The nonexistent Argleton in Lancashire, England
From the Telegraph in the UK: “Argleton, a ‘phantom town’ in Lancashire that appears on Google Maps and online directories but doesn’t actually exist, has puzzled internet experts.” The photo is from Picasa user Mister Roy, who walked and photographed the nonexistent place in February 2009.
I’ve seen hundreds of Argletons in North Dakota. Of course, the difference is that North Dakota’s Argletons usually had, at some point in the past, a bit more concrete existence — though not necessarily that much more. Some of the places I photographed were ever only a railroad siding or post office. If they were big enough to end up on USGS topological maps in the 1970s, they’ve now secured a permanent digital existence thanks to the place name database distributed by the US Board on Geographic Names.
Dundas, North Dakota