The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1914-06-27
NAMED AFTER SAINTS

NAMES OF sAINTs-EARLY Elk.
PLoRERs AND MISSIONARIES
WERE CATHOLICS.
The names of saints are very promi
nent upon the map of the United
States, writes Stuart Stone in the
ave Maria" Thriving cities, tower
ing peaks, broad, rich counties, and
cool green lakes bear the designations
of the heroes and heroines of the early
Church. This is due largely to the
fact that the first explorers of Amer
lea were il the main Catholics; and
these devout and hardy pioneers were
wont to name the object of their dis
coVeries for their patron saints or for
the saint upon whose day the dis
covery was made. The origin of these
names has been traced by the United
States Geological Survey, with the as
sistance of the various state historical
societies.
st. Adams, Vermont, was named for
Alban, the first martyr in Britain.
st. Anthony Falls, in the Missis.
sippi River, at Minneapolis, was sc
called by a French missionary because
"of the many favors received through
the intercession of that saint"
st. Augustine, the old Florida town
received the name because the first
landing of it's settlers was made on
his feast-day. Santa Rosa county, in
the same state, was named for St
Rose, taking the Spanish form. St
Johns River, also in Florida, was
called by the Spanish discoveries San
Juan Baptista, because upon this
saints day it was discovered
A parish, or county, in Louisiana
was named by the French for ST. Der
nard, for the same reason. st. Martin
parish, in the same state, took the
name of st. Martin, Bishop of Tours
about the year 400. Another Louisi.
ana parish was named for st. Helena
and still another has the name of ST.
James; while st. Landry parish, or
county, owes it's name to st. Landri
Bishop of Paris in 651.
st. Charles county and city, Mis-.
souri,, were SO named because it was
the purpose of the Vicar of Pontoise
to establish there, in honor of that
saint, a seminary where the Indians
should be educated.
Beautiful Lake st. Clair, between
Michigan and Canada, is said to have
cred by the French upon that saint S
feast-day.
Mount st. Elias, in Alaska, one OF
the loftiest SUBMITS in North Amer
lea, was named for the saint upon
whose day it was discovered.
The st. Francis River, in Minnesota
and ST. Francis and st. Francois coun
ties in Missouri and Arkansas, owe
their names to the gentle founder OF
the Franciscan Order
A Missouri county and city have the
name of the French saint, Genevieve.
The st. Joseph River, in Michigan,
was named by the early French explor,
ers for the spouse of the Blessed Vir
gin.
The Gulf of st. Lawrence was sc
named because discovered upon the
feast-day of that saint. ST. Lawrence
River got it's name from the Gulf.
The st. Louis River, in Minnesota
was probably so named by the ex.
plorer, Verendrye, in 1749, in memory
of the Cross of st. Louis conferred
upon him shortly before his death by
the King of France; while st. Paul, in
the same state, derived it's name from
a church which was built by an early
Catholic missionary.
San Francisco, California, is said by
some to have been named for the old
Spanish mission of San Francisco de
Assist; by others, to have been named
for the founder of the Order to which
Father Junipero, the discoverer of San
Francisco Bay, belonged. San Benito
County, in the same state, has the
Spanish name for st. Benedict; San
Bernardino county and city were
named for an old Spanish mission
San Diego, for st. Iago, the patron
saint of Spain.-the name having been
from the patron saint of Mexico;
Santa Ana city and Santa Barbara and
Santa Clara counties and cities were
named for old Spanish missions; Santa
Monica, for the mother of ST. Angus.
tine; San Mateo county has the Span
ish name-form for st. Matthew; while
San Luis Obispo (St. Louis, bishop
county and city were named for an old
Spanish mission.
San Juan counties in Colorado and
New Mexico, and San Juan River in
Utah, have the Spanish name for St
John
Counties in Colorado and New Mex
leo bear the name San Miguel, the
Spanish form for ST. Michael.
San Patricio county, in Texas, was
settled by Irish colonists, and named
by them for the patron saint of Ire
land, of which the present name is
the Spanish form. San Antonio, in
the same state, was named for the
historic Catholic mission, San Antonio
de Velero, otherwise the Alamo; San
Augustine county was called after the
British saint of that name.
A great number of lesser known
places scattered over the country have
the names of different saints, male
and fomaln-Ct Georon ct Anne etc