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May 6

Does Kierieian, Rhode Island exist?

A new editor has claimed that Kierieian, Rhode Island doesn't exist and that this article is a hoax. A DuckDuckGo search does not return anything that is a not a copy of the Wikipedia article. A search of Geographic Names Information System returns no results. A quick look at Apple maps at the coordinates given show only what appears to be open space. 76.14.122.5 (talk) 02:11, 6 May 2023 (UTC)[reply]

After checking without fruit four local printed sources (the Arrow Street Atlas of RI, the South County Tourism Council's Official Map of R.I. & South County, the official Rhode Island Manual for 1986-7 published by the R.I. Sec. of State, and a couple of Providence Journal-Bulletin Almanacs), I went onto Google (although I'm more of a Bing fan) and found a directly-pertinent and very recent exchange on the Facebook Group called "You are probably from Ashway, RI, if you remember.."

https://www.facebook.com/groups/136779689743865/

The general tenor was that this is a hoax by a repeat offender on Wikipedia.

Negatives are unprovable, and Rhode Island has had many tiny company towns that vanished when their mill or quarry closed, but if the people in Ashaway with a strong interest in local history can't remember or document such a settlement, while there has also been a hoax on Wikipedia, the place's existence seems extremely doubtful to me. —— Shakescene (talk) 03:06, 6 May 2023 (UTC)[reply]

There's a discussion on reddit as well

https://www.reddit.com/r/RhodeIsland/comments/wcyogq/this_cant_be_a_real_village_right_like_mfs_are/ 76.14.122.5 (talk) 03:29, 6 May 2023 (UTC)[reply]

Got to be a hoax. On Google Maps at the 1,000 feet level, the label is there, but if you zoom in closer, the label disappears. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 05:18, 6 May 2023 (UTC)[reply]

The label of Ashaway also disappears. Labels disappearing don't mean much. Look here or here. Where is ~~Waldo~~ Mecca? --Lambiam 05:58, 6 May 2023 (UTC)[reply]

If this is a hoax, not only Google maps but also other companies fell for it: "We’re here to help our Washington County neighbors with affordable disposal services to all Ashaway communities such as Kierieian, Hopkinton, Richmond and more."^[1] "In the southern part of Hopkinton, RI, you'll find Burdickville, South Hopkinton, and Kierieian."^[2] "The building/address is in the Kierieian neighborhood."^[3][4] Note, though, that these sources identify Kierieian as a community or neighbourhood, not a "small village". --Lambiam 06:00, 6 May 2023 (UTC)[reply]

Looking on Bing Maps, there do seem to be about 20 or so houses in the vicinity, so it plausibly could be "a small village". However, neither the original editor nor the present company of Google-wizards here assembled could find "at least three high-quality sources" and so the article has to go. Alansplodge (talk) 14:55, 6 May 2023 (UTC)[reply]

While we're here, I have similar concerns about Bethel, Rhode Island, created by the same editor. I've become familiar with the villages of Hopkinton and Richmond in the process of researching and writing Wood River Branch Railroad, and I never found any mention of Kierieian or Bethel. Trainsandotherthings (talk) 20:05, 6 May 2023 (UTC)[reply]

Please note Trainsandotherthings, that you can hasten the disappearance of these articles by adding your opinion at Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/Bethel, Rhode Island and Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/Kierieian, Rhode Island. Alansplodge (talk) 11:57, 8 May 2023 (UTC)[reply]

Check who started the Bethel AfD and then please get back to me. Trainsandotherthings (talk) 19:22, 8 May 2023 (UTC)[reply]

The creator's talk page shows that several other villages in RI and Connecticut are similarly under suspicion. Five of them were created on that user's first day, 30 Aug 2013. That editor's last activity was 8 Apr 2014. —Tamfang (talk) 18:16, 8 May 2023 (UTC)[reply]

I created an article on Laura, Kentucky in 2008, but now I wonder if a name on a map is sufficient notability. Edison (talk) 17:15, 12 May 2023 (UTC)[reply]

@Edison: This billboard company cites US Census data for Laura, including a population of 1022. Perhaps you could dig up a more reliable source? Clarityfiend (talk) 21:05, 13 May 2023 (UTC)[reply]

It might have been "Laurie" at one time, but the recollections of Rufus Mitchell Reed are a little hard to follow.[5][6] Moses Stepp is buried nearby. Can't quite make those redlinks into articles.fiveby(zero) 21:46, 13 May 2023 (UTC)[reply]

Small (electoral) curiosity

Small curiosity; has the city of Minneapolis, had in the past as a voting system, Votomatic punch cards? Thank you. 93.41.96.86 (talk) 18:18, 6 May 2023 (UTC)[reply]

Apparently, they were only used in Bloomington and Coon Rapids on a trial basis in the mid 1960s, and the Electoral Commission rejected them for wider use. These are both suburbs of Minneapolis, but it doesn't seem that Minneapolis itself used them. See [7]. --Jayron 32 23:48, 7 May 2023 (UTC)[reply]