My understanding is that the missing apostrophe dates from the time
in which, in the 17th century, the area was first named.  At that
time apostrophes to indicate the possessive were not in use.

Cheers!

Tim Redman

On Mon, 13 Nov 2000 01:09:23 -0500 Joseph Conte
<[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> The missing apostrophe in St. Elizabeths is preserved from the
> government's ungrammatical but "official" spelling of the institution's
> name.
>
> At some point habit takes precedence over correctness.  See also Lands'
> End clothing company; they ask that folks not write in to correct the
> misplaced apostrophe.  After all the catalogs and business papers
> they've printed, it would be too cumbersome to correct.
>
> Joseph Conte
> =======================================================
> Joseph M. Conte, Associate Professor of English
> 306 Clemens Hall, SUNY at Buffalo, Buffalo, 14260-4610
>
> Voice:  (716) 645-2575 x1009
> Fax:  (716) 645-5980
> Email:  [log in to unmask]
> Web:  http://www.acsu.buffalo.edu/~jconte/
> =======================================================

Tim Redman
School of Arts and Humanities, JO 31
University of Texas at Dallas
P.O. Box 830688
Richardson, TX  75083-0688

(972) 883-2775 (o)
(972) 883-2989 (fax)