Fun Facts About Pleasantwater Village From Your Source for Timely Local News, the Bluewater Daily Chronicle:

-The name “Pleasantwater Village” was thought to be a translation of the Ojibwe name for the area, Wiishigamioojinooripa. It was only in the 1920s, during the town’s 100th anniversary celebrations, that the town fathers learned a more accurate translation: “stagnant-waters-unfit-to-drink.”

-The Pleasantwater Bridge that links East Pleasantwater and West Pleasantwater was completed in 1935. Before that, communications and commerce between the two sides was handled by Big Joe’s Canoe Couriers. Nothing that wouldn’t fit in Big Joe’s largest canoe, Truth Oar Dare, could be moved, which meant a long and costly road journey to the bridge at Shelbyville.

-The mausoleum in Peaceful Worms Cemetary belongs to J. Harold Noodlemeyer, who was the most powerful businessman in town until his sudden death from act of meteorstrike in 1933. His holdings were quickly divided up after his death, as his only living relative, a great-nephew, sold them off after blanching at the thought of a canoe ride with Big Joe.

-Tays T. Appel Elementary School is named after Taylorfords “Tays” Thurmond Appel, who was principal of the previous school on the site for over 40 years. Aside from his zealous committment to flat-earth cosmology, Principal Appel was exemplary in his educational efforts. The ribbon-cutting was officiated by his daughter, “Granny” Smith-Appel.

-The annual Llama Festival at the fairgrounds dates from 1887, when a circus from out of town had four dromedary camels escape during a show. The animals caught the fancy of the town fathers who purchased them from the circus, but the owners substituted cheaper llamas for the camels and none of the townsfolk discovered the switch until it was too late.

-When Suede Arcade opened in 1980, there was a moral panic against video games, which many older citizens feared were corrupting the youth. The then-owner, Al Axian, smoothed things over by distributing free tokens to city and church fathers, who proceeded to disappear from town for severals days. Father Dauterive’s high score on Dig Dug stands to this day.

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