USA > Illinois > Cook County > Chicago > A History of the Origin of the Place Names Connected with the Chicago & North Western and. > Part 13
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Milton Junction, Rock County, Wisconsin, was named from the township, and that was named for John Milton, the poet.
Milroy, Redwood County, Minnesota, was platted in 1902 by the Western Town Lot Company and was named for Major General Robert H. Milroy, a gal- lant Union soldier during the early days of the war of the rebellion.
Milwaukee, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin. Henry Gannett of the United States Geological Survey, says it was derived from the Indian word, Milioke, mean- ing "good earth," or "good country." It has been spelled in many ways from that of Father Hennepin's Melleoke of 1679; Meleke of a French map of 1648; Milwarick of John Baisson de St. Cosme of 1699, down to the pres- ent. The name of the first postoffice established was spelled Melwakee, and that of the second Milwaukie, Solomon Juneau postmaster in both cases. The name Milwaukee is probably of Pottawattamie origin and was originally Mahnah-wauk-seepe, a gathering place or council ground near the river. Vari- ous other deriviations have been given. One is that it sprang from the name of a medicinal root called Man-wau, which grew nowhere else, and caused the Indians to speak of man-a-waukee, or place of the man-wau. But there was no valuable medicinal root growing in the vicinity of Milwaukee that the settlers could not find elsewhere. An interpreter for the Chippowas is authority for the assertion that Milwaukee was first uronounced me-ne- au-kee, and meant rich or beautiful land, but the land upon which the city is now located was not particularly fertile, although the site of the city was beautiful. The first mention of Milwaukee is in the journal of Father Zenobe Membra, in 1679, which records the existence of a tribe of Indians at the mouth of the Millicki River. A priest named Father John Baisson de St. Cosme touched at the Melwarik with a flotilla of canoes in the fall of 1699 on the way from Mackinaw to what now is Chicago. Lieutenant James Gorrell, of the Eightieth Royal American Regiment, mentions in his journal under date of September 1, 1761, the arrival of a party of Indians
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HISTORY OF THE PLACE NAMES OF THE NORTH WESTERN LINE
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from Milwacky. In the Haldimand papers, discovered in England and pub- lished by the Wisconsin State Historical Society, there is a report by Capt. Samuel Robertson, of His Majesty's sloop Felicity, concerning a voyage of discovery around Lake Michigan, in which he mentions Milwackey, under date of November 1, 1779. There are at least eleven or twelve spell- ings of this word known to writers of early history. E. M. Haines in his North American Indian says, "Milwaukee is an Algonquin word for "good land," "rich land." The earliest mention is by Hennepin. He refers to a river in what is now Wisconsin, which he called Milicke. This was doubt- less the French understanding of the sounds that made up the name, but it was not Indian of the Indians that lived there in Hennepin's time, as they had no sound of "1" in their dialect, they used the sound of "n" instead. It is fair to believe that the word was derived from some Indian tribes, living along the river in Hennepin's time, and that the French used the sound "1" instead of "n." Min-wau-kee and Min-noau-kee would mean "good earth," "good place," or "good country." Min-au-kee would mean "country of berries." Mit-tig-wau-ka-kee meant forest."
Minfield, Fremont County, Wyoming. This town was platted by the Pioneer Town Site Company and was named by it. The name is from the Arapo- hoe Indian language and means "good."
Minneota, Lyon County, Minnesota, was named by George P. Goodwin and the name is assumed to be a Dakota Indian word, meaning "much water." The town was platted by the Winona and St. Peter Railroad Company in 1881. Its first name was Nordland, and was given in honor of Norway.
Minnesota City, Winona County, Minnesota, was named in 1852 from the state by Robert Pike.
Minnesota Junction, Dodge County, Wisconsin, was named from the state. The town was located on a railroad that was expected to reach and cross the then territory of Minnesota.
Miranda, Faulk County, South Dakota, was named from the given name of the mother of the President of the Chicago and Northwestern Railway Com- pany. It was platted by the Western Town Lot Company in 1886.
Mission Hill, Yankton County, South Dakota, was named by Rev. D. B. Nich- ols, from a nearby hill, on which in the early days, was maintained a small congregational Indian mission house and church.
Missouri Valley, Harrison County, Iowa. The original name was St. Johns, though the original town of that name was and is four miles distant from the present town. When the railroad was built up the valley of the Mis- souri River, the name was changed to Missouri Valley Junction, as the place was to be the junction of two lines of railway. Its name was for brevity changed to the present form. The present town was laid out in 1867. Modale, Harrison County, Iowa. This is a name made from "Mo" the abbrevia- tion for Missouri (referring to the nearby river) and "dale" a small valley or glen, that at this point ran down to the "river's brink."
Mokoma, Natrona County, Wyoming. This name is from the Ojibway Indian word mokoman, meaning "knife."
Moingona, Boone County, Iowa, was named from the Indian Mi-ko-nang, mean- ing "road." The French spoke the word as if spelled Moingona, and short- ened to Moin, and used that as a part of the name for the river, which we now call the Des Moines River. C. E. Vail, of New Jersey, named this town.
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HISTORY OF THE PLACE NAMES OF THE NORTH WESTERN LINE
Mondamin, Harrison County, Iowa. This is an Indian word meaning "corn," . or the "place where corn grows." Longfellow in his song of Hiawatha, makes Mondamin wrestle and be thrown and buried by Hiawatha, and from his body comes corn, "the friend of man."
Monico Junction, Oneida County, Wisconsin, was named by B. F. Door. The name seems to have been made for this place as no trace of its origin can be found.
Monmouth, Jackson County, Iowa, was named from the township. That was named from the Revolutionary battle of the war of the Revolution, June 28th, 1778.
Monowi, Boyd County, Nebraska, was platted by the Pioneer Town Site Com. pany in 1902. The name given it was made for the purpose and was intended to be accepted as an Indian word. Some people claim it is Indian and means "a flower," but no adequate authority seems to be found for that assertion.
Monroe, Turner County, South Dakota, was platted in 1887 under the name of 'Warrington, by the Pioneer Town Site Company, and was finally named Monroe for ex-President Monroe of the United States.
Montfort, Grant County, Wisconsin, was named from an old fort, or palissaded block house that in an early day was built on a nearby mound, as a pro- tection to the settlers against hostile Indians. Its postoffice was succes- sively called Wingville and Podunk, but now agrees with the name of the village.
Montrose Siding, Manitowoc County, Wisconsin. This place was named from Montrose which was referred to by Sir Walter Scott in his legend of Mont- rose, and that undoubtedly came from the town of that name in Scotland.
Montour, Tama County, Iowa. The original name was Orford. The present name is from a county in Pennsylvania. That was named for Andrew Mon- tour, son of Madam Margret Montour, and an Oneida Indian. The Madam had before her marriage with the Oneida been married to a Seneca Indian. Montour was an interpreter and guide and was faithful to the whites at a time when half breeds were nearly all enemies to the whites and were treacherous. The Madam had several daughters who were noted women in their locality.
Moneta, Fremont County, Wyoming, was laid out in 1906 and named from s village in O'Brien County, Iowa, which was named from the ancient name of the Island of Anglesey. A local legend declared the word was Spanish and meant "little money."
Moorhead, Monona County, Iowa, was platted in 1899 by the Western Town Lot Company and named for J. B. Moorhead, an early settler.
Morgan, Redwood County, Minnesota, was platted in 1878 by the Western Town Lot Company and was named for Henry Lewis Morgan, the American soldier, author and explorer. He explored in an early day this part of Min- nesota and wrote a full history of the American beaver (Castor Americana) and its works.
Moritz, Deuel County, South Dakota, was named for Andrew Moritz, an early nearby settler.
Morrison, Whiteside County, Illinois, was named by Lyman Johnson, the orig- inal owner of the townsite, for Charles Morrison, of New York City.
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HISTORY OF THE PLACE NAMES OF THE NORTH WESTERN LINE
Morse, Bureau County, Illinois, was named for W. E. Morse, a railroad official of Chicago. Its postoffice is called Lombardville, and was formerly called Coda, a misspelling of Code, from an early settler here.
Morse Bluff, Saunders County, Nebraska, was platted in 1887 and named Morse by the Pioneer Town Site Company. To prevent confusion owing to an. other Morse on the line of the North Western Road, the word "Bluff," was added to the station name. The place was named for Chas. W. Morse- of North Bend, Nebraska, who once owned the land on which the town site is.
Moreland, Cook County, Illinois. When this place was platted it was under water most of the time; this caused H. H. Porter one of the owners to say "more land and less water is much needed here." The first words of this sentence were taken as the name for the town.
Mosel, Sheboygan County, Wisconsin, was named for the river (Moselle) in Germany and France, that is noted for the vineyards on its banks and the. wine that is made therefrom.
Mosling, Oconto County, Wisconsin, was originally called Linwood from the. "Linn" or "basswood" (Tilia Americana) trees that grew nearby. When that name was dropped, it was named for a merchant doing business there. Mount Horeb, Dane County, Wisconsin, was named from Mount Horeb, in' Arabia, Petria on the Sinai Peninsula, the supposed dwelling place of the ancient Israelitish "Jehovah," who appeared to Moses and gave him "The Law." The word is supposed to mean "Mount of God."
Mount Prospect, Cook County, Illinois, was so named because it was thought. that the name was descriptive of the place.
Mount Vernon, Linn County, Iowa. The town was laid out by A. J. Willetts in 1847 and was named for the Virginian home of George Washington.
Mountain, Oconto County, Wisconsin, was platted by the Western Town Lot. Company in 1896. It was named from its location in a deep valley be- tween very high and precipitous hills. It got this name in the early stage: days, when the stages had to climb these hills, or, as the drivers called them-"mountains.".
Moville, Woodbury County, Iowa, was platted by the Western Town Lot Com- pany in 1887, and was named from "Mo.," the abbreviation of the word Missouri (referring to the nearby river) and the word "ville"-village.
Mumforda, Menominee County, Michigan, was named for a man named Mum- ford, who owned kilns and made charcoal here.
Nachusa, Lee County, Illinois, was named by A. P. Dysart, the original owner of the town site. Before this name was given it, the town was called Taylor. The present name is supposed to be Sac or Fox Indian, but the meaning is unknown.
Nadeau, Menominee County, Michigan, was named by the county authorities for "Tony" Nadeau, an early settler.
Narenta, Delta County, Michigan, was originally named Deerfield. The origin. or significance of that name is lost. The present name is from the river in Herzegovina in Europe. Its Slavic name is Nantva; ancient Naro, and is anglicized as above. Its postoffice is called Bark River.
Nashville, Jackson County, Iowa, was named in 1854 by Dr. D. S. Teeple from: the city in Tennessee.
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HISTORY OF THE PLACE NAMES OF THE NORTH WESTERN LINE
Natrona, Natrona County, Wyoming, was named from the county. The county was named from the Spanish word Natron, meaning "Native Carbonite of Soda," which is plentiful here.
Necedah, Juneau County, Wisconsin. The name is a corruption of Ojibway In- dian nissida, meaning "let there be three of us." The river on which the village is located is called "Yellow River" by the whites, but by the Indians was called nissida.
Nekoosa, Wood County, Wisconsin, was named from the Nekoosa Paper Com- pany. The word is Winnebago Indian and in that tongue means "run- ning water." The Indians gave the place that name because of the rap- ids here in the Wisconsin River. The first white settlers here, amongst whom was Daniel Whitney, who built a mill here in 1834, called the place Whitney's Rapids, for this Daniel Whitney. In 1847 it was called "Point Boss," for a lumberman named Boss. In 1893, its name was definitely fixed as Nekoosa.
Neenah, Winnebago County, Wisconsin. The name is derived from an Indian word meaning "water."
Negaunee, Marquette County, Michigan. The name is a Chippewa (Ojibway) Indian word meaning "first" "ahead" "he goes before." The word was selected by Peter White (Pierre Le Blanc), an early and much loved citizen of Marquette, Mich., at the suggestion of the owners of the Pioneer Iron Company as the best word he could think of that would represent the word "Pioneer."
Nashville, Forest County, Wisconsin, was named for G. V. Nash, of Forest City, Arkansas.
Neligh, Antelope County, Nebraska, was named in 1873 by William B. Lambert, for John D. Neligh of West Point, Nebraska, who platted the town site. Nelson, Lee County, Illinois, was named for Samuel Nelson, an early settler here.
Nenzil, Cherry County, Nebraska, was named for George Nenzil, an early set- tler of this part of the county and the owner of the land on which the town is located.
Neshkora, Marquette County, Wisconsin. This name was built up from Nash and Kora, names of two of the early settlers near this town. For euphony the first name is spelled Nesh instead of Nash.
Nevada, Story County, Iowa. This is a Spanish word meaning "snow clad" "snowy land," and was originally applied to snow capped mountains. The town was named by the county commissioners in 1853, from the Sierra No- vada mountains.
Nevada Gulch, Lawrence County, South Dakota, was named from the gulch in which it is located. That was named from the State of Nevada, and this was named from the Spanish word meaning "snow clad" "snowy land," and was originally applied to snow capped mountains.
Newald, Forest County, Wisconsin, was platted in 1905 by the Western Town Lot Company and was named Ross for Chas. Ross, an early settler of the vicinity. The name was changed in 1906 to Newald for the owner of prop- erty in the vicinity.
Newbold, Oneida County, Wisconsin, was named for Fred. Newbold, a nephew of F. W. Rhinelander, President of the Milwaukee, Lake Shore and West-
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HISTORY OF THE PLACE NAMES OF THE NORTH WESTERN LINE.
ern Railroad, when it was built thro' this place. Mr. Newbold owned and operated a saw mill at Tigerton, Wisconsin.
New London, Waupaca County, Wisconsin, was named in 1852 by R. Smith, when building a plank road between Appleton and Stevens Point, from his old home in Connecticut.
New London Junction, Outagamie County, Wisconsin. The name was given this site because at this point, another railroad crossed that of the Chicago and North Western Company, which runs thro' New London proper.
Nowman's Grove, Madison County, Nebraska, was platted in 1886 by the Pio- neer Town Site Company and was named from a nearby grove. This grove was named for one of the first settlers in this part of the state, who planted the grove that was ultimately known by this name.
Newport, Rock County, Nebraska. During the time the Government was building the United States Military Post at Fort Niobrara, a bridge was built across the Niobrara River some ten or twelve miles north of this place, and mule trains crossed there and followed the north side of the river for a good many miles west. This bridge was called the Newport Bridge. When the railroad was built the Chief Engineer thereof, thought it proper to call this place Newport, because it was the nearest point to the bridge aforesaid.
Newton, Manitowoc County, Wisconsin, was named for Sergeant John Newton of the Revolutionary War. The postoffice is called Timothy.
New Ulm, Brown County, Minnesota, was named New Ulm by immigrants from their native city, (Ulm) in Germany.
Nickerson, Dodge County, Nebraska, was named for Captain Frederick Nick- erson, a sea captain, steamboat owner and capitalist of Boston, Massa- chusetts.
Nicollet, Nicollet County, Minnesota, was named for Jean Nicholas Nicollet, a French explorer and Cartographer. He was born in Savoy in 1781 and came to the United States on a scientific tour. He explored the southern states and then via the Red, Arkansas and Missouri Rivers he traversed the great central basin of the continent. In 1836 he visited the sources of the Mississippi river and prepared maps of his journeys for the United States Government. He died in Washington, D. C., in 1843.
Niles Center, Cook County, Illinois, was named for the township. That was named for Niles a village in Cayuga County, New York.
Niobrara, Knox County, Nebraska. This is an Indian word meaning "broad water" "running water," and was first applied to the river and from that was applied to the town site.
Node Ranch, Converse County, Wyoming, was named from the cattle brand of a nearby cattle ranch, that was owned by a Denver, Colorado, corporation, and that was managed by Frank S. Lusk, for whom the town and station of Lusk, were named. The name Node was taken from a work on astronomy. Nora, Nuckolls County, Nebraska, was platted in 1888 under the name of South Nora by the Pioneer Town Site Company and was named from Nora, Illinois, whence its earliest settlers emigrated. Nora, Illinois, was named by Colonel R. B. Mason, Chief Engineer of the Illinois Central railroad at the request of J. M. Douglas, its President, for a woman living there when the village was started. He said it was a small place and should have a small name.
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HISTORY OF THE PLACE NAMES OF THE NORTH. WESTERN LINE
Norfolk, Madison County, Nebraska, was named by ex-Governor John M. Thayer from the county in England and from Norfolk, Massachusetts. A local though untrue legend is to the effect that it was named for the north fork of the Elkhorn River.
Norfolk Junction, Madison County, Nebraska, was platted in 1881 by the Pio- neer Town Site Company and was named from its proximity to the City of Norfolk.
Normandy, Bureau County, Illinois, was named for the Norman family from whom the land for the town site was bought.
Norrie, Marathon County, Wisconsin, was named for Gordon Norrie, for many years, Treasurer of the Milwaukee, Lake Shore and Western Railroad.
North Aurora, Kane County, Illinois, was named from its being north and near to the city of Aurora.
Nowlin, Stanley County, South Dakota, was named from a nearby postoffice. That was named for Major Henry J. Nowlan of the United States Army. In naming the postoffice it was erroneously spelled and this corrupt spell- ing has followed into the spelling of the name of the town.
North Avenue, Cook County, Illinois. This is merely a station located on North Avenue in the city of Chicago; the Avenue when so named was the north- ern limits of the city.
North Chicago, Lake County, Illinois. The original name of this place was South Waukegan, and was so named because of its joining the limits of that city. Its name was ultimately changed by some real estate speculators who bought the place.
North Freedom, Sauk County, Wisconsin, was named from the sentiment that should animate all Americans. The town was originally named Bloom by G. Van Meenan for G. W. Bloom, the original owner of the town site. The name was changed to North Freedom on petition from the citizens.
Northfield, Cook County, Illinois, was named from Northfield, Massachusetts, and that was so named because of its northerly situation in the county of Franklin.
Northville, Spink County, South Dakota, was named by the railroad company from the fact that the station then was the most northerly station on the railroad. The town was platted in 1881 by the Western Town Lot Company.
Norwalk, Monroe County, Wisconsin, was named by S. McGarry the original owner of the town site, from his residence in the State of Ohio. Norwalk, Ohio, that was named for Norwalk in Connecticut, and that was derived from an Indian word meaning "A point of land."
Norway, Benton County, Iowa, was named by Osman Tuttle, a Norwegian, from his native state.
Norway, Dickinson County, Michigan, was named because of the abundance of so-called Norway pine (Pinus resinosa-"Red Pine") that grew in the vicinity when the town was established.
Norwood Park, Cook County, Illinois, was named Norwood by the owner of the town site from a novel written by Henry Ward Beecher. The word "Park" was afterwards added to distinguish this place from Norwood in Mercer County, Illinois.
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HISTORY OF THE PLACE NAMES OF THE NORTH WESTERN LINE
Oak, Nuckolls County, Nebraska, was platted in 1888 by the Pioneer Town Site Company and was named from Oak Creek, a tributary of the Big Blue River that runs through the town. The creek was named because of the groves of oak trees that lined its banks.
Oak Center, Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin. Was named by Perry H. Smith, an officer of the original Chicago and North Western Railway, because the town was established in a grove of oaks.
Oakdale, Antelope County, Nebraska, was laid out in 1891 by the Pioneer Town Site Company and was named by I. N. Taylor of Omaha, Nebraska, who was part owner in the town site. He named it Oakdale because of the oak trees that grew around the place.
Oakes, Dickey County, North Dakota, was named for Thomas F. Oakes an officer of the Northern Pacific Railroad. The town was laid out in 1886 by the Western Town Lot Company.
Oakfield, Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin, was so named by Jacob Brewster, an early settler, because it was located in a grove of oak trees.
Oak Park, Cook County, Illinois. The settlement was first known as Kettle- strings' Grove. The second name was Oak Ridge. When in the summer of 1848, the railroad reached here from Chicago, the station was named Harlem from Harlem in Holland, and the postoffice was named Noyesville for an old settler. The present name followed the above and was adopted because of the many oak trees that grew on the village plat.
Oconto, Oconto County, Wisconsin, was named from the river. The word is Indian. In one language it means "red ground" and in the Menominee dialect, "place of the pickerel." The river was, by the early settlers, called the Pickerel River. The Indians also called the black bass Oconto. Ocla, Fremont County, Wyoming, was platted by the Pioneer Town Site Com- pany and was named for an Indian (Omaha tribe, perhaps) word meaning "water."
Oconto Falls, Oconto County, Wisconsin, was named because it is located near the falls of the Oconto River.
Octavia, Butler County, Nebraska, was laid out in 1887 by the Pioneer Town Site Company and was named for Mrs. Octavia Speltz, wife of Allen Speltz, a prominent farmer of the vicinity, who desired that the town should be so named.
Odanah, Ashland County, Wisconsin, is an Ojibway Indian word meaning "town" or " village. "
Odebolt, Sac County, Iowa, was so named from a stream that runs through the town. The name is a corruption of Odebeau, the name of a French trap- per, who in 1855 lived on the bank of the creek. The town was platted by the Blair Land Company in 1877.
Odin, Watonwan County, Minnesota, was laid out in 1899 by the Western Town Lot Company and was named from Odin, a village in Marion County, Illinois; that was named for the heathen god Odin of the ancient northern nations.
Oolrichs, Fall River County, South Dakota, was named for Henry Oelrichs, who owned a cattle ranch in the immediate vicinity.
Ogden, Boone County, Iowa, was named for William B. Ogden, an early Presi- dent of the Galena and Chicago Union and of the Chicago & North West- ern railroads.
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HISTORY OF THE PLACE NAMES OF THE NORTH WESTERN LINE
Okee, Columbia County, Wisconsin, was named by Mrs. (Dr.) Miller Blakeley. It is an Indian word meaning "evil spirits." In another Indian dialect the word is Auke and means "earth" or "place." The early French maps give the name as Okee.
Omaha, Douglas County, Nebraska, is an Indian word meaning "up stream." The name was suggested for the town by Jesse Lowe. Omaha is also the name of a tribe designated as the "up-stream people." In Lewis and Clark's day, the tribe was known as the Mah-has.
Omaha Heights, Douglas County, Nebraska, was so named because the station was located on a height of land adjoining the city of Omaha.
Onalaska, La Crosse County, Wisconsin, Onalaska is doubtless of Indian deri- vation or construction; its meaning is doubtful. Some claim, it means "bright water," and others, that it was the name of a Winnebago Indian woman and that it had no meaning. It is also claimed the name came from the Alaska Indians or from a Russian corruption of an Indian word. Onawa, Monona County, Iowa, was laid out in 1857 by the Mormon Land Com- pany, and afterwards was named from an elision of Onaway, one of the characters in Longfellow's poem of the story of Hiawatha. The word means "awake" or "wide awake."
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