Hell, Nord-Trøndelag

This tiny village in Norway has a population of about 1500, and gets pretty darn cold.  Like, -4 Degrees Fahrenheit cold.  Gives new meaning to the phrase “Hell freezes over.”  The town’s name comes from the Old Norse term for “cliff cave,” but tourists who speak English like to stop by and have their pictures taken next to the sign above or at the train station, which boasts a sign that says “Gods-expedition.”  It’s a play on words with the Norwegian term godsekspedisjon, which means “cargo handling.”  Fun.

Hell, California

In 1954, Charles Carr decided to be clever.  Either that, or he was a really quirky guy.  He founded Hell, California and he and his family were the tiny town’s only inhabitants.  They got bored with it, and the town was defunct and empty by the early 1960′s.  The California State Division of Highways started building US 60 and US 70, and eventually Hell’s service station, bar, and water tower were burned and torn down by the Division of Highways to make room for Interstate 10.  Depressing, huh?

Hell, Grand Cayman

On an island as heavenly as Grand Cayman, it is appropriate that a black, bleak, limestone field would be called “Hell.”  The residents of the town of West Bay – where Hell is located – have learned how to capitalize on that quirky half-soccer field full of ugly rocks.

Hell, Michigan

Hell, Michigan is the most well-covered town called Hell on the internet.   Meaning, there is more information out there about Hell, Michigan, than there is about any other hell besides the one that you go to if you are mean to puppies.  Michigan’s Hell is located in the Putnam Township close to Ann Arbor.  It’s an unincorporated community with an unofficial population of 266 people.  It also has an ice cream parlor (seen above) called Screams Ice Cream, a general store called Hell in a Handbasket, and a fictional college that offers “signed sealed and singed” degrees.

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That’s what Vincent Callebaut Architectures envisions for New York.  An almost 2000 foot high structure that would contain what is needed to produce fruit, vegetables, meat, and dairy on its 132 floors.  Not only would the structure be a source for fresh food that was produced right there in the city, but it would also be a totally sustainable building that was powered by wind and sun, and would purify liquid waste into compost, fertilizer and water for the crops.

The structure would also contain houses for the people who tended the different crops, herds, etc., and research laboratories for testing product quality, ensuring that all the scientific mechanics are functional, and obviously providing a place for process improvement and environmental responsibility.

We might not see it in our lifetime, but the Belgian architect is certainly on to something.  Shouldn’t some of our research efforts and future expansion include projects where we can rely on solar and wind power rather than electricity and oil, and where we can grow and produce food that is safe and free of chemicals and scary hormones?

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Once upon a time a population of about 1200 people lived in the valley town of Potosi in Venezuela.  One day, the president arrived on a helicopter and informed everyone in the little town that they’d have to move – the government was flooding the little town to build a hydroelectric dam.  People had to leave their houses, most of which they’d built with their own hands.  They had to leave their church, outside of which most of their relatives were buried.  They were all relocated to different parts of Venezuela.   The town was flooded, and all that remained visible was the steeple of their beloved church.

Steeple of the Potosi Church

Along came a weather phenomenon called El Nino.  El Nino made floods happen in some places, droughts in others.  In Potosi, it came in the form of a drought.  In early 2010, the town of Potosi emerged.  Most of the houses were gone, but the outside of the church still stands.

Skeleton of the Potosi Church

The Difference

The town was, obviously, uninhabitable when it first resurfaced, and there are no clear reports on what the Venezuelan government wants to do about the situation.  But the fact that even a little bit of the town survived its 25-year submersion is quite remarkable.  One might hope that the people of Potosi can someday return home.