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Saint-Louis-du-Ha! Ha!

The only town in the world with two exclamation points in its name.

Saint-Louis-du-Ha! Ha!, Québec

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A sign for Saint-Louis-du-Ha! Ha!   RicLaf/CC BY-SA 2.0
Official post office sign makes use of the exclamation points.   Rob Schmidt/CC BY 2.0
In Saint-Louis-du-Ha! Ha!   Scazon/CC BY 2.0
A sign directing you to Saint-Louis-du-Ha! Ha!   Flickr user John Marino
Saint-Louis-du-Ha! Ha! on a map.   Jamie/CC BY 2.0
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Just north of Maine across the Canadian border, you'll find Saint-Louis-du-Ha! Ha!, the only town in the world with not just one but two exclamation points in its name. 

This small town was founded in the mid 1800s as a Roman Catholic mission, and today's population rests around 1,300.

The name is believed to be derived from the archaic French word "ha-ha", which refers to an unexpected obstacle or ending of a path, such as a cul-de-sac. The obstruction, if this is the true origin, would be Lake Témiscouata just beyond the town. "Louis" is believed to refer to one of the town's founders. Why the exclamation points were added is anybody's guess. 

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Published

January 6, 2017

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