Page 30 - February 2021 Issue.indd

Putting the “Count” for that matter expense necessary to geopolitical units counties. Perhaps
complete such a quixotic undertaking, Delmarva residents are naive to this
in Counties some semantic exercises must fi rst be reality because all abutting states
addressed. A dedicated maven of this employ “county” as the default naming
by Chad Dean
particular ilk would be quick to assert the convention, but several states do in fact
In addition to my local history grand total is not a static number: there refer to them by other names. Since 1845,
columns, I have also previously shared are dozens of defunct counties around Louisiana has maintained a system of
some musings on the subject of travel. the United States that used to exist but parishes: they look and function exactly

Specifically, I have promoted the 100th were split or merged into others for a the same as Maryland counties do on the
anniversary of the National Park Service, variety of administrative and logistical map and in day-to-day governance but
the continental American Discovery reasons. Additionally, the modern map parallel the Catholic legacy of the region.
Trail bisecting the Mid-Shore, and the of counties nationwide is not set in stone Alaska actually utilizes two different
concept of highway clinching within either -- the most recent county to come types of administrative jurisdictions
the friendly confines of the Caroline into existence did not materialize with -- boroughs and census areas. Th ough
Review. This month, I hereby introduce the 1959 admission of Hawaii to the boroughs are analogous to counties and

a new hobby as it relates to crossing off Union as some astute readers might feature infrastructural seats of local
mappable tasks: county counting. predict. In fact, the newest pair were government, the census areas, it should
census areas designated in southeastern be noted, do not. Eventually each could if
There are all sorts of websites and Alaska just two years ago or Broomfi eld the population warrants but for now are
associations dedicated to travel County, Colorado, in 2001 if one is a essentially place names carved into the
achievements. These affinity groups terminology purist. For the record, the state map. Nevertheless, for our purposes
hold conventions, schedule coordinated
most recent borough to be demarcated they still register as county equivalents
outings, maintain databases, compose
in Alaska was Petersburg in 2013 but I in the quest to reach 3,143.
newsletters, publish competitive
am prematurely complicating matters
rankings, obtain rubber stamps for their There is yet another category that

with such specific vocabulary; just know
souvenir passports, and more -- possibly that as a rule of thumb counties are fl uid. technically also enjoys a seat at the table
for activities you already enjoy or would and that is the collection of independent
if given some collegial encouragement cities around the country. Locals
but never knew there were others out are familiar with this variation
there with the same sort of wanderlust. due to the relative proximity of
Baltimore City: it is not a part of
Where do I even begin? I suppose my own
any of the 23 Maryland counties
OCD-fueled pursuits are a serviceable
but when it comes to the objective
point of reference. Among my travel
of county counting, our state once
affiliations are societies dedicated to
completed hangs a total of 24 on
documenting exploration of all 50 states,
the scoreboard. This practice of
national park units, wildlife refuges,
separating major population centers
presidential libraries, state capitals,
from adjacent counties is more
historic lighthouses, major league
common than one might think; not
ballparks, and minor league stadiums
exclusively a product of historically
(as my stack of passport booklets
shady Maryland politics at all.
will attest). If a stamping program or
Virginia, for example, boasts of 38
formal organizations existed to validate
independent cities in addition to
the obsession, I would also hold
its 95 traditional counties. What is
memberships in clubs that propagate
interesting about the Old Dominion,
visits to NFL stadiums, NASCAR tracks, however, is that not all of those 38
NBA/NHL arenas, Division I colleges, are major metropolises -- some like

Buffalo Wild Wings restaurants, lyrical Richmond or Virginia Beach contain
Jimmy Buffett destinations, and in all
a population in the six fi gures but
likelihood a host of other places of
others such as Williamsburg are just
interest that have come to define my
quiet towns that do their own thing.
existence.

The Commonwealth’s commitment
Numerically speaking, however, all of Counties in blue visited by Chad Dean to local governance, which is always
these checklists pale in comparison commendable regardless of location,
to county counting. If it is truly your Something else, therefore, amateur deserves a resounding huzzah.
desire to see all of them, currently geographers and passive travel
You may now be wondering how I
3,143 counties exist. Before one begins enthusiasts may also initially overlook
became a county devotee. While I
to consider the time, planning, and is that not every state calls its respective
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