A wagon train was heading west using the southern route to the gold fields of California. They had hired an experienced guide named Al and were making good time. The going was rough but they hadn’t run out of water or food yet and the people hopes were high.
Then just past Santa Fe their luck ran out. They were attacked by a large band of Apaches and before they could get the wagons circled to begin defending themselves Al was shot through by an arrow. He was mortally wounded but still directed the pioneers in mounting a defense and before they lost too many horses or people the Apache were driven off.
Al was laid on a pallet in the middle of the circle and the grateful leader of the people he had saved said “Al, it looks like you’re a goner. Is there anything that we can do for you to show how grateful we are?”
Al answered weakly with his dying breaths “yes, I always wanted to have a town named after me. Can you give the town that grows in this place my name?
And the people said “of course we will Mr Burquerque.”
And that my friends is how Al..burquerque got it name.
Short Bonus Pun:
I stayed up all night to see where the sun went. Then it dawned on me.
Later, the parties reached a spot near San Diego. “What’s the name of this place?” they asked. “Why it’s La Jolla, but understand it’s pronounced La Hoya.” “My Lord,” the leader said,
“that’s the funniest sounding place since we came through that other place, Alba-queer-kwew.”
Thanks for the addition Bill. Place name puns really deserve a special category.