Geographic names generally make sense…or, at least, made sense when they were applied. In Indiana, French Lick is a funny-sounding name, but besides it being the hometown of basketball legend Larry Bird, it has a centuries-old history. The name, of course, comes from the fact that there were natural salt licks that drew wildlife from all over South Central Indiana, making it a natural place for hunters and trappers to do their deeds and then trade for their needs.
The Buffalo Trace is today a faded relic, but when the Northwest Territory was being settled, pioneers found a natural pathway into the hinterlands. American Bison (buffalo) traversed the area for fodder (and salt), creating a roadway of sorts from here on the Ohio River to the territorial capital of Vincennes, far in-state from the big river. Our own Paoli Pike marks the uphill stretch of our buffalo trace.
Accordingly, as we begin this little journey, our default name for the coffee shop operation will include Buffalo Trace. We invite you to participate in this trivial yet consequential decision, though. There’s still time for branding this venture in a creative way.
Before I present a list of choices, I do want to mention the previous front-runner…The Dueling Grounds. Besides the obvious word play (OK, not so obvious…grounds?…coffee grounds?). Legend tells us that a nearby landing at the mouth of Silver Creek, below the Falls of the Ohio, was the frequent site of duels of honor for Kentuckians. Indiana was not yet a state, while Kentucky was, so the idea of leaving one of the United States to seek justice was appealing, especially since the crossing was only a half-mile.
One tale has it that Abraham Lincoln himself took the crossing to fight a duel, killed a man, and never returned to Kentucky. That’s quite obviously untrue. Indiana became a state in 1816. Lincoln was born in 1809. It’s awfully hard to credit the idea that Young Abe fought a duel at the age of 7, yet a local museum trumpeted the “fact” as recently as this decade.
So here are SOME choices:
The Dueling Grounds
Buffalo Trace Coffee House
Buffalo Trace Coffee Co.
Buffalo Trace Coffees & Teas
Buffalo Trace Bean & Leaf Co.
Feel free to provide your own. We’ve decided to brand the coffee operation separately from Destinations Booksellers to provide the maximum future flexibility. Destinations Booksellers’ Coffee Shop just doesn’t cut it, nor does Destinations Coffee.
April 22, 2009 at 10:10 pm |
A thought: There were a couple of Buffalo Madison (?) coffee shops hereabouts a few years ago. I’m not sure whether there would be any confusion; just tossing it up.
I like Dueling Grounds, myself.
April 23, 2009 at 10:31 am |
I never understood what “Buffalo Madison” meant, but yes, you are correct. Ann’s researched it a little bit and so have I. From what we gather, the buffalo has nothing to do with the trace, but yes, some could be confused. I know they closed and sold their equipment in Clarksville. Someone thinks they took over the IUS concession.
April 23, 2009 at 10:32 am |
Of course, Buffalo Trace (or Dueling Grounds) could be brands for a signature blend of coffee…
April 23, 2009 at 3:18 pm |
Both names are nice, but I vote for The Dueling Grounds.
April 24, 2009 at 10:28 am |
Another person with branding experience calls Dueling Grounds “too cute,” that it takes too much thinking. Why would coffee grounds fight a duel? What is it about the coffee grounds that “duels?”
I greatly appreciate the feedback. Feel free to take your own informal surveys and let us know your findings.