Geography

More fun with Google Maps fails

achoi-googlemap.jpgAchois was the name that Europeans and, later, Americans thought more or less reflected the pronunciation that the local Tongva used for their settlement at the north end of the San Fernando Valley. In yet another example of Google Maps being tone deaf about Los Angeles, Achois is shown as an existing locale on the property of Mission San Fernando. Worse, as with other non-existent location names that Google applies to parts of Los Angeles, a search for "Achois, CA" turns up websites with local news for Achois, the current weather and an offer to sell you satellite photos of, well, Achois, California. My favorite: "Find the Web's best health guides, medical reports, news, videos and tools for Achois, California." If only!

Add Sanford/Sandford: On the weekend's earlier geography topic, a reader suggested that Google Maps may have dropped in Sandford to trick copyright violators, the way the Thomas Bros. guides famously have buried small mistakes to catch map thieves. Don't know — maybe that's it. Also, reader Michael Leonard passes along the information that a man named W.T.B. Sanford was the second postmaster in Los Angeles. Perhaps the mid-Wilshire post office was named for him? Actually, there is a federal document called Post Office Department Reports of Site Locations, 1837 - 1950 that may hold the answer or at least a clue (thanks to Bob Timmermann) but it looks like no fun.


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