New-York tribune., 1901-05-26
THE NAME "KENTCCkY."
ITS ORIGIN AND MEANING.

Extract from "Booneshorough" in The Louis
Vile Courier-Journal.
Both the country and the river that now bear
the beautiful name Kentucky We're CALI Il 50
by the Indians ages before the coming of their
white destroyers The Indians also called the
river "Cheuoca" a word which still distinguishes
mountain spur in Bell County. Ky. but tIe
name they used by far the most was Ken
tucky-' In coming into use among The whites
early in the eighteenth century. the word varied
as 10 form and pronunciation according to the
users knowledge of the Indian tongue. John
Sailing. who was a prisoner among the Chero-
KEGS for some years before lI3G. and who must
have been somewhat familiar with their lam
guaEe gives the name We now have il, wlen
he SAYS they took him TO the salt Iic<s OF Is n
lucky" Alexander Magnify. who had also been
held by the Indians deposed in l1J3 that they
captured him ION the south bank of the Can
lucky" and Colonel George Croghan mot the
Major Croghan. of Fort Stcphenson) who was
FOR many years British agent among tn" Six
Nations. and an authority in savage matters
speaks in his journal.Of 1863 Of the river Ken
lucky" Dr. Thomas Walker U150D ignores the
Indian name. If he knew it. Christopher Gist
nI5D gives it in corrupted form as "Cutta-
way" and Lewis Evans lI.l.I). who only caught
as "Cuttawa'
Kentucky seems never 70 have heen known
by any but Indian names until short time be-
fore lI1J. when Louisa came into limited use.
among the whites. The generally accurate
Bradford helped to pernetuate the error that
the Kentucky River was given the English
name Louisa" 10y DR.. Walker. but not only
does Marshall declare that Walker did rot reach
!
assert that il was tributary of the Big Sandy
as given on Jefterson's map-that the explorer
, If lIIn named. 1t some time Ifte!
Walkers tour before the name of this tributary
was applied To the country itself. and then for
turatcly. ii quickly su'sided before the original
. and ancient Indian name. which after many
VIcissitudes among the whites as to spelling and
pronunciation came into prominent use as the
. Indians themselves pronounced it Kentucky
Authors differ 10 the meaning OF the name.
According L. Darlington. in Archives Amcri-
cana" 1t Is Mohawk word. signifyins among
the meadows. johnson, ia Indian Trih's ~
( ohio" claims il as Shawareso, meaning at the
head of river an! others give IL SIN different
definitions. Probably the earliest writer 10 give
. It's meaning a TIL Dark and Bloody tiround''
T was Ellison bINiI. who says the country Was SO
d-Uouiuatcd hy 'hc Indians when Finley traV-
"lled through IL about lIGI. This statement
was adopted hN succeeding historians and came
into use. though Fisou E;v, no authority for j..
/ and there is nothing cNttnt that this writer
knows of - sustain ii-Certlinly nothing from
th- Indians themselves
Their Is a popular impression that this phrase.
''Th, Dark and Bloody Ground" was used
tho meaning of the word Kentucky by the Cher
/ okees at the treaty Of Watauga in 100 but
Canoe. who was strongly opposed 10 the treaty.
said in that metaphOTlCal style which dSttn-
guishcd his that there was dark cloud
over Kentucky. m annG 10y that expression. as
he himself explained. the hostility OF the north
ern tribes 70 its occupancy by the whites. on
the same occasion an Indian opposer of the
treaty hoping to arouse the sUperstitious fears
of the whites. said that the land desired 10y Hen
derson * Co. bloody country but in
neither reference made To the mean
ing Of the word Kentucky" What this last
expression did mean is not clear. Certain writ
that il referred the supposed
bloody determination of the Mound Builders.
hut that theory the phrase would apply with
even more force to Ohio and other States of the
Ohio and Mississippi valleys. one has as much
authority. apparently, for calling Kentucky
The Meadow Land as THE Dark and Bloody