The origin of certain place names in the United States

1905·32.4 MB·English

by  Gannett, Henry, 1846-1914

The
origin of
certain place
names
in tlie
United States
Henry Gannett
Google
,
^
BulletmNo.268 ^ SeriesF,Geography,45
DEPARTMENTOFTHE INTERIOR
2.
UNITED STATES (iKOIXKUCAL SUKVEY
CHARLESD.WALCOTT.DWICXOB '/y' ^ '
THE
ORIGIN OF CERTAIN PLACE NAMES
IN
THE UNITED STATES
(Secouil Ii:ditiou)
BY
HENEY GAJSiMETT
WASHINGTON
aOVBKNMSNT PRINTING OFFICB
1906
DigitizedbyGoogle
DigitizedbyGoogle
^ I"i -!^
CONTENTS.
Page.
b'tterof transmittal 5
introduction Z
Acknow1txlgmenis 7
Authorities 10
ThenaiiicHandtheirorigin 15
3
»
LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL.
Department of the Interior,
United States (tE()L()(}ical Si iney,
W<i.s/iiiiyifui^ D, 'JailII(II'll;.^ IDO't,
Sir: Itransmit herewith a bulletin on theori«ji?i of ])l;K'e namesin
the Tiiited States. This is a second edition of liulh'lin No. 197.
The material has been compiled fi-om various sources, printed and
manuscript, assetfortii in the introduction. 1 think this workwill
beofgreatinterestas embodyingmuchlocalandgeneralhistory.
Very respectfuHy,
Henry Gannett,
Geographer.
Hon. Charles D. Wai,c;ott,
Director United/States Geological jSurvey^
6
DigrtizedbyGoogle
THE ORIGIN OF CERTAIN' PLACE NAMES IN THE
UNITED STATES.
By Henry Gannett.
INTKOI>liCT10N.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS.
Piiiiiuj' the compilation of this work a l!ir<^e cornv'^pondence was
c'iinii'(i on with Stateami local historical .societies, State,county, and
towiishij) olficers, and individuals in all jiarts of the countiy forthe
purpose of obtaining information concerning the subject in hand.
Thegreatestinterestwasshown andmuch workdone bycorrcs{)ond-
ents, who havethuscontributedvery largely tothework. Muchval-
uablematerial wascollected in this waywhich otherwisewouldiiave
beenunavailable.
Amongmy correspondents^special thanksare duetothefollowing
personsandorganizations:
ThomasM. Owen,DepartmentofArchivesandHistory,Montgom-
ery, Alabama, forvaluablereferences.
Major Gr. £. Bailey, of San Francisco,California, for extensive
informationconcerningtheSpanish nomenclatureof severalhundred
townsinCalifornia.
C. M. Drake, of Eureka, California, for information concerning
namesinMontereyandHumboldtcounties.
The Bureau of American Ethnology, to which I am especially
indebted, notonlyformuchinformationconcerningIndiannames,but
forguidance,advice, andsuggestionsinobtainingsourcesof informa-
tion. Indeed, most of the information concerniii«r tiie meaning of
hidiannames isderived,eitherdirectlyor indii-cctly, fionithissource,
and ull namesof Indian origin have been veritied and corrected by
ollicers ofthis Bureau.
William K. Byers, of Denver, Colorado, for additions toand cor-
rectionsofcountV names.
Mrs. J, V. Calver, Washington, District of Columbia, who has
furnished valuaf)le and extensiveinformationcoucertiiughuudred^sof
place names in all theStutes of the I'nion.
Robert C. Rockwell, Pittstield, Massachusetts, for additionstoand
correctionsofConnecticutandMassachusettsplacenames.
7
DigitizedbyGopgle
8 PLACE NAMK8 IN THK UNITED STATES. (boll.356.
Otis Ashmore,Georgia HistoricalSociety, Savannah,Georgia,for
revisinglistofcounties.
C. J. Bassett, Secretary of State, Boise, Idaho, for revising and
addingtolistofcounties.
Charles Evans, Chicago Historical Society, who sent a compre-
hensivelistembracingmostof the importantnamesinhisState.
WilliiiniK.8andliani,Wyoming,Illinois,superintendentof schools,
Stark County, 1882-1898, for much vahmble information concerning
the nomenclatureofseveral hundredcitiesand towns,andcorrections
ofeount}^ names in the Stateof Illinois.
J. 1*. Du!in, Indiana Historical Society, Indianapolis, Indiana, for
additionstoand corrections ofcounty names.
M. W, Davis, State Historical Society, Iowa City, Iowa, formuch
valuable information about his State. All of the information con-
cerningtown namesinthisStatewas receivedfrom him.
George W. Martin, Kansas State Historical Society, formuchval-
uablematerial concerning the place namesof his State. Inaddition
tothelistofcounties, healsosentagreatdealofniateiinl concerning
town names, in which was included information furnished by Mrs.
N. K. Calver.
Mrs. Jennie C. Morton, Kentucky Historical Society, Frankfort,
Kentucky, foradditionstoandrevisionsofnamesofcounties:
WilliamBeer, HowardMemorialLibrary, NewOrleans,Louisiana,
forhelpfulreferencesandsuggestions.
GraceKing, LouisianaHistoricalSociety,NewOrleans, Louisiana,
foradditionstoandcorrectionsofparishnames.
FrancisE. Sparks, Maryland Historical Society, Baltimore, Mary-
land, forvaluableinformationregardingnamesofcounties.
GeorgeFrancisDow,Secretary,TheEssex Institute,Salem,Massa-
chusetts,foradditionstoandcorrectionsofMassachusettstownnames.
SamuelA. Green, Massachusetts Historical Society,Boston,Massa-
chusetts,for references whichprovedofgreatassistanceincompiling
information concerningthevState.
CliarlesJ. Taylor, Great Btirrinoton, Massachusetts, fornomencla-
ture of t-owns and pliysical fcatuies in Massachns(>tts.
H. F. Keitli, Mount W:i^hin^Lon, Mas>acliuseits, for information
regarding the meaniiigsof iiuims in the Berkshire Hills.
George K. Holmes, Departmentof Agriculture, Washington, Dis-
trictofCohimbia, for valuable iiifoinuition concerning physical fea-
tures in the Berkshires,and additionstoplacenamesinMassachusetts,
New York, and Connecticut.
C. M. Burton, Michigan Historical Society, Detroit, Michigan, for
assistanceincollectinginformation. Mr.Burtonwenttomuchtrouble
toget informationconceivingthe namesoftowns in hisState, which
resultedinaddingmuchmateiialtothatbranchofthework.
DigitizedbyGoogle
GANNBTT.J INTRODUCTION. 9
Warren Upham, SecretaryThe Minnesota HistoricalSociety, fora
revision of the complete li.stof MinnesoUicount^^ names.
Franklin L. Kilov, Mississippi Historieal Society, University, Mis-
sissippi, forinformation eoncernii)jrtown names in his State.
G. C. Broadhead, Coliuubia, Missouri, for additions to the list of
Missouri names.
Miss Marjory Dawson, Missouri Historical Society,St. Louis, iMis-
souri, fora iarjfeamountof information concerningMissouri names.
Mary C. Gardner, Helena Public Library, Helena, Montaoa,for
numerousadditionstothe listoftown name^in Montana.
Mrs. Laura£. Howey, Montana Historical Library, Helena,Mon-
tana, fordataconcerningcountyandtownnamesintheState.
Eugene Howell,by A. W. Morris, Deputy, Department of State,
Carson,Nevada,forcorrectinglistofnamesofcounties.
0. W. Ernst, Boston, Massachusetts, for information concerning
namesinKewEngland.
N. F. Carter, New Hampshire Historical Society, for valuable
references.
William Nelson, NewJersey Historical Society. Paterson,New .Jer-
sey, for references, revision of namesof counties, and avaluablelist
of town names.
J. W. Reynolds, Secretary of New Mexico, for corrections of and
additionstolistofcounties.
F. J. H. Merrill, Historical and Art Society, Albany, New York,
fornamesoftownsin the State.
£. Tattle,LongIslandHistoricalSociety,Brooklyn,NewYork,for
listoftown names.
William Strunk, jr., Ithaca, New York, for corrections of trans-
lations.
Edwin Baylies,LL.D., Johnstown, New York, for translations of
GermanandIndiannamesinNewYork.
JuliusSchoonmaker,Kingston,NewYork,forgreatassistancecon-
cerningtownnames.
RobertH. Kelly,NewYorkHistoricalSociety,foradditionstoand
corrections of county names.
KempP. Battle, Department of History, University ofNorthCaro-
lina, (yhapel Hill,.NorthCarolina, forcomplete listof town names.
E. F. Porter,Secretaryof State,Bismarck,NorthDakota, formany
additions to list of counties. Nearly al! tlie information concerning
county names in thisState wa.s furnished by him.
H. C. Hawkins, Cleveland, Ohio,for valuable additions to the list
ofOhiocityandtownnames.
BishopJ.M.Levering,Pi'esidentMoravianHistoricalSociety,Beth-
lehem, Pennsylvania, for muchvaluable information concerning the
namesoftownsinPennsylvania.
Dig'itjzedby
I
10 PLACE NAMES IN THE UNITED STATES. tBiLL.2i>».
JohnW. Jordan, Historiciil Societyof Penns\Uiijila, Philadelphia.
Pennsylvania, for muchvalu5il)Ioaid. Namesofcounties, towns, and
natural featureswere.sent hy hiui.
A hirtro sunuuntof material has l)een drawn from manuscriptIjooks
coni|iil( (i hy Mr. WfitkinR, of Ronvrr, Pennsylvania.
ChireuceS. Hritrham, Khode Inland HistoricalISociety,fornumerous
referencesconcerning names in hi.sState.
A. iS. Saliey, South Carolina Historical Society, Charleston, South
Carolina, for much material of value in connection with the State
names. Completelistsof countyand town namesweresent by him,
alsoinformationconcerninghisStatenototherwiseaTailable.
DoaneBobinson,DepartmentofHiHtory,SiouxFalls,SouthDakota,
fornamesofcountiesandmanytownnames.
Charles P. Gan'ison, Texas Historical Society, Austin,Texas, for
listoftownnames.
Mrs. E. W. Parker,forcountynamesinTexas. Throughhercour-
tes}^and kindness were obtained the originsof nearly all thecounty '
namesofthat Sbite.
rloseph A. De Hucr, Vermont Historical Society, Montpelier, Ver-
mont., for listofcountyand town niuncs.
.lohn M. Comstock, Chelsea, Vermont, for list of town uame^^ in
|
OrHnL''e (\)iintv. i
ViitjfiiiiaHistorical Society, forcorrected listof namesofcounties. !
Edward N. Fuller, WashingtonHistorical Society,Tacoma, Wash-
ington, for references andotherassistance.
J. P. Hale, Historical and Antiquarian Society, Charleston, West
Virginia, for materialintheshape ofcountyandtownlists. |
JosephBarry,HarpersFerry,WestVirginia,forinformationrelat- ;
ingtotownsinthatState.
Hu Maxwell,Treasurer,Trans-AlleghenyHistorical Society, Mor-
gantown. WestVirginia, foradditionstolistsofcounties, towns, and
naturalfeaturesin WestVirginia.
R. G. Thwaites, State Historical Society of Wisconsin, Madison,
Wisconsin, for much material, valuable suggestions, and references,
especially in the way of putting me intocommunication with other
sourcesof intorniution.
In addition to the a)>ove, many courteous and useful letters have
been I'eceived from county clerks, treasurers, and other State and
county offi(dals, allof wliom haveshown interest and have furnished
allthematerialintheirpower.
AUTHORITIES.
Information was ol)tained fromthe following hooks, two and three
authorities being quoted in caseswhereditiering opinions exist con-
cerningorigins:
DigitizedbyGoogle
I