Smyrna times., 1872-02-07
Names of the States.

An exchange, in answer to a correspondent |
who inquiries why the States are called by their |
present names, as well as their derivation and |
meaning, says:
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.
New Hampshire Named by John Mason,
in l639, (who, with another, obtained the
/ grant from the crown, from Hampshire county,
/ in England. The former name of the domain
was LacOna
Vermont-From the French rerd mont, or
green mountain, indicative of the mountainous
nature of the State The name was first
officially recognized January l6 III.
| Observation-Disclosures name signifying 'the
country about the great hills.
Rhode ISland-This name was adopted in
1914 from the island of Rhodes, in the Med
terranean, because of its tancied resemblance
to that island.
Connecticut-This is the English ortho-
graphy of the Indian word QuOn-eh- -ta-cut,
which signifies long river.
New York-Named by the Duke of York,
under color of title given 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 new colony, meaning 'Penn's s
woods"
Delaware-Tn honor of Thomas West
Lord de-la-Ware) who visited the bay, and
died here in 1910.
| Maryland-After Henrietta Maria, Queen of
! Charles l. of England.
{ Virgnia-So called in honor of Queen
! Elizabeth, the Virgin Queen" in whose
reign Sir Walter Raleigh made the first attempt
1 to coOnize that region.
t North and South Carolina-Were originally
D in one tract called "Carolana," after Charlie:
t TX of France, in 1904. Subsequently, 1865
). tie name was altered to Carolina.
G Georga-So called in honor of George ii
u of England, who established colony in tina
:, region in 1892.
e Florda-Ponce de Leon, who discovered
It this portion of North America, in 1919, named
it Florida in commemoratiOn of the day h.
e landed there, which was the pdSQ1tdS de tOrd
;. of the SpaniardS or Feast of Flowers, other
1t wise known as Easter Sunday.
W Alabama-FOrmerly a portion of Mississippi
re Territory was admitted into the Union Il
]. 1919. The name is Of Indian origin, signify
> ing Here we rest.
[ Mis>issippi-Fcrmerly portion OF the pro
4: vince of Louisiana. So named In 1900 frOr
~ the great river on the Western line. Th
Y. term is of Indian origin, meaning Father {
ed Waters"
lie Louisiana-From Louis XIV, King {
he France who for some time prior to 1863 owne
"a the territory.
he Arkansas-From Kansas" the Indian wor
so ''smoky water, with the French prefix "arc,
I'd bow.
ms Tennessee-Indian name for ''Thc river
A. the bend," i. e., the MISSISSIPPI, its Westel
ess boundary.
IN, Kentucky-Indian name for cat the head
'g the river, 49,
Us, Ohio-From the Indian, signifying "beau
full. Previously applied to the river whl
vas traverses great part of its borders.
zen Mchigan-Previously applied to the LAX
IAN the Indian name for ishweir, so called fro
lite the fancied resemblance of the lake to fs
me trap.
ne Indiana-So called in 1902 from the Anne
has can Indians.
has Illinois-From the Indian word "illini me
Ity, and the French SUNK OILS, together slghl
ere ing tribe of men"
ase Wisconsin-Indian term for wild, rus
by ing channel"
W. Missouri-Named in 1921 from the gre
branch of the Mississippi which flows throu
of it. Indian term meaning muddy.
in Iowa-From the Indian, sgnfying II
; he drowsy ones" e.,
en- Minnesota-Indian name for "clou
Ids, water"
mas mas California-The name given by Cortes,
age; discoverer of that region. lie proba
obtained it from an old Spanish romance,
III which an imaginary island of that name
! to described as abounding in gold.
nv. Oregon-According to some, from the
his dian oregon, river OF the west Oth
, in consider it derived from 'oreganoo," "
he marioram, which grows abuDdanty on
with Pacific coast.