Term: Boscobel [origin of place name]
Definition: Seven different explanations have been given of the origin of Boscobel: 1. French "Bosque Belle", meaning "beautiful grove or woods", chosen by Mrs. John Mortimore in 1855; 2. A prominent Boscobel in the annals of England; 3. Originated in the inspiration of either the engineer or officials of the railroad built there; 4. Castilian vulgarism for "beautiful wood"; 5. Named for the friendly little English wood which sheltered Charles Stuart after the luckless battle of Worchester; 6. An early settler belled his cow with a particularly mellifluous ding-dong; this "boes-cow-bell" is said to have become Boscobel; and, 7. When a farmer called his or her cattle they might be heard calling "come boss come bell".
[Source: Milwaukee Sentinel, Jul. 20, 1948 (explanation 1); History of Grant Co.; Fennimore Times, August 1, 1923; local oral tradition (explanation 7).]
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