Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes Co., O. [Ohio]) 1870-1895, 1871-12-14
Names of the States.

A correspondent inquiries why tn
: states are called by their presen
names, and what their derivation
4 and meaning:
Maine-So called from the prov
ince of Maine, in France, in compli
: ment to Queen Henrietta, of Eng
land, who, it has been said, ownet
that province. This is the com
monty received opinion.
New Hampshire-Namedb by Johl
Mason, in 1889 (who with anothe
obtained the grant from. the crown J
from Hampshire county in England
) The former name of the domain wa.
Laconia.
Vermont-From the French, verG
monitor green mountains indicative
of the mountainous nature of the
state. The name was first officially
recognized Jan. 27, 1777.
| Observation-Disclosures name, sig
nifying 'the country about the great
hills"
Rhode Island-This name was
adopted in 1914 from the Island OF
Rhodes, in the Mediterranean, be-
cause of its fancied resemblance to
that Island.
| Connecticut-This is the English
orthography of the Indian word
IQuon-eh-ta cut, which signified "the
long river"
New York-Named by the Duke
of York, under color of title given
him by the English crown in 1864.
New Jersey-So called in honor
of Sir George Carleret, who was gov
ernor 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 region Sir Walter Raleigh
made the first attempt to colonize
that region.
North and South Carolina were
originally in one tract, called Caro-
lana after Charles TX. of France, in
1904. Subsequently, in 1865 the
name was altered to Carolina.
Georgia-So called in honor of
George H., of England, who estab-
lished colony in that region in
1882.
Florida-Ponce de Leon, who dis
covered this portion of North Amer
ican in 1919, named it Florida in
commemoration of the day he Ian
ded there, which was the Pasquas
de Flores of the Spaniards, or
"Feast of Flowers" otherwise
known as Easter Sunday.
Alabama-Formerly portion of
Mississippi Territory, admitted into
the Union as state in 1919. The
name is of Indian origin, signifying
"here we rest." |
Mississippi-Formerly a 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
1853 owned the territory.
Arkansas-From KANSAS" the
Indian word for "smoky water" with
the French prefix are bow.
Tennessee-Indian for the river
Of the big beno," i. e. the Mississip-
pi, which is its western boundary.
Kentucky - Indian for at the
head of the river
Ohio-From the Indian, meaning
beautiful Previously applied to
he river which traverses a part of
is borders.
Michigan-Previously applied to
he lake, the Indian name for a fish
weir. So called from the fancied
Of the lake to a fish
rap. /,
Indiana-So called in 1909 from ,
he American Indians. l.
Illinois-From the illini, men,
md the French suffix ois, together
ignifying tribe of men,"
Wisconsin - Indian term for a
wild rushing channel"
Missouri-Named in 1921 from
he great branch of the Mississippi I
which flows through it. Indian term,
meaning muddy =
Iowa-From the Indian, signify S
ng the drowsy one
Minnesota = Indian, for cloudy 8
Tater.' =
California-The name given by +
;ortez the discoverer of that region. {
Ie probably obtained it from. an old /
'tan's romance in which an imagin- @
ry island of that name is described I
s abounding in gold. i
Oregon-according to some from
he Indian oregon, river of the
rest Others consider it derived
rom the Spanish 'oregano,' wild
najoram, which grows abundantly
N the Pacific coast.