The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1906-09-14
THE BEAUTIFUL RIVER.
Originally the Name Was Bestowed
Upon the Allegheny.

Opoh inc Aiesheny.
Captain Celeron was in many re-
spects remarkable man. He was the
first white man to descend both the
Allegheny and Ohio rivers and take
possession of the country in the name
of the king of France. Ten years be-
fore he penetrated. the remote country
of the Chickasaws at the head or q
small company and later commanded at
various times the French posts ut De
troit, Niagara and Lake Champlain.
When, toward the middle of the cen
fury, it became apparent from the for
nation of the Ohio company, an or
ganiZatiOn of English gentlemen which
included the names of Lawrence and
Augustine Washington, brothers of
George Washington, that some move
ment was to be made toward the &C.
cupation of the Ohio valley, the French
decided to take the initiative them
selves. Both parties claimed the terri
tory, the English by right of the dis
coveries Of the Cabots and the French
on the explorations of La Sale, made
in 1852.
Celeron was the man chosen by the
Marquis de la Galissoniere, then gov
ernor general of Canada, for the difficult
task. His instructions were to follow
the Ohio 0he Allegheny was then con-
sidered a part Of the former), deposit
ing leaden plates, claiming possession,
as he went.
On the morning of the oath of July,
1749, the party reached Conewango
creek, the little stream connecting
Lake Chatauqua with the Allegheny.
They had considerable difficulty with
the Indians, however, so that it was
not until noon of the Doth that they
reached the Allegheny proper. Right
near Warren Celeron buried the first
of the leaden plates, upon which was
engraved the following:
I'm the year 1740, in the reign of
Louis XIV, king Of France. we,
Celeron, commander Of n detachment
sent by NJ. the Marquis de la Calls
soniere, governor general Of New
France, to re-establish tranquility in
some Indian villages of these cantons,
have buried this plate of lead at the
confluence Of the Ohio and Chautau-
qua, this Goth day of july near the
river Ohio, otherwise Belle riviere, as
a monument of the renewal of the pos
session we have taken of the said
river Ohio and of all those which
empty into it, and of all the lands on
both sides, as far as the sources of the
said rivers, as enjoyed or ought to
have been enjoyed by the kings Of
France preceding, and as they have
there maintained themselves by arms
and by treaties, especially those Of
Ryswick, Utrecht and AK la Chapelle."
It will be observed that the stream
was then called Belle riviere' the
beautiful river, because it was
thought to be part of the Ohio.
There are different explanations as
to how the stream became finally
known as the Allegheny. According
to Frederick Post, Allegheny was the
Delaware name for the Ohio. There is
another theory that the name comes
| from the Allegewi, an ancient Indian
tribe that once fourished on the banks
of the Mississippi. Schoolcraft says:
"The banks Of this stream were in an
cient times occupied by an important
| tribe; now unknown, who preceded the
Iroquois and Delawares. They were
| called Alleghans by Golden In the Lon
don edition Of his work, and the river
is named Allegan by Lewis Evans in
his celebrated map of 1863" There
was also another name used by Evans
| for the Allegheny. 1t was Palawa
Kunki and is derived from the name
given the river by the Shawanese.
Schoolcraft gives the name as Palawi-
| Notwithstanding Dispatch.