Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1877-05-15
For THE OXFORD DEMOCRAT.
Indian Geographical Names i'm
Oxford County. -
BY N. t. TRUE. NJ. d,

definitions. as complete as am able to
give them:
Androscoggin, corrupted from Amos
coggin. 1t is derived from the Abnaki
word, anmesooak- khige, fishing place
Amoskesg 10 New Hampshire. more
nearly approaches the original word
The name oil this river is spelled in more
than sixty ways. 1t is a mistake, as Mr..
Trumbul has pointed out. that the name
AndroscoggiD was given in compliment
to Gov. Andres OF Massachusetts, for il
is found in The Massachusetts Colony
Records in. the original draft made by
Thomas Lechlord in 1859, which was
many years before Andres was made
Governor. John Smith was the first TO
record its name in 1915. lie wrote it
Acknowledgment II was more com
monty written 10 deeds during the last
century Amarescoggin.
Auconganunticook. This was the
local name of Androscoggin above Can
ton Point as far as to Rumford Falls. 1t
seems to have been derived from Aum-
kangan contu- keag, or. The place Uhcre
there ,cdS an abundance Of dried fSh, or
simply. The ish-dryi ing place. Salmon
and other fish from the ocean could not
ascend Rumtord Falls.
Auasagunticook. This was evidently
local name among the Indians. and was
the name given to the powerful tribe liz.
ing on the river whose head quarters
were at Canton Point. 1t is probably
derived from Anmesooak-contu-khige.
The place Where there is an abundance Of
small fishes. The name has latterly been
applied to the highest mountlin 10 Bethel.
The first two syllsbles in all the fore
going names seem to have had dimin-
uiive meaning, small fishes. is reference
to the herriugs and other small fishes so
abundant.
Arrockaumecook, abridged TO Rocc-
meco, ROcksmagug. PenhaIlow). This
was name given 10 the beautiful. corn
fields on the in,ervales OF the Andres
coggin at Canton Point. l. is derived from
arake, TO scratch. or hoe, aud kamigho.
an inclosed place. Arakehigan. hoe,
(Rasle). The name. then. literally
means The enclosed place Which is hOed
or, simply The planting ground. The
word raccoon, he scratcher. is from tie
same root.
Acomes. This name is applied to RIM
ford Falls on Jeffery's Map l775. do
not know its origin.
Pcnnscock was a name given TO these
Falls by the early settlers OF Rumford,
who came from Pennacook, n. II. Il is
singular that the largest fall of water in
New England should have no Indian
name on record POwow Point was The
name given to a point OF land probably
by the first settlers of Bethel, a mile and
quarter on the river below Bethel HILL
There was cleared space OF land where
the Indians were accustomed. according
TO tradition, 10 hold their COUNCILS.
Umbagog. The FIRST OF the ch ain OF
lakes at the source Of the Androscoggin
river. This was probably derived from
ouanbighep, white, (Rssle) and ohki,
place. Tradition gives definition of
shallow lake." and it is quite probable
that i, referred 10 the clear, or trsnspsr-
ent waters which were very shallow be-
fore the dams were erected Perhaps
the roo, waub used by The Canadian In
disus would b0 nearer the true oIthogra-
ply. There is stream 10 Eastern Maine
called the Umbygus, "The clear stream,T
which has evidently the same origin.
Wiunekennebacook .Welokeunebac ook,
Richardson's Lake. II is derived lrcu
Winnie .koune-nebi-keag. The beautiful
long. stil!water-place.
Welocksebscook is q name given to
one of these lakes by Winthrop in the
Atlantic Monthly, vol. 10. ?. PA. 1,
seems to be derived from Whine. or
wuli, pleasant. sebe, q river, or stretch OF
water. and keag, place.
Mooselokmagunticook. Moosetocma-
guntic, Mooselamaguntic. l cannot de-
fine the name OF this lake, though it may
be solved into mous-names-contu-coo
"The place where lhere is an abundance
of moose and fish," Cupsuptuc lake
and river. l can only give traditional
definition. The net. fishing Stream"
Nollidgewock Pond in Upton. DefDi-
tion probably the same as Norridgewock.
Said to be 1.-THE place where there is still
water" cannot analyze it.
Parmachene, Pahmatchua, Parmatch-
eva. Metalluc, the last resident Indian
of the Androscoggin Lakes pronounced
it TO DR.. Moses Mason of Bethel, who
wrote it Pau meghe bagog." l cannot
define it.
Saco, or more fully Sawcotucket. AS
analysed by Hon. j. Ii. Trumbull. it
would be in the original. Sank, the out
let. tuck. tidal stream. OF, locative
proposition signifying at. Ii would then
mean sat the outlet of the tidal river
and originally applied to the mouth OF
that river. Saugatuck in Connecticut,
has the same meaning. The name was