Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1872-09-03
Spirit Of gdff6etsoJlltl.. tsloJlll.'
Charlestown, Jeasrson County, west Va.
TUESDAY MORNING, SEPTEMBER 8, 4s7s.i
Origin of the Names Of the States.

There is much that is interesting ia the
study of the origin of the names Of the States
of the Union, as they are derived from a
variety of sources. To begin in the ! egse,osraph.
ical order we first have Maine, which takes its
name from the province of Maine, in France.
aud was SO called in compliment to the Queen
of Charles L., Henrietta, who owned that
province. New Hampshire; adrst called La.
COMA, from Hampshire; England. Vermont
from the Green Mountains French uerdn
Massachusetts, from the Indian language. sig
nifying "the country about the great hill.''
Rhode Island gets its, name from the fancied
resemblance of the island to that of Rhodes
in the ancient Levant. Connecticut's name
was Mahegau, spelled originally Quon~ehSta.
cut, signifying ga long river" New York
was so named as compliment to the Duke of
York, whose. brother Charles III. granted him
that territory. New Jersey was named by
one of its original proprietors, Sir George
Carteret, after the island of Jersey in the
British channel, of which he was Governor.
pennsylvania, as is generally known, takes its
name from William Penn, the word "sylvania"
meaning woods. Delaware derived its name
from Thomas West, Lord De la Ware, Gov
ernor of Virginia. Maryland received its
name from the Queen of Charles I'LL, Hen
rietta Marie. Virginia got its name from
Queen Elizabeth, the unmarried or Virgin
Queen. The Carolinas were named in honor
ot Charles IT,. and Georgia in honor of George
~. Florida gets its name from Pasquas de
Flores, or "Feast of Flowers y Alabam.
comes from Greek word signifying THE
Land of Rest" Mississippi derives its name
from that of the great river, and in the
Matches tongue, the Father of Waters-
Louisiana was so named in honor of Louis
XIV. Arkansas is derived from the Indian
word Kansas "smoky water, with the French
prefix of Ark, "bow" Tennessee is an
Indian name, meaning "the river with the
big bend" Kentucky also is an Indian name,
"Kain>tuck-ee," signifying sat the head Of
the river" Ohio, the Shawanese name for
"The Beautiful River" Michigau's name
was derived from the lake, the Indian name
for tsh weir or trap, which the shape of the
lake suggested. Indiana's name comes from
that of the Indians. Illinois name is de-
rived from the Indian word llini liner" aud
the French affix ':ois," making it "tribe of
men," Wisconsin's name is said to be the
Indian one for wild. rushing channel. Mis-.
souris is also an Indian one for muddy, hav-
ing reference to the muddiness of the Mis-.
souri, river. Kansas is the Indian word for
smoky water. The derivation of the names
OF Nebraska aud Nevada is not known. Iowa
signifies in the Indian language the drousy
ones, aad Minnesota cloudy water. The
origin OF the name of California is uncertain.
Oregon, according to some, comes from Ore.
gana. the Indian name of wild marjoram,
which grows abundantIy on the Pacific coast
and, according to others, from Oregon, "the
rivers of the West" in allusion to the Colum.
bia river West Virginia gets its name from
having been formed from the western part of
old Virginia =