Fictitious Names of Cities

Continuing with the them of fictitious names of places in the 19th century, today's tidbit comes from Houghtalings Handbook of Useful Information ©1884.


BLUFF CITY.—A descriptive name popularly given to the city of Hannibal, Missouri. 
CITY OF BROTHERLY LOVE.—Philadelphia is sometimes so called, this being the literal signification of the name. 
CITY OF CHURCHES.—A name popularly given to the city of Brooklyn, N.Y., from the unusually large number of churches which it contains. 
CITY OF ELMS.—A familiar denomination of New Haven,
Conn., many of the streets of which are thickly shaded with lofty elms.
CITY OF MAGNIFICENT DISTANCES.—A popular deidgnation given to the city of Washington, the capital of the United States, which is faid out on a very large scale, being intended to cover a space four miles and a half long, and two miles and a half broad, or eleven square miles. The entire site is traversed by two sets of streets from 70 to 100 feet wide, at right angles to one another, the whole again intersected obliquely by fifteen avenues from 130 to 160 feet wide.
CITY OF NOTIONS.—In the United States, a popular name for the city of Boston, Mass., the metropolis of Yankeedom.
CITY OF ROCKS.—A descriptive name popularly given, in the United States, to the city of Nashville, Tenn.
CITY OF SPINDLES.—A name popularly given to the city of Lowell, Mass., the largest cotton-manufacturing town in the United States.
CITY OF THE STRAITS.—A name popularly given to Detroit, which is situated on the west bank of the river or strait connecting Lake St. Clair with Lake Erie. Detroit is a French word, meaning " strait."
CRESCENT CITY.—A popular name for the city of New Orleans, the older portion of which is built around the convex side of a bend of the Mississippi River.
EMPIRE CITY.—The city of New York, the chief city of the western world, and the metropolis of the Empire State.
FALL CITY.—Louisville, Ky.;—popularly so called from the falls which, at this place, impede the navigation of the Oldo River.
FLOUR CITY.—A popular designation, in the United States, for the city of Rochester, NY a place remarkable for its extensive manufactories of flour. 
FLOWER CITY.—Springfield, Illinois, the capital of the State, which is distinguished for the beauty of its surroundings. 
FOREST CITY.—1. Cleveland, Ohio;—so called from the many ornamental trees with which the streets are bordered. 2. A name given to Portland, Maine, a city distinguished for its many elms and other beautiful shade-trees. 
GARDEN CITY.—A popular name for Chicago, a city which is remarkable for the number and beauty of its private gardens.
GARDEN OF THE WEST.—A name usually given to Kansas, but sometimes applied to Illinois and others of the Western States, which are all noted for their productiveness.
GATE CITY.—Keokuk, Iowa;—popularly so called. It is situated at the foot of the lower rapids of the Mississippi.
GOTHAM.—A popular name for the city of New York.
HUB OF THE UNI VERSE.—A burlesque and popular designation of Boston, Mass., orignating with the American humorist, O. W. Holmes.
IRON CITY—A name popularly given in the United States, to Pittsburg, Pa., a city distinguished for its numerous and immense iron manufactures.
MONUMENTAL CITY.—The city of Baltimore; — so called from the monuments which it contains.
MOUND CITY.—A name popularly given to St. Louis, on account of the numerous artificial mounds that occupied the site on which the city is built.
PURITAN CITY.—A name sometimes given to the city of Boston, Mass., in allusion to the character of its founders and early inhabitants.
QUAKER CITY.—A popular name of Philadelphia, which was planned and settled by William Penn.
QUEEN CITY.—A popular name of Cincinnati;—so called when it was the undisputed commercial metropolis of the West.
QUEEN CITY OF THE LAKES.—A name sometimes given to the city of Buffalo, N. V., from its position and importance.
RAILROAD CITY,—Indianapolis, the capital of the State of Indiana, is sometimes called: by this name, as being the terminus of various railroads.
SMOKY CITY.—A name sometimes given to Pittsburg, an important manufacturing city of Pennsylvania.