The Minneapolis journal., 1902-08-29
The ORIGIN OF NAMES
An Interesting Report on How
Places in the United States
1 Got Their Queer Names. =
Indian Languages Have Made I'm
portant Contributions to Geo.
-. graphical Nomenclature.
0-ort The journal Bureau, Room 4S. Post
Butlding, Washington.

Buuding, Washington.
Washington. Aug 29.-The bulletin of
The geological survey, prepared by Henry
Gannett, on the origin of many Of the
names of places in the United States, is
a most important contribution to geo.
graphic knowledge. Its circula ton will
doubtless go far to awaken interest In
matters of local history, traditions and
folklore and so, stimulate greater dis
cr1m1nation In the selection Of names.
Perhaps the best idea Of the contents of
the bulletin may be conveyed by quoting
some of its paragraphs:
Adirondack: mountains in New York;
Indian word compounded from dOran, "a
people who eat bark" and dak, trees"
with the French article Ia prefixed.
Alaska: an Indian word meaning great
country ''contnent' or great land
Albert Lea: city in Freeborn county,
Minnesota, between two lakes, from one
of which it derives it's name. The lake
was named for Lieutenant Albert NJ. Lea
who explored the "Blackhawk purchase"
and published an account of his explora
tions in 1895.
Albuquerque; city in Bernalillo county,
New Mexico, named for the Spanish Duke
OF Albuquerque, who visited this spot in
1703-1710.
Anne Arundel; county in Maryla nd,
named in honor OF Lady Anne Arundel,
Baltimore.
AnthOny's Nose; promOntOry on the
Hudson river, New York. said by Irving to
have been named so in reference to An
thony Van Corlear's nose; Losing says,
''Anthony de Hooges, secretary Of Rens-
selaerwick, had an enormous nose, and
the promontOry was named in honor of
that feature"
AppomattoX; river and county in Vir-
ginia. An Indian word, meaning "a to-
baccO plant country.
Bad Lands: term applied to a region in
South Dakota. 1t is said that the old
French voyageurs described the region as
'rnauvaise terres pour traverser," mean
ing that it was a difficult country to travel
through; from this the term has been
carelessly shortened and translated into
the present misnomer.
Bangor; city III Penobscot county,
Maine. named by the Rev. Seth Noble,
its representative in Legislature, from an
old psalm tune.
Ellington Sea; pond In Plymouth, Mass,
named for the discoverer, Ellington, one
of the Mayflower passengers, who reported
1t as an inland sea-
Boston; by some authorities the name is
said to have been given in honor of John
Cotton, vicar Of st. Bedolph's church in
Boston, Lincolnshire, England, and one
of the first clergymen in the American
Boston. Others say it was named before
the arrival Of John Cotton. for three
prominent colonists from Boston, Eng
land
Brooklyn; curruption of the Dutch name
Breuckelen, from village in the province
of Utrecht, Holland The name signifies
broken up land, or marshy land.
Catskill; the mountains were called
katsbergs by the Dutch, from the number
of wildcats found in them, and the creek,
which flows from the mountains, Katers-
KILL "tomcats creek"
Communipaw; village in Bergen county
New Jersey. named for the original gran
tee, Michael PauW, director of the Dutch
West India company. The word is COM
pound of the commune Of Pauw."
Duluth; city in Minnesota, named for
Sieur Daniel Graysolon du Luht a French
traveller.
Gettysburg; borough in Adams county
Pennsylvania, named for James Gettys
who laid it out.
Harpers Ferry; town in Jefferson coun-
ty, West Virginia, named for Robert Har-
per. who settled there in 1874 and estab-
lished ferry.
lie Mars; city in Plymouth county, Iowa
The name is composed of the initials OF
the ladies who accompanied its founder
on his first visit to the spot.
Mania ttan; an island in New York. Ar
Indian word, said by some authorities to
mean little island'; others think il
means "the people Of the whirlpool" re-
ferring to He'll Gate, and another author
1ty gives its origin as from the worG
Mamma -ha-ta, place of drunkenness,
since Verrazani landed upon the lower ex.
trenity Of Manhattan island and gave the
Indians liquor, on which they becam,
drunk.
Massachusetts,: an Indian word, mean
Ing lat or near the great hills Ac
cording to other authorities, 1.-The hill IL