One of the frequent reader questions to the Eagle Archives is how did certain streets, places and towns in Carroll County get their names? However, on a few occasions, the question is, how did Carroll County get its name?

Of course, since I am a closet Shakespeare fan, the answer often involves a quotation from "Romeo and Juliet" — "What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet …"

With that in mind, do you think Carroll County would still be a great place to live if it went by the name, "Paca County?" Or "Union County" or "Westminster County?"

Between 1792 and 1795, during one of the earlier attempts to form Carroll County from parts of Baltimore and Frederick counties, the proposed name was indeed "Union County."

In Nancy Warner's history of Carroll County, she notes a petition to the General Assembly during the term of Gov. William Paca, to name the new county "Paca County." I guess that's one way to get on the governor's good side.

Then, on Nov. 25, 1813, according to Warner, the following was written by the Uniontown newspaper, Engine of Liberty (how's that for the name of a newspaper?) … Notice was given of "a petition to the legislature signed by the citizens of Baltimore and Frederick counties asking for the creation of a new county to be named 'Union County' with 'The Forks' as the county seat. The petition was rejected, but thereafter 'The Forks' was called Uniontown."

A letter dated Jan. 29, 1833, "by a Mr. Holmes and other residents of Baltimore County" suggested, according to Warner, that the new county be named, "Westminster County."

It was Del. William Cost Johnson, "a member of the House committee to which some of the petitions had been sent, (who) introduced a bill into the House of Delegates for the formation of 'Carroll County' with Westminster as the county seat.

"The name of Carroll was proposed to commemorate Charles Carroll of Carrollton, the last living signer of the Declaration of Independence and a prominent Maryland landowner who died in 1832 at the age of 95."

Warner notes that the legislation passed on March 2, 1833, with an election set in October 1833, "in both of the affected areas, the western part of Baltimore County and the eastern part of Frederick County."

Guess what? The October 1833 election failed.

One of the towns that was most adamantly opposed to forming a new county was Dug Hill.

Where is "Dug Hill?" Good question, but here's an even more interesting one: In what language were most of the electioneering pamphlets written?

This is where we will pick up the story next week …

When he not visiting the Carroll County town of Noodle Doosey, Kevin Dayhoff may be reached at kevindayhoff@gmail.com.