+@
+@ >>>
+@ >>> WELCOME BACK, EVERYONE.
PAST F+@EW WEEKS, SEAN GIGGY HA
BEEN TRAVELING AROUND TEXAS
TELLING US THE HISTORY BEHIND
TOWNS WITH UNIQUE AND PECULIAR
NAMES.
NAMES.
NAMES. >>
NAMES. >> HIS ROAD TRIP ENDS TODAY
WITH THE NAME OF ONE OF THE
MOST STRANGELY NAMED TOWNS IN
TEXAS.
TEXAS.
TEXAS. [
TEXAS. [ DOOR BELL RINGS?
].
].
]. >>
]. >> COME IN!
>> Reporter: WHERE DID NEMO
TEXAS COME FROM?
WHERE DO YOU THINK THEY CAME UP
+@
WHERE DO YOU THINK THEY CAME UP WITH THE NAME DING DONG TEXAS?
>> MAYBE THERE'S A LOT OF DUMB
PEOPLE.
PEOPLE.
PEOPLE. >> R+@ep+@orter: EVERY DAY WE
THROUGH PLACES WITH WEIRD NAMES
WITHOUT+@ EVEN NOTICING.
ZIPPERLANDVILLE.
ZIPPERLANDVILLE. DID YOU EVER WONDER WHERE THE
NAMES CAME FROM?
>> I DO+@N'T KNOW WHAT THEY WER
+@
+@ THINKING.
THINKING.
THINKING. >> Report+@er: THEIR ORIGINS
REVEAL AN INTERESTING PIECE OF
TEXAS HISTORY.
TEXAS HISTORY. 10 MILES SOUTH OF FORT HOOD IS
ONE OF THE WEIRDEST.
WELCOME TO DING DONG.
THERE AREN'T A LOT OF PEOPLE
LEFT IN THIS TOWN.
. BUT THERE ARE PLENTY WHO CAN
TRACE THEIR ROOTS TO DING DONG.
>> I WAS BORN THERE, DECEMBER
27th, 1938.
27th, 1938. >> YOU KNOW, W+@HEN YOU TELL
SOMEBODY YOU'RE FROM DING DONG
THE FIRST THING THEY DO IS
LAUGH.
LAUGH.
LAUGH. >>
LAUGH. >> Reporter: THE SECOND THING
THEY DO IS ASK +@FOR PROOF.
>> I'M THE SELF-PROCLAIMED
MAYOR OF DING DONG.
>> Reporter: I HEARD YOU
DIDN'T GET ANY POPULAR VOTES.
>> WELL,+@ YES, I DID.
TWO.
TWO.
TWO. >>
TWO. >> Reporter: YEAH?
>> Reporter: AND SIX GOATS.
>> Reporter: T+@HING IS, NOT
EVEN THE GOATS CAN TELL YOU
WHEN YOU'VE ARRIVED IN DING
DONG BECAUSE THERE'S NOT A
SINGLE SIGN WELCOMING YOU TO
TOWN.
TOWN.
TOWN. >>
TOWN. >> AND THERE WON'T EVER BE.
>> Reporter: WHY NOT?
>> BECAUSE PEOPLE STEAL THEM.
>> Reporter: PEOPLE STEAL THEM
THEM THAT.
THEM THAT. >> Reporter: ONE DAY I WAS
GOING TO TOWN AND THEY'RE
PUTTING A SIGN UP.
I SAID THAT IS MY SIGN.
>> Reporter: YOU WERE GOING TO
STEAL IT?
STEAL IT?
STEAL IT? >> I WAS GOING TO -- I WAS
GOING TO BORROW IT.
40 MINUTES LATER I CAME BACK
AND SOMEBODY HAD ALREADY STOLEN
MY SIGN.
MY SIGN.
MY SIGN. >> Reporter: +@YOU THINK IF TH
+@
>> Reporter: +@YOU THINK IF TH PUT ANOTHER SIGN UP IT WOULD BE
GONE JUST LIKE THAT?
>> I THINK SO.
>> Reporter: WE'RE GOING TO
TEST THAT THEORY.
THE SIGNS MAY KEEP DISAPPEARING
BUT I'LL WRON+@GICALLY, DING DO
-- IRONICALLY DING DONG GOT ITS
NAME FROM A SIGN THAT FIRST
APPEARED IN THE 1930s.
>> THERE WAS A GENERAL STORE
DOWN THE WAY.
>> Reporter: THAT STORE WAS
OWNED BY A COUPLE OF BROTHERS,
BERT AND ZULUS BELL.
THEY ASKED THEIR FRIEND TO MAKE
A SIGN FOR THE FRONT OF THE
STORE AND MAKE UP WHATEVER NAME
HE WANTED.
HE WANTED. HE PUT UP A BELL, WITH THE TWO
BROTHERS IN THE MIDDLE AND
CALLED IT DING DONG.
PEOPLE JUST REFERRED TO THEIR
TOWN BY WHAT WAS ON THAT SIGN.
EVENTUALLY, DING DONG BECAME
OFFICIAL AND THEY'VE BEEN
LOSING THE SIGNS EVER SINCE.
HOLD ON!
HOLD ON!
HOLD ON! IT'S JAN!
IT'S JAN!
IT'S JAN! WHAT ARE YOU DOING, JAN?
GUYS, SHOULD I EXPECT ANYTHING
LESS?
LESS?
LESS? JAN
LESS? JAN FINALLY GETS HER SIGN.
I KNEW SOMEONE WOULD STEAL IT.
I JUST DIDN'T EXPECT IT TO BE
JAN.
JAN.
JAN. >>
JAN. >> OKAY.
>> OKAY.
>> OKAY. COME ON. +@
WE GOT TO HURRY, SOMEBODY MIGHT
CATCH US.
CATCH US.
CATCH US. >> JAN CAUGHT ON TAPE!
>> IT WAS THE WEATHER THAT KEPT
YOU FROM BRINGING US SOME DING
DONGS THIS MORNING.
>> THERE WAS AN ACCIDENT ON MY
WAY IN SO I COULDN'T STOP AND
GRAB+@ THE DING DONGS OFF MY DE
THAT I BOUGHT YOU GUYS.
>> WHAT DID YOU LIKE MOST ABOUT
THE SERIES?
THE SERIES? >> THERE ARE CHARACTERS IN
THESE TOWNS.
THESE TOWNS. >> WHAT DO YOU CALL THE PEOPLE
OF THE TOWN?
DING BATS?
DING BATS? >> I