h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

A small town tourist attraction was once forced to change its name.

Why was it forced to?

Who by?

What was the name changed from? To?

Was the name change a hardship?

Where was the small town? (Bonus--name of town)

Was the name change seen as reasonable by the denizens of the small town?

When did this happen (nearest half decade)?

Is the small town attraction still in business?

How do I know about this?

Lots of points available, no klaxons. I'll also be rather impressed, as I investigated, and some of answers are not to be found in Google (well, I didn't look *that* hard, but still...)

The title suggests it's something French, and for some reason the Mannekin Pis in Brussells came to mind - but then Brussels isn't a small town.

The title was just me trying to be clever--nothing to actually do with France or anywhere else French-speaking.

Oh, and when I said French, I meant the language, not France.

Didn't Kim Basinger buy a town? I doubt it's anything to do with her.

There wasn't a town called Hitlerville which had to change its name during WWII? Or one called France, or Petty France, or even Paris, Texas, which had to change it's name to "Freedom" before the Gulf War kicked in?

B

Uups, simpost.

Not an entire town.

Though Ben *is* in the correct country

How do you know about this?

a) You live(d) in said town

or

b) we have a guide entry about it.

It's not the tale of the West Bay Whopper then?

+3 for B'El! (Answer a)

Never heard of the West Bay Whopper...

Ah, well. Just goes to show that big business always wins in the end!
It was a small westcountry burger franchise cruelly crushed by it's wealthyier counterpart. Or not. Can't remember what happened in the end.

OK, I'm going to guess here: is it something to do with the Native Americans?

Nope.

World's Biggest or Smallest something, that wasn't anymore?

Good guess, but no (though you're lucky I said there wouldn't be any klaxons)

Could it be some kind of New England whaling museum that used the name Starbucks from the character in Moby Dick?

nothing to do with Cockermouth then????

A ball of string is coming into my mind.... Any good ?