Place names on USGS topographic quadrangles offer insights into local history, but I rarely see anyone making use of the information contained in the names. This map is an exception. I missed this last fall when it apparently made the blog rounds, but here it is in case you missed it too.
US Stream Names Map by D. Watkins
Read more about this map on Derek Watkins blog.
Praxis in Landscape Architecture 
In my relocations from South to North, I’ve lived in the land of the bayou and slough, then run and branch, and, now, brook and the odd-sounding kill.