My parents and grandparents all lived in Shreveport, Lousiana. People in the logging and lumberjack business are familiar with the Poulan Saw Company, maker of chain saws. It's true. My grandfather and his brothers started the Poulan Saw company in 1946 in Shreveport, Louisiana. My Grandfather, Harry Key Poulan, was the first president of the Poulan Saw Company and was Vice President of the Poulan Manufacturing company. They sold it before I was born but you can still find Poulan Chains saws in your local Wal Marts and Home Depots. One of the times that I was bothered by the pronunciation was just a couple of years ago when I saw a Home Depot ad that pronounced the chain saw POO-lin. I sent an email and never heard back from them.
Here's the scoop on the Poulan name and pronunciation. Back in the 1600's when an Englishman wanted to settle in America, he had to get documentation/permission signed by the king. When John Poland got his "papers", the king had misspelled the "Poland" name and "Poulan" was officially born! The name Poland means a dwelling with water running through it (or) maker of the long pointy shoe. I can only hope that my ancester's house was similar to that of Frank Lloyd Wright's "Falling Water" instead of being one sitting around the cobbler's bench "popping the weasel" with a long pointy shoe.
Following my ancestry from England in 1636, I learned that my great, great, great grandfather William Wyatt Poulan was a judge in Georgia. He is actually buried in the town named after him... Poulan, Georgia.
I've obviously dodged the pronunciation guide and will offer these hints so you can have the knowledge than many others do not!
It was originally Poland, pronounced with the Long 'O'. Yes, like the country. No, I'm not Polish, I'm English. So, drop the 'D' from the word Poland and you have it! Another thing that I offer is that when you go to the store to buy chicken, turkey, etc... you are buying "poultry", not "pooltry". Long 'O'.
.......Most people around these parts say......Pole Len
