We used to have a sign into town that said "Welcome to TownName, Gateway to Death Valley!" Guess how many people painted over the Valley bit. Now it says "TownName Rocks!" Dad was mean and suggested how many brushstrokes it would take to make it something inappropriate. (He gave us two choices: One is sucks. The other rhymes.)
Mum didn't like it much, me thinks.

It may be an urban legend but there is a story about signs in the New Jersey Capitol.
One of the counties in New Jersey is 'Middlesex County'. According to the story, the county office in the state house is located between restrooms. If you walk down the hall you will see, 'Men', 'Middlesex' and 'Women'.
Sadly, it must be a legend. There are Middlesex Counties in Virginia and Massachusetts as well as New Jersey. Middlesex county is in England.
In trying to find the derivation, all I can come up with is Essex was the land of Saxons, which makes sense in old English. I can't find the derivation of 'middle'!
Middle of Essex, maybe?

(I know English names can't be that simple at times, but I can try.

)
Or just the Middle Saxons?

(Essex was the land of the East Saxons, IIRC, won't that make Middlesex Middle Saxons?)
From beautiful Bakersfield:
"No More Dirt"
Heheh, if Bakersfield wants more dirt, we've got plenty out here, near Death Valley.
