Phil Campbells support Phil Campbell

May 6, 2011 8:24 AM

The town of Phil Campbell, Alabama is named for a 19th-century train engineer and is one of a handful of US towns with the full name of an individual. It is also the site of an occasional meeting of people named Phil Campbell (or Phyllis Campbell, Philippe Campbell, etc.) A piece about the convention was collected in Shiny Adidas Tracksuits and the Death of Camp and was previously mentioned on the blue. It was devastated by the recent tornadoes which left some 25 county residents dead; in response, the organizer of the irregular convention (named Phil Campbell, of course) has shifted his efforts to harnessing his network of Phil Campbells in a relief effort for their namesake. Here is organizer Phil Campbell talking to the CBC about the relief efforts.
posted by ricochet biscuit (4 comments total)

Others in the handful: Albert Lea, MN, Jenny Lind, CA, Jesus Maria, CA, Jim Thorpe, PA, and Joe Walker Town, CA (now defunct?)
posted by Jahaza at 9:30 AM on May 6, 2011 [3 favorites]

The tornado that tore through Hackleburg and Phil Campbell eventually passed about 1/4 mile from my house in Limestone County. What a beast it was.
posted by insulglass at 10:48 AM on May 6, 2011

And here's a link to the Phil Campbell Convention FB page and also the donation site.
posted by cowboy_sally at 10:52 AM on May 6, 2011

I have some elderly relatives in smaller towns like this in the northern part of the state that are getting lost driving around because so many of the usual landmarks are gone. These are places they've lived in their whole lives.
posted by Rhaomi at 5:05 PM on May 6, 2011