Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1888-06-06
THE NAMES OF OUR STATES.
Their Various How the
Nick-names Came to be Attached.

Their Various Deriyatton--How the
Nick-namcs Came to- be Attached
An examination of the names of our
States and Territories and glance at
their Derivation would serve to give a
rough sketch of the makeup OF our
United States, if no detailed history
were obtainable in books. All the
thirteen original States but Connecticut
and Massachusetts, have names directly
borrowed from England; the central
States and Territories, from KENTUCKY
and Tennessee to Minnesota and Da-
kota, are of Indian nomenclature;
while the names Florida, Texas, Cali
fornia and Nevada perpetuate the re-
collection of former Spanish occupancy.
The Evanston (Ill.) High School jour
nal gives a very good list of the deriva-
ton of the names and nicknames of
our commonwealth and territories:
Alabama-The name is of Indian
origin, signifying ''Here We Rest"
Arizona TerritoTy-An Indian word
signifying ''Sand Hills"
ArkanSas-French and Indian word
signifying Bow of Smoky Waters"
1t is also named the ''Bear State"
from the number of these animals for
merly found there
California - From Spanish words
meaning "IIOt Furnace" Also called
Golden State"
Colorado-From Spanish word mean
ing "COlored." Called the 'Centen-
NAL State" :" because admitted in 1876.
Connecticut-An Indian name signi-
flying "The Long River" The nick
names are "Fre5stOne State" " IN ut
meg State" and ''Land of Steady
Hablts.'
Dakota-Indian word meaning AL
lied"
Delaware-Namedi In honor of Lord
Delaware. 1t is called THE Diamond
State, " from its small size and intrinsic
value. Also BLUE Hen State"
Florida-From the Spanish, mean
ing "Flowery," so called from the
abundance OF flowers, and the day
Easter Sunday upon which 1t was dis
covered. From its sh pc 1t IS some
times called 1.-The Peninsula State"
Georgia-Named in honor of King
George II, of England. The nick
name is 1.-The EmpiIe State of the
South"
Ilinois-Au Indian name signifying
~ Superior Tribe of Men" The So
briquet is Prairie States" also sucker
State"
Tndiana-Is so called from the In
dians. The nickname is The llooSier
State"
Iowa -A An Indian word meaning
''The Beautiful Land" The icti-
tious name is ''IIawkeye State
Kansas-An Indian word signifying
smoky Water" The sobriquet is
Garden of the Vest
Keutucky-An Indian word s'gnI-
fying The Dark an Bloody Ground"
from il being 4 fIvurite Indian hunting
ground. The nickname is ''The Corn
cracker State"
Louisiaua-Namad in honor of King
Louis NV. of France. Sobr.quet,
Creole State
Maine 30 called from Maine in
France. Fictitious name Is 1.-The Pine
Tree State.'
Marylaud-Naned IN honor of Queen
Maria, wife of Charles III. of England
Massachusetts Indian name sig
nifying blue Hills" The fanciful
name is "The Bay State"
NIichigan-An Indian word meaning
''The Lake Country" IL Is nick
named 1.-The Lake state also Tile |
Wolverine State"
AIiunesota-From the Indian word
meaning "Whitish or Sky-colored |
Water. 1t IS called The Gopher |
State
Mississippi-An Indian word mean
NO Father of WaterS.n Nick-named |
The Bayon State"
NIisSouri-An Indian word meaning
Muddy Waters.'
Ncbraska-An Indian word meaning
81. 4
Platte rivers being of little depth.
Nevada-Spanish, signifying snow
clad.''
New Hampshire - Named from
Hampshire County, England. The So
brIquet is THE Granite State"
New Jersey-Namcd for grantee,
sir George Carteret, Governor of the
Isle Of Jersey. The sObrIquct Is The
Jersey Blue.n
New MeXico-Spanish; named from
the country of Mexico, meaning Tile
Place OF AZtec-GOI of War"
New York-Namcl III honor of the
Duke of York and Albany. II is call
ed "The Empire State
North CdrOlina-Numed, with South
Carolina, III honor OF Charles l, OF Eng
land. The fictitious names are The
Old North State" The Tar State
and the ''Turpeutine State"
Ohio-An Indian word signifying
Beautiful RIVER" NIckulmeI
Buckeye State"
Oregon - Name derived from the
Spanish for "Wild Thyme" which is
abundant there.
usylvania-"Penn's Woodland
is the signidcatIon; the grantee WAS
VIM. Penn, and the country is covered
with forests. The sObriquet is The
keystone State, " from its central posi-
tion, like the keystone of an arch.
| otRhode Island-Named from tie Isle
Rhodes in the Mediterranean. Rhode
| signifies "a Rose" Nicknamed
Little Rhody.,'
South Carolina-Named in the same
manner as North Carolina, which see.
The sobriquet is ''The Palmetto
| State"
Tennessee - Derived from Indian
words signifying River of the Big
Bend" 1t is nlcknamed 1.-The Big
Bend State"
Texas - Spanish; said to signify
Friend" 1t Is nicknaIned THE Lone
| Star state"
| Utah-Named from the Ute Indians.
Vermont-From the French; signi-
| ~ Al8 ArIttl AAOIllalllS. IL ID slASc
| called the "Green Mountain State"
Virginia - Named for Elizabeth,
| Queen of England, the ''Virgin Queen. -
/ Ii IS nicknamed the Mother OF Presi-
dents;" also 1.-The Old Dominion
West NirginiI-See Virginia 1t is
| nicknamed The Panhandle State.''
| Wisconsin-Named from its princi-
| pal river, and that from the Indian
name meaning ''W Id Rushing Water. -
| The fictitious name is ''The Badger
| State.''
Wyoming Territory-An Indian term
meaning Large Plains.