The Washburn leader., 1916-06-09
ODD PLACE Names
How Some Of Our Cities Received
Their AppeIIations.
CHANCE HvMoR AND SATIRE.

II OJeOv06 U0WVC1 t1VO On JOOs
Al These Had Roles In the Selection
by the Pioneers Of Titles For Their
New Homss-Why There 10 Not q
Great Boston on the Pacific coast.
The thriving cities, the picturesque
streams and the rugged mountains Of
the United States have in numerous In.
stances received their names for rea.
sons calculated to give a shock to the
national board Of geographic names.
The most grotesQue accidents and
condolences, the results of games or
wagers, the grim efforts Of the pioneer
mind to be satirical at the expense Of
his new home, all have operated to de-
termine the name by which proud mu-
inequalities or imposing physical fea-
lures appear upon the map.
In general study Of the origin and
significance Of place names Of this
country made by the United States
geological survey the following oddly
given names have been picked out:
The naming Of the populous city Of
Portland, Ore, was decided by the
tossing Of copper coin by two set
tiers, one from Portland, Me-, the 9th.
er from Boston. The Maine man won,
else we should have had another great
Boston on the Pacific.
The city,, Of Tombstone, Ariz., was
named as a bit of grim humor. Its
finder had been advised when starting
on his prospecting tour that he would
find his tombstone" In order that
the prophecy might be fulfilled he gave
the name to the city he established.
The city Of Bangor, Me-. bears the
name of an old psalm tune which our
forefathers sang to the tremor of
tuning fork. The name was given by
the Rev. Seth Noble, who represented
the district in the Maine legislature.
Wheeling, the metropolis of West Vir-
ginia, owes its name to the circum-
stance of the Indians having displayed
the head of white man on pole at
this point. The name is from the In
dian weal-ink. meaning ''place of hu'
man head"
One of the most distinctive names on
the map Of Colorado is Ouray. 1t has
been applied to city, county and
an imposing mountain. Yet the name
means nothing more nor less than Will
lie and is the result of the Ute Indians
attempt to translate this synonym of
Harold and Percy into their own
tongue.
The city Of Norwalk, Conn.,, is said
to have been so named because when
purchased from the Indians the north
ern boundary of the land was to ex.
tend northward from the sea one days
walk, according to the Indian mark
ing Of the distance.
A town in Georgia rejoices in the
strikingly original but somewhat am
biguous designation Of Nameless. The
name was given from the fact that In
q list Of several hundred names sub
mitted to the postofice authorities not
one was found satisfactory.
A town in Gunnison county. Colo.
possesses the eloquent name Of Tin
Cup, given because in its early days.
when a mining camp. gold was so
plentiful that it was. measured in a
tin cup.
The Calico mountain range In Cali.
fornia was given its name from the
variegated color of its rocks.
The city of Jacksonville. ILL.,. was
named for a prominent colored preach
er and is perhaps the largest communi.
ty in the country named for negro.
The city of Spartanburg. 8. c.. was
so called from the rigorous, Spartan
like self discipline practiced by the in
habitants during the Revolutionary
war.
"A stream in Ravalli county, Mont,
is known as Weeping Child from the
circumstance of an Indian child being
carried of by mountain lion. causing
insanity in the mother.
Antelope county, In Nebraska, was so
named in commemoration of the kill.
ing and eating Of an antelope during
the pursuit of some Indians by the
pioneers.
The town of Deerfeld, N. H., was so
named because. when the petition for
the establishment of the town was
pending, Mr.. Batchelder killed deer
and upon presenting it to Governor
Wentworth obtained thesact of estab-
lishment and the town name.
Hell Gate. the narrow pass. in the
East river ut New York, was called by
the Dutch hellegat. meaning bright
strait" or ''clear opening" The name
quickly suggested the present English
form, which was regarded as more ap.
propriate on account Of the whirlpo0ls
which made navigation dangerous
Cincinnati En0uirer