced a map that included Agloe—bait taken. Or so, Lindeberg thought.
He cried foul, citing the phantom settlement, but Rand McNally protested it had gotten the coordinates for Agloe from county records. Those records indicated the Agloe General Store occupied the spot on the map.
How is such a thing possible? Turns out someone had spied the name Agloe on a GDC map, decided to build a store there, and named it after the “town.” The store eventually went out of business in 2008, but if you Google Agloe General Store, you’ll find a Facebook page devoted to it, along with numerous references.
In the case of Agloe, Lindberg and Alpers created a phantom settlement that became an actual place, then later vanished once again. While you can’t step foot in the General Store anymore, you can still visit the area where it stood.
Should you decide to take a drive, you can always use your GPS, but you may want to get there the old-fashioned way and use a paper map. After all—that’s how Agloe was born. 🙂
I didn’t know that either, Mae 🙂 I love someone built a store there and named it after that phantom town.
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I thought it was so interesting, Denise. I love things like this! 🙂
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Truth often turns out to be stranger than fiction, and this one was a corker!
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I thought so, too! So glad you dropped by to check it out. Definitely a strange “curiosity,” LOL!
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Very strange indeed…
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Reblogged this on Chris The Story Reading Ape's Blog and commented:
Every so often an unexpected curveball happens 😃
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LOL! Thanks for sharing, Chris! 🙂
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My pleasure, Mae 🤗
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Wow! This is hard to believe. Thanks for sharing, Mae!
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Glad you enjoyed it, Jill. I was fascinated by the concept!
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You should write a book (fiction) based on it…it is fascinating!
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I know it’s been used in a few novels to date, Jill, but there are always other phantom settlements including any I’d create. It definitely has possibilities, so it’s going on my ideas list! 🙂
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Wow. This is fascinating, Mae! And I learnt something new today. Thanks for sharing 💕🙂
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Isn’t it amazing, Harmony? I just love crazy stuff like this!
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Excellent info Mae!
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Glad you enjoyed it, Fraggle. I was so intrigued by the whole concept!
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I’d never heard of this, but I LOVE it! (And I can think of so many story possibilities with it.) Thanks for sharing this curiosity, Mae.
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My pleasure, Staci. The novel I read used Agloe in the plot, but I can see so many possibilities with this one and other “paper towns.” I suspected you might enjoy such an odd “curiosity! ” 🙂
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What an interesting story! I’d never heard this one. As Staci said, there are so many story possibilities. Maybe even a real “phantom” town.
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So true, Joan. I was dumbfounded by Agloe when I learned of it, too. I couldn’t resist sharing!
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What a cool story! You’ve reminded my how hard it was to refold those road maps after spreading them out across the dashboard.:-)
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Haha! They are such complex creatures when you try to refold them, Priscilla. I still use a paper map in conjunction with a GPS when hubby and I travel. I’m the navigator, and I still like tracking on a foldable paper map. 🙂
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That’s hilarious. Fiction writers couldn’t make something like this up with any credibility, but fact makes it work.
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Absolutely, Craig! And how crazy is that? I just loved this oddity!
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I’ve never heard of phantom settlements either – fascinating. When I was young, I can remember my parents arguing over one of those foldable maps every summer when we’d go to the beach. We got lost every year. Never failed.
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LOL! I actually used to create ad panels that went on Chamber of Commerce maps and gas station maps, Teri. Still brings back memories.
And I still like to use a foldable map (in conjunction with a GPS) when hubby and I travel. At least these days, we have the GPS to rely on too. I suspect they’ve saved many couples from arguments! 🤣
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This is an amazing story, Mae. I’ve been to the Catskills a few times but didn’t know about Agloe. Now I want to visit! Thank you for sharing this hidden nugget.
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I’ve never been to the Catskills, Gwen, but it makes me want to visit, too. I understand that Agloe was located near Roscoe. If I ever get up that way, I’ll be seeking out the spot!
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I’d never heard of phantom towns! (No wonder I’ve always had trouble reading a map.)
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LOL! When they’re not real, that makes it really hard, Liz! 🙂
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Yup!
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I’ve actually heard about phantom settlements. That’s funny about Agloe though. That is a story I hadn’t heard. I bet that might have happened in other states too. I can totally see how it could. Excellent post, Mae!
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Tessa, I’d never heard of phantom settlements before. I think the whole concept is so fascinating. And yep, I bet there are all kinds of them out there, strewn over maps. I might have to start scouring the PA map! 😁
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I know NC has one – that’s where I first heard of them but I can’t remember the name of the phantom settlement now.
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What a cool story!
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Isn’t it, Sharon? I’m so glad you dropped by to check it out. I fell in love with the whole concept and just had to share!
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This is fascinating, Mae! I never heard of such a thing before. Thanks for sharing. Happy Tuesday! 🙂
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Happy Tuesday, Natalie. So glad you enjoyed the post. It made a great topic for my Cabinet of Curiosities! 🙂
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Very interesting, Mae. One of my old houses in Pennsylvania had a paper alley. It was never built, but it existed on the map. I always wondered about that. Now, I know.
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Wow, that’s so cool, Michele. I love the fact that you had your own paper alley! This stuff just gets more interesting. 🙂
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It really does. And from what we learned, a paper alley unused in Pennsylvania for twenty-one years is titled to the the adjoining landowners to the center of the alley.
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Wow! Amazing stuff!
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Definitely a curiosity, Mae, and a great story. I’ve never heard of ‘phantom settlements’ but they make perfect sense. The question is: How did you ever stumble across this????
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Jacqui, isn’t it a great concept? I came across it in a novel I read, called The Cartographers. After that, I went Google happy! 🤣😁
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Fascinating! I’ve never heard of phantom settlements or any of these mapmaking issues. I almost hate that their plan backfired with someone building a general store there. Lindberg & Alpers could have sued for a small fortune, I’m sure. Thanks for sharing, Mae!
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Had Rand McNally truly stolen there Lindberg & Alpers research, rather than doing they’re own, the “big guys” would have really been in the hot seat. It sounds like RM did actually research records and draft their own map, but it makes you wonder how many other phantom settlements exist. I’ve also heard of other types of copyright traps being used in encyclopedias and reference manuals. It’s such a clever idea—and fun, too! 😁
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Fascinating, MC. Too bad the idea didn’t work for its creators. Proving plagiarism is a very difficult thing to do. A friend of mine had his textbook copied and sued the plagiarist, only to discover that since less than 80% of his book had been copied, he had no recourse.
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Oh, that’s awful, Noelle! While researching copyright traps, I learned they are also used in reference books.I would have thought them pretty foolproof. How sad to learn there is a caveat to plagiarism. 😦
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This was a fun post! My husband loves maps and globes. He uses his GPS but still, to this day, has to look up where we’re going on a map before we take off for parts unknown.
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I’m like your husband, Judi. We still use a GPS when we travel, but I’m always the navigator, and I like to have a paper map to follow along, in addition to the GPS. I great up using those things and I guess old habits die hard, LOL!
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Interesting! What a prudent way to copyright one’s work!! When I read such stories, I am filled with gratitude for those who made our life so easy with all the technology around us at the touch of our digital devices!
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Isn’t it amazing how much times have changed, Balroop? Technology has definitely changed the way we navigate. My CPS has saved me more than once!
I’m glad you enjoyed the post. I thought it was such an interesting and creative way of proving plagiarism!
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A fascinating story, Mae. I can imagine the look on Otto and Earnst’s faces when they found out there was an actual location with their fictitious name. What a great story. Thanks.
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That must have been a true “moment,” John. It would have been fun to be a fly on the wall! 🤣
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🤣
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Learning of phantom settlements is a first for me, how interesting! I miss the days of pulling out the tattered Perly’s or spreading out a foldable map. Travelling was much more of an adventure with these directional aids, versus the boring, although convenient, GPS.
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The GPS has saved me more than once, Peachy, but I still use a foldable map in conjunction with it when I navigate for me and my husband. I had to look up Perly because I was unfamiliar with it. Looks like Rand McNally took them over. RM is certainly a giant in the industry, but those smaller firms were so nice to have around, to.
And I agree, it was far more adventurous to travel before the days of GPS. I still consider myself a good map reader! 🙂
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Ah, Perly’s were the go-to here in Canada, and my father was a dispatcher at a delivery company so we had many around. Not surprising that they should get out of the business, with the way technology took over. GPS definitely has helped some industries to the next level, and is imperative in the fast-paced world we are in these days. I’m forever old school in my heart, haha.
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I’m pretty much old school in a lot of areas, too, Peachy. Thanks for the lesson on Perly. Yet even more I’ve learned thanks to a phantom settlement! 🙂
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I find it curious that someone decided to risk their finances on a general store in the middle of nowhere- crazy!
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I agree. But then the whole story is crazy. And apparently that store did pretty good for a long stretch. It didn’t fold until 2008. Just mind-boggling!
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Reblogged this on NEW BLOG HERE >> https:/BOOKS.ESLARN-NET.DE.
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Thanks for the reblog, Michael. Wishing you an amazing week!
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Thank you as well, Mae! Have also a wonderful week! xx Michael
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Thank’s for sharing this wonderful story, Mae! I had not heard or read about it before, but it was a great idea. Sometimes you not only have to be intelligent in your basic works, you also have to prevent that you will be cheated. Best wishes, Michael
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I’m so glad you enjoyed the post, Michael. I thought it was amazingly clever of Lindberg and Alpers. It’s sad that sometimes you have to take preventative steps from being cheated, but what a brilliant way to do it! 🙂
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Thats so true, Mae! But they solved the problem with a glance. xx Michael
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I love this! I was thinking of Brigadoon when I first saw the title.
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Oh, how cool! I only vaguely remember the movie. Now I want to watch it again! 🙂
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Love it! Reminded me instantly of that Made for TV movie – https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0311018/. Disappearance was REALLY creepy – well worth a watch. Probably hard to find, but perhaps stream-able on the internet.
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Interesting. I never heard of the movie before, but I followed the link and it sounds good. I’ll have to see if I can find it on some obscure cable channel!
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I think you can find it on a DVD, but it is “old” and I don’t think was “popular”. Totally worth it though, in my opinion.
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Good to know. And I liked a lot of “old” stuff! 🙂
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Pingback: *Press This* Mae Clair’s Cabinet of Curiosities: Phantom Settlements #232 | Its good to be crazy Sometimes
Hi Mae, this is a really interesting post. A bit like phantom employees although not quite as dishonest or rather I should say dishonest with a more honourable intention.
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I like that thought, Robbie….dishonest but with a more honorable intention! 🙂
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What an interesting story, Mae. The two guys who thought they were smart to create a phantom town, and someone else was started to build a town to name after the phantom! Wow! Thank you for this post.
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Isn’t it bizarre, Miriam? I guess sometimes life IS stranger than fiction! 🙂
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You’re right, Mae! Fiction is just a glimpse of the bizarre of life. 😊
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This is wonderful, Mae! I had not heard of paper towns or phantom settlements. I love that a town was created from one, even though it later disappeared. What a great basis for a story– ooh!
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I definitely think it has a lot of story potential, Flossie. I fell in love with the whole concept immediately!
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That is so interesting!
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I thought so too, Betsy. The whole concept is just so fascinating!
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Sorry I’m late, Mae! I was teaching last week.
Phantom settlements? How cool! I bet you stayed in that research rabbit hole for a while. 😉 Now I want to visit Algoe!
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Yep, it was a fun rabbit hole, Sue. I would love to visit Algoe, too. I think the sign for the general store is still there.
And no worries about being late. Except for an SE post, I have been online in weeks!
I hope you had fun teaching. 🙂
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Wow. How fun and fascinating. I make up places all the time, but I doubt they’ll ever become real places with a general store. Lol. I hope you’re doing well, Mae, and taking some time to hug those you love. ❤
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Thank you for those wishes, Diana. They are much appreciated right now. Hope you and yours are doing equally well. ❤️💕
I thoroughly loved the concept behind Agloe. It’s kind of like carrying childhood into your adult years! 🙂
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I’m always fascinated by historical trivia. Thanks for sharing, Mae.
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Glad you enjoyed it, Mark!
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