Evening star., 1937-11-07
Romance of Town
and State Names.
BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN.

Pipe, and laughable it would appear for
student of Bryn Mawr College to say
that she attended school located in the
town Of A Hill of the Sea, and 1t would
be equally meaningless to refer to Mil
waukee as Good Land, since the name
would probably be understood by only
small per cent of its population. But
these places really mean the quoted des-
ignations, according to the original Ian
guages that gave birth to their names.
That the names Of cities did not just
happen is evidenced by a study of geo.
graphical localities in which they are
situated. Great Britain had a great in
f1uence in settling New England, and
that section of the United States is dotted
with towns that bear names, or similar
names, to towns and places in the home
land OF many Of the settlers of Massa-
chusetts, Rhode Island and adjoining
States. In Florida and California, names
of towns are so distinctly Spanish that
1t takes no guess as to why many of the
names were used. The Middle West,
too, has its French inf1uence-and look
ing back south again to Louisiana we
have the Spanish influence in the desig-
nation of town names.
The Spaniard would think Of Holy
Faith in using the name Santa Fe; he
would be reminded of ST. Anthony when
using the word San Antonio, and Los
Angeles might be The Virgin Mary from
the Spanish term, Nuestra Sonora de Los
Angeles. The Indian, too, has been sig
nally honored, and no less than $50
American towns and cities bear tribute
to the original Americans. The Ger
man, Dutch, Swiss and Italian people
lay claim to the names of more than
80 of our villages, towns and cities.
Greece and Rome are each honored with
many place names.
Although Washington was our first
president, Benjamin Franklin was more
popular from the standpoint of names,
for, according to the Postal Guide, there
are 81 towns by the name of Franklin
and % Washingtons. We have 81 Madi-
sons and "a Monroes and Is Clevelands.
Not all of these places. however, were
named for presidents Many were.
Choice of names appears to be the
same in many minds, since we have 80
Clintons, 29 Chesters and 29 Arlingtons;
27 each of Troys. Marions, Manchesters,
Claytons; rs each of Glenwoods, King
stons, Newports, Ashlands: 25 Center
villes; "a each of Auburns, Dovers. Hills
boros, Lincolns. Oxfords, Princetons.
Springfields Warrens Unions; % Green
villes and % Wilson's: % each OF Bel
monts. Cantons, Daytons, Eurekas.
Libertys, Milfords Plymouths; 81 Bur-
lingtons and 81 Lebanons; 20 each of
PortlandS, Lexingtons, Jamestowns, Hud-
sons and Danvilles.
Names of our States. too. have their
origin and name significance. Florida.
California and Montana are Spanish:
Maine, Vermont and Louisiana are of
French origin; while twelve are English
New York, New Jersey, New Hamp-
shire, Delaware, PENNSYLVANIA. Virginia.
West Virginia. North Carolina. South
Carolina, Maryland, Georgia and Rhode
Island.
When De Soto had been lost for many
weeks in dense wilderness. he came
upon tribe of Indians called Alabama.
and An Open Way is the significance of
Alabama. if the legend is to be believed.
Dry Land or Arid Zone are the two
meaningful words behind the name Ari-
zona. The Algonquin Indians lived in
the territory now known as Arkansas.
and the word is said to have come from
arkansite, a metal of early discovery by
the tribe
1t was in an old Spanish novel that
the word Calafla was first found. Calafia
being legendary queen of an island in
the Pacific-a land Of paradise. From
Calafia comes the State name Cali
fornia. The Long River of the Pines, q
local designation by an early colony. is
the meaning of Connecticut. while the
Carolinas were named for Charles II of
England. Colorado. of course, takes its
name from the Colorado River. but be-
hind that name is the name of Coronado.
the first European to enter the territory.
The Dakotas North and South had
their beginning in Indian sources and
the meaning is friendly. Lord De la
War. once Governor of Virginia. owned
a large portion of the now State of Della
ware-hence the name
Ponce de Leon in his attempts to find
the Fountain of Youth in the winter of
1872 found land on an Easter SUNDAY
morning, and Palm Sunday being Florida
IN Spanish. the name applied to the ter
ritory had religious significance to the
explorer.
To George II goes the honor for the
name OF Georgia; to the county of
hampshire in England is attached the
name OF New Hampshire: while Iowa
had its inception with such a word
spoken by the Indians, and meaning
Here the Spot to Dwell in Peace. when
Marquette and Joliet descended the
mississippi River and made an excursion
IN that far section then inhabited only
by the red man.
Idaho was once known as CoIorado
put the name was changed about 1851
so as to honor the daughter of the chief
OF the Shoshone Indians, called Idaho
we are Men, or in Indian language,
Illin1, gave the word Illinois. Indiana
simply means that the location was the
home OF the Indians. While New Jersey
was once a part of New York, 1t was
later made separate State and named
Ior the largest island in the English
Channel.
Kansas, Massachusetts,. Michigan
Minnesota, Nebraska, Oregon. Okla
homa, Utah and Wisconsin are Indian
names and bear tribal meanings. From
the ancient French Province Mayenne.
now Normandy, comes the word Maine,
Daniel Boone said the word Kentucky
meant River of Blood. The Mississippi
mas nao many names, though all of
lndlan origin. and to that rivers present
name, Mississippi as State derives its
name. Montana is Spanish, the mean
ing being mountainous. Nevada was
first named Sierra Nevada, but later
to Nevada, the meaning being
snow white.