There are OTHER Effinghams?

I was driving on Route 125 yesterday and spotted a Georgia license plate that had the name 'Effingham' spelled out in big bold letters. I don't know why I thought the little NH town north of Province Lake was the only one on earth. ObviousIy I was wrong!

Surprisingly, the Effingham that I stumbled upon yesterday is not a city but a County in eastern Georgia. It boasts a population of over 52,000 people and even has it's own College!

The original Effingham is in England and was founded around the year 500 AD by a Saxon noble named 'Aeffing', the Olde Englishe word 'Ham' is translated to 'Home'.

While Effingham, England is less than 5 square miles in area, it's population of 2700 nearly doubles that of it's Granite State counterpart.

The Grand Daddy of all cities named Effingham can be found in southern Illinois. With a population of 12,600 it is billed as "The Crossroads of Opportunity" and is famous for it's cross monument that is 198 feet high and contains 180 tons of steel. (Pictured Above)

Come to find out, the NH town of Effingham isn't the only one of it's kind and, in fact, it's downright puny compared to the other locales. But alas, it will always be my favorite!