Agloe: Fake Places That Only Exist to Catch Copycat Mapmakers

Have you ever been to Agloe, New York? You might not have, considering it was made up to throw fake map makers off. Thing is, the (fake) place has taken on a life of its own, and is just one of many examples of such creations implemented to complicate the work of evil-doers.

Take Argleton, for example, a town in northeastern England—or, more accurately, an empty field in northeastern England. Yet, for a while, Argleton existed on Google Maps, and websites listed hotels, businesses, and apartments for rent in the town. The businesses were real, but they just existed in other nearby towns. In 2009, Google erased Argleton from its digital map.

Might be worth looking into your own town and seeing if there is any history of fake towns used to catch pseudo map makers.

[Image via HudsOnUrbanism, story via Gizmodo)