The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1924-08-07
Derivation OF Some Well Known
Names


Through the courtesy of Mrs. Elise
Fellows White, we are permitted to
publish the following intensely inter
esting material, dealing largely with
Indian names and chiefly with those
of the Somerset County section. Per-
haps there is nothing that visitor
more desires to know than the mean
ing of the Indian names by which
most of our rivers, lakes and streams
are known. There are many tradi-
tions going the rounds. which are
obviously inaccurate. A perusal of
the following story should enable
anyone to tell the meaning, so far as
it Is possible to know it, of Somerset
County Indian names.
Mrs. White is member of the
Maine Writer'S Research Club and
the work she has done in this arti-
Gle is in line with the activity ex-
peeted of the members Of that or
ganization
1t is most interesting to trace the
different meanings of Indian words
and names resembling Skowhegan-
the lone and only" There are, in
the Abnaki tongue. many similar
names, all of which seem to lend to
the locality their shades of meaning
and their appropriate associations.
In a catalogue of Indian names COM
piled at an early date and given in
Volume " of the Collections of the
Maine Historical Society, published
1850 | find;
SkOwhegan, meaning Falls on the
kennebec. In an Appendix by
Judge c. E. Potter of New Hamp-
shire, dated 1855, Skowhegan is given
as Skowhegan. (Souhekel worn-Out
land, or pine plains. This, he
says, us the original of Skowhegan.
1t means the Worn-out lands. 1t
was often applied to pine plain lands
Thus it would seem that our we'll
known plains" and not the falls of
the river, gave the town its earliest
name.
Of the generally accepted meaning
of the word Skowhegan, as a place
to watch or 10 watch for salmon, |
find in these volumes no mention
whatever
The Abnaki name for river was
Baskahegan. Another similar title
was given by the Indians to Parker's
Island on the Kennebcc. which was
known as Eraskohegan. Still an
other island near the month of the
river was Reskeagan. In Father
Rasle's dictionary of Indian words in
common use. the sail of a boat is
given as Tsibegihegan; my stomach
is Nemighi-hegan Serpent is Sioux,
or Skougat and Sigouan means
spring.
The name OF Norridgewock appears
in many forms. and with various spell
ling Arantsoak. or Orantsoak, or
is still another version, Naurantsouak.
meant smooth water between rapids.
From the lake 10 Norridgewock the
river bore this name. Below Show
hogan it was called Canebais. or
Kenebas. according TO Rasle, Kenne-
beag,l as far as Merymeeting Bay:
thence to the sea it was Sagadahoe
Kenebec, in Abnaki, signifed a
snake; Kenebekasis, a river in New
Brunswick. meant the little snake
isis" being diminutive.
According to this catalogue the
small river near Skowhegan which
we know as Wesserunsett Stream
was in its original form Wessanenset
The word Sasanoa is mentioned by
the first colonists as used by the In
dians to indicate a river, possibly the
Kennebec.
Father Rasle's dictionary is still
preserved in the library at Harvard
From it one may derive some know
ledge of the Abnaki language as II
was spoken in this part of Maine, II
was branch of the great Lenape. or
Lenni-Lenape tongue, imost widely
extended of the languages, spoken
east of the Mississippi All the In
dians, indeed, who inhabited this por-
ton OF the continent. with the excep-