USA > Illinois > Cook County > Chicago > A History of the Origin of the Place Names Connected with the Chicago & North Western and. > Part 15
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Ridgeway, Iowa County, Wisconsin, was named from the township, and that was named because of the many ridges that ran through it.
Ridott, Stephenson County, Illinois. The earliest name was Cochranville. In 1863 it was named Ridott from the township in which it was located. The township was named for an early settler.
Riley's, Dane County, Wisconsin, was named by Wiliam Riley, for the Riley Brothers, owners of the original town site. Originally the town was called Sugar River from a nearby stream.
Ringle, Marathon County, Wisconsin, was named for John R. Ringle, of Wausau, Wisconsin, because he was a very large land owner in the vicinity when the town was established. He was also editor of an influential Wausau, Wiscon- sin, newspaper.
Ringwood, MeHenry County, Illinois. There are two traditions as to this name; one is, that it was named by Mrs. John E. Gray, from the fact that the town was established on a small prairie, entirely surrounded by a ring of "woods" (a forest). The other is, that it was named by the Misses Rey- nolds, daughters of Judge Reynolds, the first settler, from Ringwood Park, in England.
Ringsted, Emmet County, Iowa. Was laid out in 1899 by the Western Town Lot Company, and was named by Mrs. John Larson in honor of her old home in Denmark.
Riverton, Fremont County, Wyoming. This town was platted under the United States Town Site Law, and was named Wadsworth in honor of H. E. Wads- worth, the local Indian agent. This name was changed to Riverton, as it was thought to be significant of the location of the place, a town on the bank of a river-the Big Horn. The town site is really one mile from this river.
Bipon, Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin, was named in 1850 from a town in England, by John S. Homer, whose ancestors emigrated from that place. Here in 1844, Warren Chase, of Kenosha, Wisconsin, established a Four- ierite "phalanx" and called it "Ceresco" from Ceres the Goddess of Agri- culture. The colony was disbanded in 1850 and thus passed into history.
River Forest, Cook County, Illinois, was named Thatcher for David C. Thatcher, an early settler, after it had carried the name "Des Plaines River" as its railroad station. In 1872, it was given its present name, because it was a
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village in a forest alongside of a river. Who made this name is in dispute and will never be positively known.
ib River, Marathon County, Wisconsin, was named from the nearby river. The name is a transliteration of the Indian name of the river.
nssell, Lyman County, South Dakota, was named for J. C. Russell, of Midland, South Dakota, and who furnished the land for the town site of Midland.
iver Sioux, Harrison County, Iowa. This place was named from the Little Sioux River, on which it is located. The river was named from the Sioux (Dakota) tribe of Indians, that formerly ranged and hunted on this stream. obbins, Ontonagon County, Michigan, was named for F. S. Robbins, of Rhine- lander, a prominent mill man, and who once operated a saw mill here.
ochelle, Ogle County, Illinois. Its first name was Lane, and it was named for a family by that name. In 1865 it was changed to its present form, from Rochelle, in France.
ock, Rock County, Nebraska, was named on account of the rocky character of the soil in the neighborhood.
ochester, Olmsted County, Minnesota, was named from Rochester, New York, and that was named from Colonel Nathaniel Rochester, its senior proprietor. ockfield, Washington County, Wisconsin. Its earliest name was Germantown, and it was so named from the many Germans settled nearby. The present name came from the fact that there were many curiously marked rocks in a nearby field.
ockford, Winnebago County, Illinois, was so named because it was at a very rocky ford on Rock River. In a very early day the place was called Mid- way, as it was about half way between Chicago and Galena, Illinois.
ockham, Faulk County, South Dakota. The town site was named from a place in Australia, it being an elision of the name Rockhampton. It was laid out in 1886 by the Western Town Lot Company.
ock Island Junction, Whiteside County, Illinois, was so named when a mere junction point of the Rockford, Rock Island and St. Louis Railroad and the North Western Line. When the place became a town the railroad appellation was not disturbed.
ockland, La Crosse County, Wisconsin. The original name of the post office was Fish Creek. When renamed, it took its name from the rocky land around it.
ogers Park, Cook County, Illinois, was named for Phillip Rogers, the original owner of the town site.
olfe, Pocahontas County, Iowa. The original name was Pocahontas and was named for the Virginian Powhatan Indian woman, who the traditions of early Virginia allege saved the life of Captain John Smith. When the first name was changed, the present name was adopted. Rolf was the name of the soldier who abducted the so-called Pocahontas and carried her off with him "across the sea." The town was laid out in 1859.
ollo, De Kalb County, Illinois, was named from the Rollo books, a series of children's books that once were very popular. The word is a corruption of Raleigh, one of the noted names of English and Virginian history.
oscoe, Winnebago County, Illinois, was named from the township, which was named by Ralph Abell for William Roscoe, the English historian.
ose Hill, Cook County, Illinois. The earliest name of the post office was Have- lock; when a settlement grew around the postoffice, it was called Chitenden,
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for an early settler. When the village was formed, the present name war given it because of the many wild roses that grew on the adjacent hills.
Rosendale, Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin, was so named because when located the town site was a mass of wild rose bushes. The name is a combination of the German "rosen" for rose, and the English "dale."
Rosholt, Portage County, Wisconsin, was named for John Rosholt, the pioneer of this district.
Ross, Audubon County, Iowa, was named for a nearby farmer. It was laid out by the Western Town Lot Company in 1882.
Rosseau, Hughes County, South Dakota. This place was named for an early French trading family. The name is from the French Roseau, meaning a "reed" or a "rush." In the northwest it seems first to have been applied to a stream somewhere in Minnesota, that was nearly obscured by rushes, or coarse water grasses. There were three brothers Rosseau located on the Missouri River near this station. Another brother was the Catholic Bishop of Quebec. All the brothers were educated and refined gentlemen, and as a rule associated with the whites, but in other respects, they lived and died in Indian ways.
Boss, Vilas County, Wisconsin, was named for John D. Ross, an early lumber mill operator of this county.
Ross, Waseca County, Minnesota, was named for Ross Redfield, who lived nearby.
Round Grove, Whiteside County, Illinois, was named for a large round grove that was near the site of the original town.
Rowena, Redwood County, Minnesota, was laid out by the Western Town Lot Company in 1902, and was named from a character in a once very noted novel.
Roxby, Cherry County, Nebraska. This name is a elision of Roxbury, and was taken from Roxbury Station, Littlefield County, Conn.
Rubens, Pocahontas County, Iowa, was named for Peter Paul Rubens, the German painter of "Flemish pictures."
Ruby Basin, Lawrence County, South Dakota, was named from a "basin'' in the Black Hills near Deadwood, from the fact that in it many rubies are found.
Rudolph, Brown County, South Dakota. This place was named by C. E. Sim- mons for H. Rudolph Mccullough, one of the officers of the Chicago and Northwestern Railway Company. The town was laid out in 1881 by the Western Town Lot Company.
Rummele, Vilas County, Wisconsin, was named for E. H. Rummele, for a long time chief engineer of the Milwaukee, Lake Shore and Western Railroad.
Rushville, Sheridan County, Nebraska, was laid out in 1888 by the Pioneer Town Site Company and was named because of its location at the head of Rush Creek. The creek was named because of the great quantity of rushes (Typha latifolia) that grew upon it, when it was first seen by the early settlers.
Butland, Humboldt County, Iowa, was named by H. G. Bicknell, the originator of the town, from Rutland Vermont, because there were many around this location who had moved from that state. The town was laid out in 1882 by the Western Town Lot Company.
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Bac City, Sac County, Iowa. Sac City was named from the county and that was named for the Indian tribe. The name refers to "yellow earth," the proper form being Osaukee.
St. Charles, Kane County, Illinois. Was, named Charleston by Ira Minard, an early settler, from Charleston, his birthplace, in New Hampshire. In 1836, when the first postoffice was established here, the name was changed to prevent confusion in the mails, as there was another Charleston in Illinois.
St. Charles, Winona County, Minnesota, was named in 1853 by L. H. Springer from St. Charles, Illinois, whence he had emigrated.
St. Charles, Gregory County, South Dakota, was named Hampton by Charles A. Johnson, president of the First National Bank of Fairfax, South Dakota, who donated the land for the town site, but the general postoffice depart- ment objected to that name and then St. Charles was adopted. It is based on Mr. Johnson's first name-Charles, and "St." was added for euphony.
St. Cloud, Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin, was named by Benert Moesch, the original owner of the town site, from the place in France.
St Francis, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin. The original and Indian name of this place was No-gos-hing from nodaway, meaning "enemies" or "snakes." Its present name was given by Rev. Joseph Salzman, D.D., president of the Seminary of St. Francis de Sales, opened in 1856 and which is located here. The Seminary was named in honor of St. Francis de Sales, Bishop of Geneva, Switzerland, who died in 1622, by the Rev. Father Henni, first Bishop and first Archbishop of Milwaukee.
Stella Junction, Oneida County, Wisconsin. This name merely indicates a point that is shown on the time table of the road. The name has no historical significance. A few miles west of the junction is a village called Stella which was named for Dean Jonathan Swift's "Stella," the lady he immortalized in his writings.
State Line, Winnebago County, Iowa. This name merely indicates a point that is shown on the time table of the road. The name has no historical signifi- cance. It is on the line between the states of Iowa and Minnesota and that fact gave it this name.
St. Lawrence, Hand County, South Dakota. The original name of this place was Rex (King) for J. M. King, an early settler. Its present name was given by Don H. Porter, from the county and river in New York, and these were named from the gulf. The gulf was so named because it was dis- covered upon the feastday of the saint.
St. Lawrence, Marquette County, Michigan, was named from the river St. Lawrence, and that was so named from the gulf, and the gulf was so named because it was discovered upon the feastday of St. Lawrence.
Shennington, Monroe County, Wisconsin, was founded by and named for and by Fred. H. Shennington, of Silver Lake, Kenosha County, Wisconsin, who started the first store in the village he had platted.
Soperton, Forest County, Wisconsin, was named from the Soper Lumber Com- pany, that had interests here when the town was located.
St. Mario, Green Lake County, Wisconsin, was named from a nearby church, which was named for the saint.
St. Mary's Miner County, South Dakota, was named for Mary the daughter of Dr. Louis Gotthelf, the original owner of the town site. For euphony
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he prefixed the "St." It was laid out in 1886 by the Western Town Lot Company.
St. Onge, Lawrence County, South Dakota. This place was named for Henry St. Onge, a pioneer here. It was laid out in 1891 by the Pioneer Town Site Company. A nearby mission church was also named for Mr. St. Onge. St. Peter, Nicollet County, Minnesota. The town was named by the Winona and St. Peter Company from the river on which it is located. The river was named for Pierre (Peter) Charles LaSuerer, a French explorer, who - is believed to have been the first white man to navigate this stream. Ho was on it as early as 1689. Rocky Point was the first name given by the white settlers to this location.
St. Rose, Grant County, Wisconsin, was named from a nearby Catholic church Salem, McCook County, South Dakota, was named by J. H. Brown, on the suggestion of E. F. Drake, from the city in Massachusetts. The tow around the station was laid out in 1889 by the Western Town Lot Com . pany. Salem is a Hebrew word meaning "peace," and was applied to th 9 Massachusetts city by the earliest settlers in the hope of finding there th peace and security they had not found in Europe whence they had emigrated.
Salem, Kenosha County, Wisconsin, was nemed from the city in Massachusetts by John Cogswell, who had emigrated therefrom. Salem is Hebrew for "peace" and was applied to the Massachusetts city by the earliest settlers, in the hope that they would find that peace and security there which they had not found in England.
Salix, Woodbury County, Iowa, was named Salix from the botanical name for the willow, because there were many willows growing nearby when the town was established.
Sanborn, Redwood County, Minnesota, was named for Sherburn Sanborn, now (1907) of Milwaukee, Wis, but for many years, an officer of the Chicago & North Western railway company.
Sandhurst, Ontonagon County, Michigan. This is a fancy name built up from the word "sand" and the translation of the German word "hoorst," which means "a grove." It was adopted for this place merely because it was thought to be unique and euphonious.
Sand Rock, Iron County, Wisconsin, was so named because sand stone (rock) was plentiful in the vicinity.
Sands, Marquette County, Michigan, was named from the nearby sandy plain. Secor, Hardin County, Iowa, was laid out in 1888 by the Pioneer Town Site Company, and was named for a railroad contractor named Secor.
Sargent's Bluffs, Woodbury County, Iowa. The station and town took its name from the high bluff nearby, which was named Sargents Bluff to honor the memory of Sergeant Charles Floyd of the Lewis and Clark expedition, who died while the boats were passing up the Missouri River a few miles distant and about opposite this bluff. Floyd's body was car- ried up the river and was buried at the point where the bluffs touch the river, just below Sioux City, and to that part of the bluff Lewis and Clark gave the name of Floyd's Bluff.
Satuit, Oneida County, Wisconsin, was named for Sautuit in Barnstable County, Massachusetts. The name was misspelled on the plat of the town and was so recorded and hence so stands to this day.
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Saunders, Iron County, Michigan, was named for a timber "cruiser" of the vicinity.
Sawyer, Fillmore County, Nebraska. Sawyer was laid out and named Buxton, for a valued employe of the railroad company, by the Pioneer Town Site Company in 1887. The name changed to honor Simeon Sawyer, the oldest settler on the place.
Saxon, Iron County, Wisconsin. Saxon was named for that branch of the Teutonic family who originally occupied what is now known as Holstein, in Europe. Originally this town was called Dogwood from the abundance of "dogwood" (Cornus) that grew hereabouts.
Saylor, Polk County, Iowa, was named from the township and that was named for Thomas Saylor, an early settler, who had many years before the loca- tion of this place, platted a village which he called Saylorville. The post- office is Marquisville.
Schaller, Sac County, Iowa, was named for Phillip Schaller of Sac City, Iowa, the original owner of the town site.
Schleswig, Crawford County, Iowa, was laid out in 1899 by the Western Town Lot Company, and was named for the Province of Schleswig in Europe, be- cause many of the nearby farmers had emigrated from that province. Until recently the name of the postoffice here was Hohenzollern.
Scott, Vilas Count, Wisconsin, was named for T. B. Scott of Merrill, Wisconsin, who was prominent in politics and business in Wisconsin in the '70's and '80's.
Scranton, Greene County, Iowa, was named from the city in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania. That was named for Joseph H. Scranton, one of its founders.
Scarville, Winnebago County, Iowa, was named for Ole Scar, who owned much land in the vicinity when the town was established.
Scribner, Dodge County, Nebraska, was named for Charles Scribner, the book publisher of New York City, or the Scribner family, of which, Charles was a leading member.
Scribner Junction, Dodge County, Nebraska. This name merely indicates a point that is shown on the time table of the road. The name has no his- torical significance. It was named from its relation to Scribner.
Seaforth, Redwood County, Minnesota, was platted in 1894 under the name of Okawa by the Western Town Lot Company, but the name was changed to its present form from Seaforth, a well known place in Scotland.
Seatonville, Bureau County, Illinois, was named for W. A. Seaton, an old settler of the vicinity.
Seneca, Faulk County, South Dakota, was laid out in 1887 by the Pioneer Town Site Company, and was named for Seneca Falls, a village in Seneca County, New York. The name is a corruption of the Indian word sinnekaas, which by the Dutch was applied to an Indian tribe of New York State.
Seven Mile Creek, Sheboygan County, Wisconsin, was named from a nearby stream.
Seminole, Natrona County, Wyoming, was named for the Indian tribe, the word meaning "separatist," and was applied to a portion of the tribe that left the parent body and established the one that was known as the Seminole tribe.
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Seward, Seward County, Nebraska, was named from the county and that was named for William H. Seward, the statesman of New York State.
Shabbona Grove, DeKalb County, Illinois, was named for Shabbona, a Pot- tawattamie Indian Chief, who befriended the whites during the Black Hawk Indian war of 1832. It was platted by the railroad company in 1885.
Shafer, Delta County, Michigan, was named for Charles Shafer, a coal dealer of the vicinity
Sharon, Walworth County, Wisconsin, was named for Sharon Springs, New York, whence many of the nearby settlers had emigrated. In an early day it was called Walworth. The word Sharon is of bibical derivation, from the Hebrew, meaning "a plain."
Shawano, Shawano County, Wisconsin. This name was derived from the Ojibway Indian word shawanong, meaning "in the south."
Shawnee, Converse County, Wyoming, was named from the nearby Shawnee Creek and that was named from the Indian tribe. The name means "Southerners" and was given to the tribe because they had emigrated from the Savannah River in Georgia.
Sheboygan, Sheboygan County, Wisconsin. The name is from the Ojibway Indian. Two derivations are given; one from the word ji-ba-i-gan, meaning a perforated object as for instance a pipe stem, and the other from shawb-wa-way, expressing a tradition "that a great noise coming under- ground (from Lake Superior) was heard at this place."
Sheboygan Falls, Sheboygan County, Wisconsin, was named from the fall nearby, and those were named from the county and city.
Sheldahl, Polk County, Iowa, was named by and for Rev. D. Kjaldahl. Owin, to the difficulty of pronouncing this name and for euphony the name was Anglicized to its present form.
Schickley, Fillmore County, Nebraska, was named for Fillmore Schickley, attorney of the first railroad built through the place.
Shoshone, Fremont County, Wyoming, was laid out in 1905 by the Pioneer Town Site Company. It was named from the Shoshone Indian tribe (Snakes), from their reservation and the Shoshone mountains. The Shoshone tribe had its early home in Idaho and Oregon and the great central basin of the continent. The original meaning and derivation of the name is in doubt.
Shopiere, Rock County, Wisconsin. Waterloo was the first name given to this village. In 1847 a committee consisting of Dr. James Buckley, the earliest physician of the place, L. P. Harvey, afterwards Governor of Wis. consin, and John Hopkins, were appointed by the citizens to select a new name for the place. Dr. Buckley, a scholarly man, suggested the present name and it was adopted. The name is a corruption and elision of the French Chaux (Sho) "lime" and pierre "stone," and is descriptive of the geological formation about the place. A colony from Connecticut settled the place in 1836.
Shepley, Shawano County, Wisconsin, was named for Colonel J. S. Shepley, . large property owner of the vicinity.
Siemens, Gogebic County, Michigan, was named for Siemens, the celebrated Metallagist and inventor of an improved iron smelting process, etc., etc. Silica, Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin. The name is from the Latin word for sand (silex, flint) and is supposed to describe the soil around the place.
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Siloam Siding, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, is merely a side track within the city of Milwaukee and was named from the celebrated spring of mineral water nearby. The name of the spring is of Bibical derivation.
Silver Springs, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, was named by Edward J. Cuy- ler, an officer of the railroad because of the owner of a nearby manufactur- ing concern, claimed he had "silver springs" in his factory.
Sioux City, Woodbury County, Iowa, was laid out in 1854, and by its founder, John K. Cooke, was named from the Dakotas (Sioux) Indians, the largest tribe of Indians in the United States. The word is an abbreviation of the name Nadowessious the Ojibway (Chippewa) Indians, applied to this tribe and signifies "little snakes," i. e. "enemies." The French in 1785 called them La Sues, while George Crogan, the Indian interpreter, called them at this time La Suil. The word Sioux is a white man's corruption of the Ojibway name. The Algonquin Indians called the tribe Nadowassiway meaning in the Algonquin tongue "snake," "like snakes" or "enemies." Sioux Rapids, Buena Vista County, Iowa, was named from the rapids in the Big Sioux River; the river was named from the Dakota (Sioux) Indians of Minnesota and Dakota, the largest Indian tribe in the United States. The word is an abbreviation of their Ojibway name and means "little snakes" i. e. "enemies." The town was laid out in 1881 by the Western Town Lot Company. The French-when Capt. George Crogan was in- terpreter and deputy Indian Agent under Sir William Johnson in 1785, called this tribe La Sues, while Crogan spelled the name La Suil.
Slater, Story County, Iowa. Was named for Michael Slater, the owner of the farm on which the town was established.
Sleepy Eye, Brown County, Minnesota, was named from the nearby lake. The lake was named for the Indian Chief Is-na-num-bak. This name signifies "the man whose eyes have the appearance of sleep." "Sleepy Eye" was supposed to be a "good Indian" and a friend of the whites, but he joined the "hostiles" in 1862 when the Sioux war of that year was inaugurated. Sloan, Woodbury County, Iowa, was named for. Samuel Sloan, a noted railroad man of New York. He was at one time Superintendent of the Hudson River Railroad, and afterwards and for many years was president of the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railway. He died in 1907.
Smith's Mill, Waseca County, Minnesota, was named for Peter Smith, the earliest settler here, who owned a mill here,. before the railroad reached the place.
Smithwick, Fall River County, South Dakota, was named for the engineer who was in charge of the construction of the railroad through this place. Snells, Winnebago County, Wisconsin, was named for a nearby land owner. Snyder, Dodge County, Nebraska, was laid out in 1886 by the Pioneer Town Site Company and was named for Conrad Schneider who owned the land on which the town was established. He operated a flouring mill at this location. The spelling of the name was changed to conform to the English form at the request of the early settlers.
Soldier, Monona County, Iowa, was laid out in 1899 by the Western Town Lot Company, and was named from the nearby river. The river was named from the unnamed grave of a United States soldier, who was buried here in an early day.
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Soudan, Cherry County, Nebraska, was named for the Sudan or Soudan province of Egypt, Beled-es-Sudan, or "the land of the blacks" or Nigritia in the valley of the upper Nile.
South Elgin, Kane County, Illinois. This place was named Clintonville, by and for James Clinton an early settler. For a long time the name of its postoffice had been South Elgin. In 1907 the name of the station and village was changed to conform to the name of the postoffice.
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