A History of the Origin of the Place Names Connected with the Chicago & North Western and., Part 10

Author: William H. Stennett
Publication date: 1908
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 211


USA > Illinois > Cook County > Chicago > A History of the Origin of the Place Names Connected with the Chicago & North Western and. > Part 10


Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).


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Goehner, Seward County, Nebraska, was platted by the Pioneer Town Site Company in 1887, and named for John F. Goehner, a member of the Ne- braska legislature, and a prominent merchant of Seward, Neb., who owned an interest in the town site.


Gogebic, Gogebic County, Michigan. The word is Indian-a contraction of agojebic, meaning "rocky" or "rocky shore," or "rocky divided lake." Another Indian word "goebing'"' is also used to denote the same things. Gu-gwa-ga-bing, another Indian word meaning "the place of diving, " has been given as the origin of Gogebic.


Golden Reward, Lawrence County, South Dakoota, was named from the "Golden Reward Gold Mine" nearby.


Goldfield, Wright County, Iowa. The name of this station is an example of elision and substitution. The early settlers desired to honor one of them by naming the village after him. His name was Brassfield. It was thought that this would not do for the village, and consequently they discarded the "Brass" and for it substituted "Gold," and Goldfield resulted.


Goodwin, Deuel County, South Dakota, was named for Geo. P. Goodwin, the first land commissioner of the Chicago and North Western Railway Company; it was platted by the Winona and St. Peter Railroad Company in 1878.


Goose Lake, Clinton County, Iowa. The original name of this station was "O'Brien," but owing to the fact that there was another place of this name in Iowa in 1876 the name was changed to Goose Lake. This name was taken from a nearby lake, that was a great resort for wild geese.


Goose Lake, Marquette County, Michigan. This station was named from a nearby lake. The lake was named from its palpable resemblance to a goose in flight.


Gordon, Sheridan County, Nebraska, was platted by the Pioneer Town Site Com- pany in 1885, and was named for John Gordon of Sioux City, who undertook to take a train of wagons into the Black Hills, when that country was still a part of the Indian reservation, and closed to white settlers. He was over- iken at a point four or five miles from where this station now is, by a lieu-


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HISTORY OF THE PLACE NAMES OF THE NORTH WESTERN LINE


tenant in command of a detachment of U. S. cavalry. Gordon's oxen were turned loose, and wagons and freight piled in a heap and burned-for which, the lieutenant was afterwards dismissed from the service.


Gowrie, Webster County, Iowa, was named from a place in Scotland.


Grayland, Cook County, Illinois, was named for a nearby land owner, who had an interest in this village.


Grand Junction, Green County, Iowa. The early citizens of this place named it from the fact that here, two railroads formed a junction.


Grant, Brookings County, South Dakota, was named on the suggestion of an em- ploye, of the railroad that runs through the place. The man's name was Grant, but it is contended the place was not named for him, but merely that the name was short and convenient in telegraphic work and because there was no other place so named in South Dakota.


Grand Mound, Clinton County, Iowa. This station was intended to be named "Sand Mound," from a high sand rock mound three miles distant, but when the name was recorded, a mistake was made in the spelling and the village name became "Grand Mound."


Gregory, Gregory County, South Dakota, was named from the county, which was named for J. S. Gregory, a well known legislator of South Dakota.


Grand Rapids, Wood County, Wisconsin, was named from the rapids (falls) in the Wisconsin River at this point. The west side of the city was formerly called Centralia, but in 1899 the town was consolidated under the present name.


Granville, Sioux County, Iowa, was named for Sir Richard Granville or Gren- ville, a British navigator. This place was platted under the name of Grenville, by the Western Town Lot Company in 1882. The station name is spelled Granville. This confusion arises from the fact that the way the navigator spelled his name is not known. He explored the eastern coast of North America in 1585.


Green Valley, Shawano County, Wisconsin, was named from the valley in which it is situated. The valley was named because of the vast growth of ever- green trees that filled it when it was first visited by the whites.


Granville, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, was named from the township and that was named by C. T. Everts, an early settler who had formerly lived in Granville, Washington County, N. Y. Granville, N. Y., was named for John Carteret, Earl Granville, a British statesman.


Gray, Audubon County, Iowa, was named for George Gray, who owned the site on which it was located.


Green Bay, Brown County, Wisconsin. The first name of the station for this town was Fort Howard, and was on the west bank of Fox river. It was named for an early United States army fort and post called Fort Howard, which stood on or adjacent to the station grounds. The historic point on the east bank of Fox River was named Green Bay from the bay (of Lake Michigan) on which it was founded. The bay opens at the north into the lake and extends southward into Wisconsin. It is about 100 miles long and ten to twenty miles wide. The Fox River of Wisconsin enters the bay at its southwest extremity. The bay was called by the early French "la grande baie," (the large bay) which was corrupted into the present name. The French trappers and traders also called the bay "baie de puants.'


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HISTORY OF THE PLACE NAMES OF THE NORTH WESTERN LINE


'Marquette and Joliet visited this point in May, 1673, when enroute from Mackinac to discover the Mississippi River, and which they reached on June 17, 1673. From that day on, the location of the city of Green Bay was a meeting point for Indian and missionary and trader. When the city was platted, it was believed by its founders that it would be the great city of the west. People flocked to it from all quarters, and a veritable "boom" in "corner lots" followed. Even the far-seeing and wise John Jacob Astor was caught by the "boom" and invested much money in the place. A fort was built by the United States on the west bank of the river and was named Fort Howard (See Fort Howard in this book). Radisson and Grosielliers found Winnebago Indians on or near the location of this city, and say that they were called Puants, or in English Stinkards, and that the bay "was named Baie de puants from these Stinking Indians." Astor built a hotel here and called it The Astor House. The original town of Green Bay was platted by Astor but opposing plats were made and their lo- cations were called Navarino from the place in Greece and Elliss for one of the platters. All these were finally consolidated with Astor's town.


Green Bay Junction, Brown County, Wisconsin, was so named owing to the near- ness of the city of Green Bay. It is really a portion of that city.


Green Lake, Green Lake County, Wisconsin, was named from the adjacent lake. The French called it Lac Verde, the whites who settled around the lake merely Anglicized it. The main village is a mile from the railroad station and is called Dartford. It was named by and for J. N. Dart, an early settler in the county. Mr. Dart also named Montello, the county seat of Marquette County.


Greenville, Outagamie County, Wisconsin, was named by Anton Becker, from the township.


Gresham, York County, Nebraska, was platted by the Pioneer Town Site Com- pany in 1887, and was named by George W. Post for Judge W. Q. Gresham, once a United States cabinet officer and judge of the United States court.


Gridley, Emmet County, Iowa, was platted under the name of Maple Hill, be- cause of a nearby hill that was crowned with a maple grove. It was platted in 1899 by the Western Town Lot Company. The station was named Grid- ley by the railway company for Gen. Ashel Gridley, a banker and large land owner of Bloomington, III.


Grimms, Manitowoc County, Wisconsin, was named for a prominent settler and property owner nearby.


Gross Park, Cook County, Illinois, was named by and for S. E. Gross, the original owner of the town site.


Groton, Brown County, South Dakota, was named from Groton, Mass., which was named from a place in England owned by the family of Deane Win- throp, whose name headed the petition that asked for the grant of land from the Massachusetts government to the people who finally established Groton, Mass.


Guckeen, Faribault, County, Minnesota, was laid out under the name of Derby by the Western Town Lot Company in 1900. The present name was given to the village to honor an old settler of the vicinity.


ernsey, Poweshiek County, Iowa, was named by Moses F. Morton, an early settler from Ohio. It was platted by the Western Town Lot Company in


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HISTORY OF THE PLACE NAMES OF THE NORTH WESTERN LINE


1884. Guernsey County, Ohio, from which this town was named, was named by emigrants from the island of Guernsey that lies between England and France.


Hadar, Pierce County, Nebraska, was platted by the Pioneer Town Site Com- pany in 1883. The word is a corruption of the German Hader, which means a "misunderstanding or wordy argument," and was given the town owing to the settlement of a dispute between two early settlers. The name was intended to keep the memories of this dispute constantly in mind.


Hackley, Vilas County, Wisconsin, was named for C. H. Hackley of Muskegon, Michigan, who was interested in the Phelps, Bonnell Lumber Company's mill that is located here.


Hahnemann, Whiteside County, Illinois, was named from the township it is in, and that was named Hahnaman for an early settler and to honor the mem- ory of Samuel Hahnemann, the great homeopathic physician. The spelling of the name of the station was changed for euphony.


Halbur, Carroll County, Iowa, was named by ex-Gov. O. H. Manning of Iowa for Anton Halbur, the owner of the farm adjoining the station. It was laid out by the Western Town Lot Company in 1881.


Halfa, Emmett County, Iowa, was laid out by the Western Town Lot Com- pany in 1889, and was named from the Wadi Halfa in Egypt. The Egyp- tian name is also spelled Halfai by travelers on the Nile. .


Hanford, Cerro Gordo County, Iowa, was named for Hanford McNider a son of C. H. McNider the president of the First National Bank of Mason City, Iowa.


Hanlontown, Worth County, Iowa, was named for James Hanlon of Mason City, Iowa, who was the original owner of the town site.


Hanover, Rock County, Wisconsin. The original name was "Bass Creek." It . was changed by John Higgins, the owner of the town site, to honor many of his neighbors who had emigrated from Hanover, in Germany.


Harcourt, Webster County, Iowa, was named by an admirer of the British states- man of this name. It was platted by the Western Town Lot Company in 1881.


Hardwood, Dickinson County, Michigan. The name was taken from a long established postoffice of the vicinity. That was named because it was located in a dense hardwood forest.


Harlan, Sheby County, Iowa, was named for Justice John M. Harlan of the su- preme court of the United States. It was laid out and made the county seat in 1858.


Harlem, Winnebago County, Illinois, was named from Harlem, in New York State, for the curious reason that that Harlem was six miles from New York City, and this is six miles from Rockford, Ill.


Harris, Menominee County, Michigan, was named for M. B. Harris, a merchant and shipper of forest products, who lived here when the town was located. Harrison, Sioux County, Nebraska. The town was first named Bowen for John S. Bowen of Blair, Neb., but by vote of the citizens, the name was changed to Harrison in honor of Benjamin Harrison, president of the United States. Harrison, Lincoln County, Wisconsin. It was originally called Mitchell for an old settler, but the name was changed to honor ex-President Benjamin Harrison.


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HISTORY OF THE PLACE NAMES OF THE NORTH WESTERN LINE


Harrold, Hughes County, South Dakota, was named for what wrongfully was supposed to be the given name of (H. R. Mccullough), an officer of the railway company. An error was made in this, but the name was allowed to stand.


Hartland, McHenry County, Illinois. The original name was Kishwaukee, an Indian word meaning "sycamore tree." This name was dropped for the present one, which was supposed to be more euphonious. No record is attainable that gives the origin of the present name.


Hartleys, Gogebic County, Michigan, was named for Charles H. Hartley, long superintendent of the division of the Chicago and North Western Railway that runs through this place.


Hartwick, Poweshiek County, Iowa, is a fanciful name and was applied to this place by the railway company when the station was established here.


Harvard, Clay County, Nebraska, was named by the officers of the first railroad that reached this point from the east, from Harvard University in Cam- bridge, Mass. The university was named for the Rev. John Harvard, who founded it.


Harvard Junction, McHenry County, Illinois, was named from Harvard uni- versity by "Judge" Ayer, one of the earliest settlers and noted as a hotel keeper there.


Hastings, Adams County, Nebraska, was named by Col. Harbin of Fairbury Vt., for Col. T. D. Hastings, who was instrumental in getting the railroad located through this place.


Hatley, Marathon County, Wisconsin, was named by Matthew LaBarin from Hatley in Quebec, whence he emigrated.


Havana, Steele County, Minnesota, was named in 1867 by John Easton, at that time a member of the legislature of Minnesota. He named it from the city of Havana in Illinois, and that was named from the city in Cuba.


Havelock, Pocahontas County, Iowa, was named by J. E. Blunt, then chief engineer of the railroad, for a British soldier who won immortality in India. The town was platted by the Western Town Lot Company in 1882.


Hawarden, Sioux County, Iowa, was named from the home of and to honor William E. Gladstone, the British statesman. The town was platted by the Western Town Lot Company in 1882.


Hayes, Cook County, Illinois, was named by and for the original owner of the station grounds.


Hay Springs, Sheridan County, Nebraska, was located by the Pioneer Town Site Company in 1882, and was named because in an early day much hay was cut near here where the soil was moistened by many springs; around these springs was an arid territory.


Hazel Green, Grant County, Wisconsin, was so named from the fact that when the town was established the location was covered with hazel (Corylus Americana) bushes.


Hazel, Iron County, Michigan, was suggested from the great growth of the hazel (Corylus Americana) nut shrub in the vicinity. Before this name was adopted for this town it was called Kinson, for an early settler here.


Hebron, McHenry County, Illinois, was named from the township, and that was named by H. W. Mead, the original owner of the town site, from the


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HISTORY OF THE PLACE NAMES OF THE NORTH WESTERN LINE


church tune "Hebron." The original name given to the station by the railway company was Mead for the above named H. W. Mead. The tune name came from a place in Palestine.


Heckman, Lyon County, Minnesota, was named for a once well-known dining car superintendent.


Hecla, Brown County, South Dakota, was named after the volcano Hecla of Iceland. The town was platted by the Western Town Lot Company in 1886. Helena, Marquette County, Michigan, was named for his wife by S. C. Baldwin, superintendent of the railroad.


. Helenville, Jefferson County, Wisconsin. The original name was Bullwinkle, the name of the original owner of the town site; it was changed by him to honor Helen, his wife.


Helps, Menominee County, Michigan, was named for Arthur Helps, an English writer.


Hematite, Florence County, Wisconsin, was named from the Hematite iron ore that was plentiful hereabouts.


Henderson, York County, Nebraska, was located by the Pioneer Town Site Com- pany in 1887. It was named for Daniel Henderson, one of the first settlers in the county. The township in which the village lies was also named for Daniel Henderson.


Hendricks, Lincoln County, Minnesota, was located by the Western Town Lot Company in 1900, and was named for the Indiana statesman and once Democratic candidate for the United States vice presidency.


Henrietta, DeKalb County, Illinois, was named for the wife of Washington Hesing of the "Staats Zeitung," a newspaper of Chicago, he having promised the citizens to give a bell for the town hall or for the first church when built.


Henry, Codington County, South Dakota, was named by and for J. E. Henry, the first settler in the vicinity. It was located by the Western Town Lot Company in 1882.


Herbert, Boone County, Illinois, was named for his son Herbert by Daniel D. Bathrick.


Hermansville, Menominee County, Michigan, was named for his son Herman by C. J. L. Meyer, owner of the townsite.


Hermosa, Custer County, South Dakota, is a descriptive name from the Spanish word meaning "beautiful." It was located and named by the Pioneer Town Site Company in 1886.


Herring, Sac County, Iowa, was platted by the Western Town Lot Company in 1899 under the name of Weed, which in 1901 was changed to the present name to honor an old settler of the vicinity.


Herrick, Gregory County, South Dakota, was named for Samuel Herrick (a nephew of ex-Gov. Hon. Myron T. Herrick, of Cleveland, Ohio), who was instrumental in getting the Indian reservation opened to settlement. The place was named to honor him for that work.


Hetland, Kingsbury County, South Dakota, was named for John M. Hetland who settled in this county in 1877. He was from Hetlandin Norway, and as is common, he took for his surname the name of his native village.


Highland Park, Lake County, Illinois. Was named by the Port Clinton Land Company, the proprietors of the original town site, because of its high elevation above the lake, and because it was located in a natural park.


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HISTORY OF THE PLACE NAMES OF THE NORTH WESTERN LINE


Highmore, Hyde County, South Dakota, was so named because it was located on the highest ground in South Dakota between the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers.


High Ridge, Cook County, Illinois, was a descriptive name made from the situa- tion of the town site on a high ridge.


Highwood, Lake County, Illinois, was named by Rev. W. W. Evarts, because of its elevation above the lake, and because of the great height of the trees about the location.


Hiles, Forest County, Wisconsin, was named for F. P. Hiles, of Milwaukee, Wis., and of the Foster-Whitman Lumber Company, who had large lumber interests here when the place was established.


Hillside, Washington County, Nebraska, was so named because it was descriptive of the locality; the town being on the top of the grade where the waters divide between the Papillion River and the waters going directly into the Missouri River.


Hitchcock, Beadle County, South Dakota, was named for C. S. Hitchcock, the owner of the lands adjacent to the station. It was located by the Western Town Lot Company in 1881. At times the place was called Clarkville from an early settler named Clark, and Altoona, from the city in Pennsylvania.


Holabird, Hyde County, South Dakota, was named by Henry C. Wicker, (who, when the town was established, was an officer of the Chicago and North Western Railway), for his wife's family name. She was Louise Holabird, the daughter of William S. Holabird, once a lawyer of Winnsted, Conn., and lieutenant governor of the state; and afterwards engaged in railroad build- ing in Indiana and other western states.


Holidays, Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin, was named for Benj. Holliday, who owned the land through which the railroad ran at this point.


Holstein, Ida County, Iowa, was named at the request of many settlers nearby, who emigrated from Holstein, in Germany.


Honey Creek, Pottawatomie County, Iowa, was named from the creek near the station; this was named by the early settlers thereon, because of the many wild bees that in an early day were found there.


Hooker, Turner County, South Dakota, was located by the Western Town Lot Company, in 1894, and was named for John Hooker, an early settler who lived here before the town was located.


Hooper, Dodge County, Nebraska, was named for Hon. Samuel Hooper of Bos- ton, Mass., a banker and prominent member of congress during the War of the Rebellion.


Hortonville, Outagamie County, Wisconsin, was named for Alonzo E. Horton, an early settler, and the founder of the present city of San Diego, California.


Hot Springs, Fall River County, South Dakota, was named from the famous springs at this place. The Sioux Indians who roamed around this part of Dakota, used these springs for their medicinal virtues. They called the springs or place minne-ka-tah, "the water that boils." The present name of the village is a transliteration of the Indian name.


'Hudson, Fremont County, Wyoming. This place was platted by the Pioneer Town Site Company and was named "Atla," which is a Sioux Indian word and means "swift water" or "swiftly running water." The company


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HISTORY OF THE PLACE NAMES OF THE NORTH WESTERN LINE


finally changed the name to Hudson in honor of John T. Hudson, an old settler and once the owner of the land on which the town is now located. He was a member of the Wyoming legislature and a county commissioner.


Houghton, Brown County, South Dakota, was named for C. W. Houghton, of Columbia, S. D., who owned the land on which this station was estab- lished. It was located by the Western Town Lot Company in 1886.


Houles, Menominee County, Michigan, was named for A. Houles, an employe of the railroad that runs through this place.


Houston, York County, Nebraska, was located by the Pioneer Town Site Com- pany in 1887, and was named for Joseph D. Houston, one of the earliest set- tlers in the county, and who lived near this town site.


Howells, Colfax County, Nebraska, was located by the Pioneer Town Sito Company in 1886 , and was named by P. E. Hall of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, for J. S. Howell, a prominent citizen of Colfax County; the letter "s" was added for euphony by Mr. Hall. Attempts were made to name the town Bagnersville and Buschville, but they failed.


Hubbard Woods, Cook County, Illinois, was named Lakeside by David Gage, of Chicago fame, in 1870, because of its location on the shore of Lake Michi- gan. Before this name was used the place was called Taylorsport, and was so named for the Taylor family, who were its earliest settlers. It was recently renamed "Hubbard Woods" for Gurdon S. Hubbard, who once owned the location.


Hubbard, Hardin County, Iowa, was named in honor of Judge N. M. Hubbard, the noted jurisconsult of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. It was located by the West- ern Town Lot Company in 1880.


Hull's Crossing, Sheboygan County, Wisconsin, was named for J. D. Hull, the owner of the land on which the station was established.


Humphreys, Platte County, Nebraska, was named for Gen. A. A. Humphrey, chief engineer of the United States Army.


Hunting, Shawano County, Wisconsin, was so named because there was much game in the vicinity, that allowed successful "hunting" hereabouts. It also happened that a nearby land owner had this name, and hence the place had two reasons for its name.


Huntley, McHenry County, Illinois, was named by John B. Turner for T. S. Huntley, an early settler who owned the land on which the station was established.


Hughes, Hardin County, Iowa, was named for H. M. Hughes, superintendent of a part of the Chicago and North Western Railway lines in Iowa.


Hurley, Turner County, South Dakota, was named for R. E. Hurley, an accom- plished civil engineer, who was employed on the construction of the railroad here. It was located by the Western Town Lot Company in 1883.


Hurley, Iron County, Wisconsin, was platted by the Milwaukee, Lake Shore and Western Railway in 1885, and was named for Judge M. A. Hurley, a lawyer of Wausau, Wisconsin, and a prominent iron ore operator, who with Plummer, Silverthorn and Ryan organized iron ore mining companies here.


Huron, Beadle County, South Dakota, was named for the "Huron" Indians; whether the word is French or Indian is not known, nor is its real meaning known. It however is believed to be a corruption of the French word hure that was given to a tribe of Indians by the French, the word meaning


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HISTORY OF THE PIACE NAMES OF THE NORTH WESTERN LINE


"wild boar," and was given these Indians on account of their wild and unkempt appearance. The town was located by the Western Town Lot Company in 1880.


Hylas, Menominee County, Michigan. This name was taken from a dictionary of mythology. Hyla is the specific name of the "tree frog" or "tree toad" and that also was thought of when the station was named.


Ida Grove, Ida County, Iowa, was named from the county by Mrs. J. H. Moore- head, wife of the first settler. The county was named from Mount Ids in Greece and was suggested by Eliphalet Price, once a prominent politician of Iowa.


Imogene, Martin County, Minnesota, was platted and named Cardona by the Western Town Lot Company in 1900. The postoffice was named Imogene and the station name ultimately followed that. The name Imogene was taken from the name of the heroine of a well known poem.




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