The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1871-12-07
NAMES OF THE STATES.

!" A correspondent having inquired why
the States are called by their present
names, and what are their derivation and
meaning, an exchange answers as fol-
i lows:
Maine-So called from the province of
Maine, in France, in compliment to Queen
Henrietta, of England, who, it has been
said, owned that province. This is the
commonly received opinion.
New mpshire-Named by John
Mason, in 1889, (who with another OBJ
tanned the grant from the CROWN, from
Hampshire County, in England. The
former name of the domain was Laconia.
Vermont-From the French verd mont,
or green mountain, indicative of the
mountainous nature of the State. The
name was first officially recognized Janu-
airy Is, TIT.
Observation-Disclosures name, signify
ing "the country about the great hills"
Rhode Island-This name was adopted
ir 1864, from the Island of Rhodes, in
the Mediterranean, because Of It's resem-
blance to that island.
Connecticut-Thisis the English or.
biography of the Indian word Quon.eh-ta
cut, which signifies "the long river
| New York-Named by the Duke of
York, under color of the title given him
by the English crown in 1864.
New Jersey-So called in honor OF
Sir George Carteret, who was Governor
of the Island Of Jersey, in the British
Channel.
Pennsylvania-From William Penn,
the founder Of the colony, meaning
"Penn's woods"
Delaware-In honor of Thomas West,
Lord de la Ware, who visited the bay,
and died there, in 1910.
Maryland - After Henrietta Maria,
Queen of Charles l., of England.
Virginia-So called in honor of Queen
Elizabeth, the "virgin queen" in whose
reign Sir Walter Raleigh made the first
attempt to colonize that region.
North and South Carolina were origi-
nally in one tract, called "Carolana, "
after Charles *, of France, in 1904.
Subsequently, in 1866, the name was al
tered to Carolina.
Georgia-So called in honor of George
IL, of England, who established a colony
in that region 1882.
Florida-Ponce de Leon, who discov-
cred this portion of America in 1919,
) AIMED it Floriday in commemoration Of
The day he landed there. which was
Pasquas de Flores of the Spaniards, or
Feast Of Flowers" otherwise known as
Easter Sunday.
Alabama-Formerly portion of Mis-
sissippi Territory, admitted into the
Union as State in 1919 The name is of
Indian origin, signifying "here we rest. "
Mississippi-Formerly portion of the
province of Louisiana. So named in
1900 from the great river on the western
line. The term is of Indian origin,
meaning "long river"
, Louisiana-From Louis XIV, of
France, who for some time prior to 1858
owned the territory.
Arkansas-From kansas" the Indian
f; word for smoky water" with the French
: prefix "arc," bow.
, Tennessee-Indian for "the river Of
!, the big BEND" j. e., the Mississippi,
, which is its western boundary.
Kcntucky-Indian for sat the head of
the river"
r Ohio-From the Indian, IA Gaming "beau
tiful." Previously applied to the river
which traverses greater part of Its
borders
! Michigan-Previously applied to the
r lake, the Indian name for fish-weir. Sc
S called from the fancied resemblance oil
: the lake to a fish-trap.
Indiana-So called in 1902 from the
!. American Indians.
b Illinois-From the French "illini,
: Ken, and the French suffix "ois," together
J signifying "tribe of men,"
Wisconsin-Indian term for "wilG
rushing channel"
g Missouri-Named in 1921 from the
\ great branch of the Mississippi which
o flows through it. Indian term, meaning
muddy"
J Iowa-From the Indian, signifying "th'
. drowsy ones"
Minnesota-Indian for CLOUDY water
If California-The name given by Cortes
the discOverer of that region. He proba
. bly, obtained it from an old Spanish 70
+ nance, in which an imaginary island O
that name is described as Astounding il
If gold.
e Oregon-According to some, from thu
# Indian oregon, "river Of the west.
Others consider it derived from thu
If Spanish "oregano," wild majoram, which
e grows abundantly on the Pacific coast.