The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-08-26
History of County Names.

~A@SSS3J Va SSNAAVy ANSVAlAS0s
Minnesota has eighty-three coun-
ties, most of which were created and
named by lawmakers of past gen
GRAFTON. The origin of most of the
county names is self-evident, but some
Of them are involved in an obscurity
which has been cleared up by the
labors Of Warren Upham, secretary of
the state historical society. His val
liable paper will be preserved in one
Of the publications of the society.
The residents Of each county in the
state should know the historical sig
nif1cance Of its name, which Is not al
ways understood. The majority Of the
names are personal, seven counties
bearing the names of early explorers.
In this category come Beltrami, Car
yer, Cass, Hennepin, LIE Sueur, Nicol-
let and Pope. Four are named for
sense explorers. These are Aitkin,
Faribaalt, Morrison and Renville.
Twenty-seven counties have been
named for men prominent in the ter
ritorial and early statehood days. Two
bear the names of men still living.
liam Pitt Murray, distinguished
pioneer of st. Paul, who is still active
in its public affairs. Hubbard county,
the last one named by legislative en-
actment, was called for General
Lucius F. Hubbard, twice governor of
the state, and now in business in st.
Paul.
General George L. Becker, who died
early last winter, furnished a name
for one of the northwestern counties,
and the venerable Alexander Ramsey
Is comm emorated in the name Of the
county where he lived and died. Other
names known in Minnesota history
are Sibley, Meeker, Mobiles, Mower,
Marshall, Olmsted, Cook, Freeborn,
Goodhue, Carlton, Swift, Wilkin, Rice,
Sherburne, Stearns and Steele. One
famous pioneer, Norman w. Kittson,
survives in the names Of two northern
counties. Martin Mcleod, the famous
fur trader, seems to have given his
name to two southern counties.
Fourteen counties commemorate
the names Of national figures-Wash-
ington, Lincoln, Grant, Stevens, Jack
son, Fillmore, Houston, Dodge, Ben
ton, Douglas, Clay and Polk.
Other names, according to Mr.. Up-
ham, have come from three sources
Dakotas, from that Of I the Ojibways
OR Chippewas, and from natural fea-
lures Of the country. In the last
named category come the counties of
Lake, Pine, Rock, Pipestone, Itasca,
named from the lake of that name,
and st. Louis, called after the ST..
Louis river.
The Indian names survive either In
the original or in translations, and
they furnish the picturesque names
that figure in the roll call of state
conventions. From the Sioux come
the names of Anoka, Dakota, -Isanti,
Kandiyohi, Wabasha, Waseca, Waton-
wan and Winona. Six Sioux names
translated into English live in the
counties of Big Stone, Blue Earth,
| Redwood, Traverse, and yellow
Medicine, while Lac qui Parle, lake
which talks is a French translation
Of a Sioux name.
The original Chippewa names sur
vive only in the counties Of Kanabec,
Wadena and Chisago. Translations
of Chippewa nomenclature come in
the counties of Clearwater, Grow
Wing, Mile Laos (Thousand Lakes)
Otter Tail, Red Lake and Roseau.
! Chippewa county is called after. the
tribe itself. :. ~ s@*se.
The days of county naming are
about over. Now that all the terri
tory Of the state is included in organ
lied counties, new ones can be formed
only by division, and the name is
given in the petition which calls for
the election. In this way the coun-
ties Of Roseau, Red Lake and Clear
water have been formed. In time five
or six new counties may be carved
from the territory Of st. Louis, Itasca
Cass, Beltrami, Roseau and Polk
When these divisions are made there
are many names for the consideration
Of the petitioners. Great Minnesotans
like Window, Davis, Hill and Wash
burn are worthy of such honor, an6
there are still many of the old Indian
names lingering, with their flavor OF
the forest, as links between the virgin
past and the boundless future Of the
white mans empire.
Being a Republican.