This story is part of the project. You ask the questions, you vote for one of the questions and we answer.
About an hour and a half outside Columbus lies a township within Pike County with a strange name: Pee Pee Township. Some locals think it's funny, while others would rather relieve themselves of the burden.
I came across the name when I was looking into the . When I returned to the area, though, a lot of residents weren鈥檛 eager to discuss the township鈥檚 name.
But those who did want to talk about Pee Pee Township obviously had a lot they were holding in.
鈥淚 was curious," said Linda Dunn. "Why would you name the township that, and why would you name the creek that?鈥�
Dunn has lived in the township for about 20 years. Pee Pee Creek, after which the township is named, runs behind her house. She's always found the name and her friends鈥� reactions to the name to be comical.
鈥淭hey are a little amused sometimes when I tell them what township I live in and the name of the creek," Dunn says. "And there used to be a gas station in town called Pee Pee Gas.鈥�
How did Pee Pee Township get that name, though? Dunn says local legend has it starting with an early settler鈥檚 graffiti.
鈥淚 have been told that the letters 'P.P.' were carved into a tree and that the guy鈥檚 first name was Peter,鈥� Dunn said. 鈥淚鈥檓 not sure that鈥檚 accurate, but that鈥檚 what I鈥檝e heard.鈥�
The legend has merit. Peter Patrick was a 19th-century settler from Pennsylvania who eventually ended up in Piketon, according to Emmy Beach of the Ohio History Connection.
鈥淭o mark his place, he carved his initials in a beech tree at the confluence of Scioto River and a small creek,鈥� Beach said. 鈥淎nd that creek became known as Pee Pee Creek.鈥�
Yes, Peter Patrick marked his territory with The name Pee Pee Settlement also comes from Peter Patrick鈥檚 initials.
鈥淧ee Pee Settlement was a free African-American community that existed around 1820,鈥� Beach said. 鈥淚t was a place that was primarily an area for former slaves from Virginia.鈥�
Many who lived in Pee Pee Settlement were active in the Underground Railroad and assisted runaway slaves to freedom in Ohio. Despite violent attacks against the area, Beach says, Pee Pee Settlement was a vibrant community that existed until the early 1900s.
鈥淭hey faced a lot of discrimination and a lot of prejudice," Beach says. "That鈥檚 the reason why this settlement came about. It was safer for them to be in a settlement together than spread out across the state.鈥�
The surrounding area became known as Pee Pee Township, and now about 4,000 people live here, not counting the village of Waverly right next door.
One resident is Robert Dixon, who's a jeweler, bus driver, and runs the local softball league. For the past 20 years, Dixon has also served as the township clerk. His main task is fixing township roads.
Dixon is the man to answer my other pressing question: If Pee Pee Township got its start with Peter Patrick鈥檚 initials, why are the township and creek name spelled 鈥楶ee Pee?鈥�
鈥淐onsequently, it鈥檚 kind of funny as the clerk of the township, when we鈥檙e in touch with somebody that鈥檚 not familiar with us, sometimes they will write 鈥楶ee Wee,鈥� or they will say something else,鈥� Dixon said.
鈥淭hey think, 鈥楾his can鈥檛 be right, is it?鈥� So I usually try to quickly go to Peter Patrick, his initials. And rather than just put two initials, they wrote it out, 'p-e-e, p-e-e.'"
And yet, nobody in the last 200 years has tried to change the name.
鈥淚 think most people, even those that are not aware of any of the background, think it鈥檚, I don鈥檛 wanna say vulgar, but some people they think, 鈥榳hat?'" Dixon says. "And yet, no, I don鈥檛 think that has ever even been considered.鈥�
But some wouldn鈥檛 mind. Patrick O'Connell, another resident, wishes the township called itself something else.
鈥淚 didn鈥檛 even know what township I moved into until I got down here and transferred the car plate, and it鈥檚 like 鈥� if they put water in the lake, we鈥檙e gonna be great," O'Connell says.
To avoid puns and raised eyebrows, O鈥機onnell just tells people he lives in Waverly.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 actually say Pee Pee Township because, you know, that would send them off into like, you know, into Never Neverland,鈥� O鈥機onnell says.
Got your own question about Central Ohio? Ask us below for Curious Cbus.
