Saint Paul weekly Minnesotian., 1858-12-11

From the Glencoe Register.
Derfvations Of Names OF Counties in
NIinnesOta.

From the Glencoe Register.
DerivatiOns of Names OF Counties in
Minnesota.
Ramsey county was named after our first
Territorial Governor, the Hon. Alex. Ramsey
Houston took its name from Gen. Sam HOus-
ton of Texas. Fillmore, from the President
MiDard Fillmore Mower from the Hon.
John E. Mower, former member of the Leg
islature from Washington county. Freeborn
from the Hon. William FreebOrn, also men,
Der of the Legislature from Goodhue county.
Steele from Franklin Steele, ESQ.,, of Fort
Smelling, who built the first house in the linn
its of this State, as a private citizen. Dodge
got its name from the Hon. Henry Dodge, first
Governor of the Territory of Wisconsin,
Olmstead from the two Olmsteads, Hon. David
and Hon. S. B. Winona the first-born female
of the Sioux and this was the name of the
maiden who took the terrible leap from the
rock which overhangs Lake Pcpin. Waba-
shaw, a Sioux Chief Goodhuc, after the
lamented James NJ Goodhue, the pioneer
editor. Rice from the Hon. Henry. NJ. Rice
LIE Sueur from NJ. LIE Sueur, Frenchman
who explored the Minnesota river as far upa
Mankato in 1899 or 1900. Nicollet, anoth-
.er Frenchma.l who was sent out from Quebec
in 1889 to Wisconsin, as an ambassador to
make treaty with the Indians. Blue Earth
from stream that empties in the Minnesota
river. Waseca, *combination of the Sioux
words, we believe, red earth, or something of
the kind. Faribault was named in honor of
John Baptise Faribault, pioneer trader from
Canada who settled near Mendoza, in 1905 and
five remember right, visited Minnesota in
1898. Jackson from Henry jackson, the
founder of st. Paul, and member of the
Territorial Legislature. Cotton Wood from
Cotton Wood River Mobiles from the Hon.
William H. Mobiles, a member of the Legis-
lature and an early pioneer who made the dis
covery of Mobiles Pass over the Rocky Noun
tains. Murray from Hon. William P. Muir
ray ofSt. Paula pioneer lawyer and an almost
continual member of the Legislature since his
advent into Minnesota. Pipe Stone from the
celebrated quarry of that name where the ma
terial of the red pipes of the Sioux Indians is
obtained. Brown from Hon. j. R. Brown, pre-
sent Sioux Agent, who came into the Terri
tory in 1849. Renville took its name from
Joseph Renville, "Bois Brule" who was
born near the old Eben Weld claim, three
miles below st. Paul in 177S, and one of the
most honest men of his day Rock from Au-
gustine Rock, an Indian trader. Dakotah,
Sioux name of the Sioux nation. Scott from
the Generalissimo of the u S. Army, Win
field Scott Sibley from the Hon. H. H. Sib-
ley, first Delegate to Congress from the Ter
ritory, and the first (Bogus) Governor of the
the State. Mcleod from the Hon. Martin McLe-
cd of Oak Grove, Tonga prominent and valu-
able member of the Legislature Hennepin in
honor of Father Louis Hennepin,a "a Missionary,
no NOR rhn L.
Falls Of St. Anthony, in 1850. Meeker, from
the Hon. Bradley B. Meeker, one of the first
Judges of tine Supreme Court of the Terrific
ry. Wright from Gov. Silas Wright of New
York. Becker from the Hon. Geo. L. Becker,
of St. Paul. Polk from President j. X. Polk.
breckenridge, the present Vice President of
the United States. TOombs from the name of
Senator Robert ToOmbs of Georgia, Douglas
from Senator S. A. Douglas of Illinois. Otter
Tail county derives its name from Lake Otter
Tail. Kandiyohi from the lake of that name,
which signifies the place where buffalo fish
are made. MOnOngalia is borrowed from Vir-
ginia; the first settlers in this county were
from Morgantown, Monongalia County, Vir-
ginia ; named the county after their
old home. Cass from Gen. Lewis Cass,
the present Secretary of State. Todd from
Capt. Todd, Company A. Sixth Infantry,
long the commanding officer at Fort Ripley
Davis, Hon. William B. Davis of Belle Plaine,
former member of the Legislature Stearns
from the Hon. Charles T. Stearns of st. Cloud,
a member of the old Territorial Legislature.
Benton from Thos. H. Benton, the great Mis-
sourian. Sherburne. from Judge NJ Sherburne
of the Supreme Territorial Court tAnoka got
its name from the village at the junction of Rum
River and the Mississippi. Monroe from the
President of that name. Pine in consequence
of the pine that exists in that county Chisa-
go from Chisago Lake tIsanti took its
name from Lake Isanti. Kanabec, Chippe-
wa word, the definition of which we do not
remember. Itaska from village on the Mis-
sissippi above Anoka. Morrison from Hon.
Allan Morrison, an Indian trader and a MEM
Der of the Territorial Legislature. Grow Wing
from the river of that name. St. Louis from
the River ST. Louis. Aiken from an old ira
der, Scotchman, William A. Aiken. Buch-
anan, the name of our President and Carl
ton from Senator Carlton of Lake Superior.
It's possible we have overlooked some of
the names of the counties, but we think most
of them will be found in the list We have
made out the derivation of the names from
memory, but we think they will prove correct
There may be an occasional error 1t will be
seen that the counties have mostly Anglo-Sax-
on or Norman names, and that the Indian Ian
guage has been but little consulted in be-
slowing names on the different counties in
our State.
Notes by the Editor of the 1Gnnesotian.
Waseca, most probably is, an abbrevia-
ton of the Indian word for white man or
Frenchman Washechoon
Anoka is a modification of Sioux
word signifying " on both Sides" So named
because the village is on both sides of Rum
River.
t.Tsant is the ancient name of the eastern
bands ofthe Sioux, first mentioned by Henne-
pin. The county is formed of a portion Of
h |.