The St. Louis Republic., 1902-08-18
Indians Appreciated the River
Years Ago by Naming 1t
the Wild Onion.
ORIGIN OF AMERICAN NAMES.
United States Geographical Survey
Gives Result of Researches
Into Nomenclature of To-
900 States and Cities.
The Republic Bureau.
1lth s.. and PennsyIvanLa Ave.

Washington. Aug. I-Professor Henry
Gannett Of the United States Geographical
Survey has issued a bulletin giving the re-
suit Of his researches into the origin Of
some 10000 names of American States and
cities.
''Fhese." be says, have been compiled
from various sources, printed and manu-
script. The publication is recommended, not
only for purposes OF information but TO in
duoe criticism and additions. with view
of obtaining IN the future all possible in
formation on this subject
The work should be OF considerable int er-
est as enbodying much local and general
history. During the compilation OF the
bulletin a large correspondence was carried
on with State and local historical societies,
State, county and township officers and in
dividIals in all parts of the country. Much
valuable material was collected in this way.
which otherwise would have been unavail-
able.
A few specimens will indicate the scope
of the work.
Alabama: State Of the Union and river
OF that state. named from an Indian tribe.
There are several explanations of the mean
ing of the word. Gatchet gives Burnt
clearing" Others say it means Here we
rest" Haines, in his American Indian
gives ''Thicket clearers."
Bailey: County in Texas named for one
of the men who fell at the Alamo. March 6.
1886. His first name is worn away on the
stone monument. which Is the only record
OF him.
Chicago: City and river in Illinois. The
origin OF the word is from the Indian. be-
ing a derivation by ellison and French an
notation from the word 'Chi-kRng-ong."
in letter to General Jacob Brown, in 1876.
as follows:
The River Chicago (or. IN he English.
vivid Onion River)." schoolcraft. in 1870.
abundantly the wild species of cepa
or leek"
Bishop Baraga gives: From Chegag, or
Sikag. skunk kind OF wild cat
John Turner defines skunk as ''she-gahg;"
onion. she-ganga- -winzne. skunk eed.'
When the word first appeared The coun-
try was inhabited by tribe of Mianlis. in
whose dialect the word of skunk 'se
kaw-kaw" 1t is said that the wildcat or
skunk was named from the pl:nt.
Occur d Alene: Lake and town in Kootena
County, Idaho, named from tribe of In
dians. French name. meaning needle
hearts or ''awl hearts" Home authorities
dians because the expression was used by
a chief OF the tribe to denote her opinion
of the Canadian trappers' meanness. The
Reverend NJ. Eels says that the. name was
given to the tribe by members of the Hud-
son Bay Company because of their sharp
ness in trade.
Chesapeake: Bay in Maryland. which
gives name TO several places in the coun-
try. An Indian name variously explained.
Heckewelder says it is corrupted from
"Tschischwapek." which Is compounded of
''kitschi,' highly salted'' and peek "a
Others give che. great" and sept" wa
ters.'' Bosnian interprets II as mother of
waters" w. W. Tooker SAYS that the early
form was Chesepiooc. from KChe-Cepi-Ack
country a great river
Lewis and Clarke: River in Clatsop Coun-
~. Oregon. and county in Montana named
for Captain Meriwether and Captain Will
lam Clarke of the Lewis and Clarke expedi-
ton
Zuni: River in New Mexico. named for an
Indian tribe the name said to mean they
live in mud houses" Another authority ia
voTs the people Of the long nails"
The bulletin is in press and will be is
sued shortly.