The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1888-10-04
NAMES OF TOWNS AND STA
IIOAS.

LETTER FROM HON. r. +. DRAKE.
EDITOR ADVANCE: In q recent num-
Der of your paper, you suggest correc'
tiOn Of the article in st. Paul paper
which states that the village was named
for u WOrthingtOn family at Toledo, ..
That was correct aud you were III error.
The name was not given for Governor
Worthington's family. was connec-
ted by marriage with the family Of the
ChillicutI'e WOrthingtons. When Mil
Ter and Humiston settled ut W0rthing
ton it WAS proposed to name the village
''Okabena." 1 did not like the rame.
Prot. Humiston then proposed "Wor-
ti,ingtOn"in in honor of his wife's maiden
name. She, think, was from Toledo.
So, no doubt, the 81. Paul writer was
correct. While on the subject IF
names of places along the line Of the
Sioux City road it may be interesting.
as well aS Il cOntriOutiOn'tO history, for
,ne to give the origin and history of the
naming of several other stations and
villages along the line. St. James was
named by myself. Window was named
by me III honor OF Senator Window.
After had given he place its name,
it. was discovered that a postotiice of
Z ut la o. was already established III tie
]
the naMe of the her office.
H.rey was originally named for
G.'n al Hersey, of Bangor. Maine.
When the Sioux CITY road was mer-
grd into the Omaha llne, it was found
chat II station on the ROAD in Wiscon.
sin WAS named IIcrsey. and in conse-
uuence, the village IL, Mobiles County
was changed to "Brtwster" after Il
n; r.. t.,r IF },o I'm H.. road
Bigrlow WAS named for g. II. Bige-
low. st. Paul. Adrian. was named for
Adrian Iselin, of New York, one Of our
directors.
Sihley was named for an esteemed
citizen "f st. Paul, Gen. II. II. Sibley.
Sheldon was named for Israel Sheldon.
of Orange, New Jersey. a friend of the
road who gave us help in the darkest
hour of financial difficulties of the DAD.
Seuey was named for Geo. I. Seney, of
New York. These facts are of little
consequence. but as a living historian,
l beg to have them preserved:
f. F. DRAKE.
The above letter is from the former
President of the St. Paul 4 Sioux City
railroad, man who had hand in the
making and naming of nearly all the
towns along the line of the road from
Mankato to Lamars. He should, there.
fore. be we'll posted as to the origin
and history of each place, and, in the
main, we have no doubt that he
is correct. But IN the history of the
naming of Worthington we are positive
that he is ''way off," In the first place,
there was no ''Worthington family at
Toledo - when Worthington was nam
ed. In the second place, Worthington
WAS not named in honor of the maiden
name of Prof. Humiston's wife, for
her maiden name was Shumaker,
and her home was in Fairfield county,
while Prof. Humlston's was in Cleve-
land. DR.. Miller hailed from Toledo,
and was connected with the Blade.
when W0rthington WAS named, but he
was originally from Fairfield county
and his wife WAS from Sciota county,
near Chillicothe, aud her maiden name
was Dorman, and the Dormans were
related to the Worthington family, Of
Chillicotl,e, one of whom had been Gov.
ernor Of the State. When the time came
to name the station on Oksbena Lake,
Prof. Humiston and DR.. Miller, who
were then the projectors of the Ma.
tional Colony which founded Worthing'
ton, both agreed to name the town in
honor of the relatives of DR.. Mlller's
wife, the Worthingtons.
The editor of the ADVANCE was in
timately connected with the Colony
movement for five years; was we'll &C.
quainted with the parties long before
Mobiles County was ever thought Of
was the original advertiser and
"boomer' of the Colony, and after
coming here wrote letters to nearly SOC
different newspapers Throughout the
United States, describing Minnesota
in general and the Colony in particu
lar. He therefore knows all the in
side and outside, all the occult,
"esoteric," }" and secret (as well as th'
open) history of the once-famous Ma
tional Colony. :>'.....
Il Mr.. Drake is mistaken as to Worth
ington and correct as to the naming o
the other towns.
Il And we agree with him that al.
, though these facts are Of little conse
quence. it is interesting to have then