The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-01-07
NAMES WITH A MEANING
Are Those OF American States, Counties,
and Towns In General.

Are Those OF American States. Counties.
and Towns In General.
In spite Of all the hard things that have been
said about geographical names In the United
States. they are. after all. much what they
must have been OF necessity from the history
and development OF the country. Any one
who will examine the 100 900 names Of towns.
cities. hamlets and villages. and the other
thousands OF geographical names In the light
OF the country's history. will ind that here. as
In older lands. tho story OF the settlem ent and
development OF the country Is written more or
loss clearly in such names. The name OF every
State and Territory has an excellent reason
for being what It 10. So likewise Of county
names. They are nearly always English.
French. Spanish. Dutch. or Indian. Tho In
dian names are sentimental survivals. chosen
for the most part with some reference to their
beauty OF sound. and sometimes because they
aptly characterized natural features OF the
country. Most OF the New England county
names are OF English origin. though the
percentage OF Indian names Is considerable.
aud there are a few French names In the States
bordering upon Canada. All OF the Connect
cut and Rhode Island counties have English
names. In Massachusetts and New Hamp-
shire all but one are OF English origin. Della
wares thrco counties have English names be-
cause tnc chtlleE sWeulsn anu butCH bottio-
ments were too feeble to make any great i'm
preston upon the geography Of the State.
Arizona has but one English county name.
and the story Of the early Spanish occupation
Is told In the county names OF this Territory.
as In those OF Texas. New Mexico. and Cali
fornia. The early French explorations OF the
Mississippi Valley are recorded In the more or
less frequent occurrence OF French county
names in nearly all the States bordering upon
the river. The Same is true OF the lake States.
Georgia's county names. as might have been
expected from her history. are nearly all OF
English origin. though a few Indian names
have been retained. Maryland's county names
for the same reason ara all but one OF English
origin. and that one 10 q county OF compare
tiyely recent creation.
The States that were fully provided with coun-
airy war contain no record Of that conflict and
no memorials OF Its heroes In their county
iiict with large areas OF vet undeyeloped terri
tory now contain many such memorial county
names;
that came into the Union while yet the fever OF
the Revolutionary patriotism burned in.the
bestowed In honor OF patriot soldiers and
statesmen Of tnRt earl Ter time The chronolo-
county namos in honor Of the public men OF
the first and second quarter Of the present CEN
tury. sentimental return to Revolutionary
memories 10 indicated IN some county names OF
the far West The county names Of Texas pre-
serve tho memory OF politicians. great and
small, belonging to the period OF struggle over
States lust beyond the Mississippi The States
most recently admitted TO the Union honor In
their county names explorers pioneers. and
politicians. and also. record French aud Span
have noticeAbly few county names Of Indian
origin. perhaps because Of the popular preIu-
dice against the Indians.
Nearly all the county names in tho United
States are o. diGniiied or beautiful sound. and
even those that seem rude or hip?ant are in
Kit Carson. Deal Smith. EureEs. and Lac Oul
PaEle are all significant ami valuable.
in less measure, Of city village. and hamlet
names Nearly all OF the great cities are well
the second class are quite as ell provided In
this regard, Nearly all the capital eitiGs hTo
n mel Tas GHs fR ii hgm N
Orleans tells It's stoTy. so does Tallahassee:
PhTniS, tho cantal uf Arizona. is so called
Indian city destroyed hundreds Of years ago.
Raleigh commentaries the unsuccessful and
almost forgotten attempt OF great and nm
CaTolinas.
The names Of host Of small cities. villages
and hamlcts in the United states owe their
origin 70 much tho same cause that deter
were Of course ported directly from Europa
hy early immlgrants Others were carried
from E1 til :" Nest as the county WAS deyel-
some striking feature Of the landscape. the
most usual origin. Perhaps. Of EuTOpeAn town
names. These occur in perhaps a dozen Lam
guagrs aud they are the natural and HppTo-
PIRATE names t. the places that bear them.
some seemingly incOngTuous names in foreign
tongue have an altuRethoT rTedltablH reason
for hein= in Tho patriotism OF tho people or Ia
their sympathy with tho Struggle for liberty
elsewhere. spanish names scattered over wide
regions in the United States. never under
spanish rulc or Influence, are often attTihuta-
bic 10 this cause. The victories OF tho Mexican
war are thus rommrmOratrd In many PARTS ~
the country. 20 Il the struggle OF the South
American republics to throw OIL the spanish
yoke. The heroes of the German struggle for
constitutional liberty IN lStS are honUTed IN
many parts OF the West. The religious faith
and enthusiasm Of eATlT settlers is written in
Biblical names all over the older states in the
salems. ksh1brihs. Brthsls &c.
Ihs progress ~ mining. manufactures, and
trade IS recoi died ~ village names all over the
country. silver mining has given whole set
has gold mining 70 California and one or two
other estorn states The story II oil pro-
duction in lennsylyRniR Is told IN score Of
curious village names and natural gas has
enriched E0OgTaThieal nomenclature ia Ohio
and Pennsylvania. Tho salt Industry has
done the sane thing for New York and for
one or TIVE ~ the lake states. Many EuropeAn
names have been given for Just tho same Tea-
SOFAS, but hidden Lensath iuIeign tongues or
corrupted through long ages ThrY sound
CitJ. aud SalinA
class 81 ahtommonly Interesting village
nao'"s j. derived from Did inns. such as we're