The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1923-07-20
ORIGIN %He
NAMES &He
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PART II

names Of our states, il Is found that
only one has n name that, like "Uto-
pia" and "Brobdingnag." was made out
Of the whole cloth. The name Of Cali
t0rnia was originally given by some of
the followers OF COrte>, the ~conqueror
Of Aztec Mexico, TO what is now known
as Lower California, whence the name
spread TO the present state. The
imagination of Cortez's men had beec
fired by the reading Of an old Spanish
romance OF chivnlry called LAS ScrIas
De ~Iisplandian," in which was de
scribed "A tabled island called Califor-
MA, where gold and precious stones in
abundance were found, and they gave
this name TO the new land which they
had discovered. 1t Is strange that n
name accidentally given should later
prove so descriptive.
AS to Oregon, It's best informati'h
obtainable regarding the origin of its
name is of varied nature, and several
theories are equally well supported.
The first recognized theory is that the
name was taken from that of Il species
Of wild sage called "origanum," which
grows in profusion on the conSt OF the
state, The second is to the effect that
the name is derived from the Spanish
word ~'OreGones," meaning "Big-eered
Men," supposed to have been given to
the natives by a Je.uit priest who set
tied in that country in the early days.
Joaquin Miller, "the Poet Of the
Sierras," said that the name came
from the Spanish aura Aqua" mean
ing Gently Falling Waters" 1t is on
the strength of these two latter thSo-
ries that this name is included with
those Of Spanish origin.
American and Indian Names.
Two states may be said to have
American names. The first is Wash
ington, named for the Father OF His
Country, and the second Indiana, SO
called on account of the purchase a1sl
subsequent settlement by various In
dian tribes Of large facts of land north
Of the Ohio river and within the pres
ent boundaries Of the state.
W men We VIZ lNild p''''
names, we must remember that there
was 10 one Indian tongue. Most, If
not all, of these Indian terms have
suffered corruption at the hands Of the
white men, in some cases to such m
extent that all connection with the
original word seems to be lost; hut
the names rs they remain still retain
their beautiful and sonorOus sound.
The first state TO bear IN Indian
name was Massachusetts, which YVES
named for the bay-indeed, until 1880
the state bore It's colonial name of
Massachusetts Bay" and has been
nicknamed "Old Bay State" The word
means AT or Near the Great Hills
and probably has reference TO the
heights Of land around Boston, seen
from the bay when approaching that
city.
The transition from Q%uonoktacut tC
Connecticut Is an example Of how In
dian names suffered corruption Mt the
hands Of the white man. The word
means River Whose Water Is Driven
In Waves by Tides or Winds" a typi'
cally long and descriptive title and
taken from the principal river Of the
state, which was probably so named
from the aspect OF It's mouth.
In 1911 fernando de Soto, the Span
ish ~discovcrer Of the Mississippi, gave
battle to Il tribe Of Indians at Il place
called AlibamO, on the Iazo" river. In
Mississippi. This place vas the fort
ress of a brave tribe called the Alba
mons Or Alabamas, who, after this bat
tie, migrated eastward to the shores OF
q river TO which they gave their name
and which In turn gave the state OF
Alabama It's name.
Our greatest river, the MissisSippi
gives name TO one of our Southern
states. The Indian word mean.
gathering in of All the Waters" o.
Great Long River which have beer
interpreted by SOME to mean "Fathel
Of Waters" although this is no
technically correct translation.
Texas, our largest commonwealth
and the only one acquired by anneXa
ton. has for a name an Indian wore
which originally moan Friends" o
ALLIES" and which was also used a.
n form Of greeting. Later ii came t
indicate n group OF tribes general.
allied against the Apachcs OF Arizona
Some Of Uncertain Meaning.
Like many other states, Tennessee
IS named for It's principal river, al
though this name was originally giyel
10 n OF It's southerly tributaries AM
later spread 10 the main stream. TIL
name Is IL Cherokee origin and cam
rom q village or locality, Tanasae, In
hab!tch by this great southern tribe
'Fhe meaning ef the word has been los
and interpretations. such as-"Bend Il
the River" freLi. Tie meanderings o
tho stream, arc merely fanciful.
TIE I;lie Grass st9te. Kentucky
also bears Il. name Of uncertain OrigiI
and meaning. Reliable authorize
state That The name was derived fror
an Indian word, "kentake,' meanin
Meadow Land.' On the other han(
George Rogers Clark. one of on