re: What is your town named for?

Minden, LA was named after the city of Minden in Germany. Charles Veeder settled the town, and chose the name Minden since his ancestors were from there.

Fayetteville, AR was named after Fayetteville, TN, which was named after Fayetteville, NC, which was named after French military hero Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette, who supported American forces during the Revolutionary war.

Modesto, CA was to be named Ralston after financier and founder of the Bank of California, William C. Ralston. But, he was a very modest man and did not want a town named after him, so they chose the name Modesto, which is spanish for modest.