USA > Illinois > Cook County > Chicago > A History of the Origin of the Place Names Connected with the Chicago & North Western and. > Part 22
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Lime Creek, Murray County, Minnesota, was established in 1885 and was named from the nearby creek. The creek was named by the early settlers living along its course, from the limestone which underlaid its waters.
Lindeman, Trempeleau County, Wisconsin, was named for James L. Linder- man, a prominent German of Sparta, Wisconsin, who started the first bank and mills in the village.
Luverne, Rock County, Minnesota, was started in 1872 and was named by Philo Hawes an early settler, for his daughter Luverne Hawes.
Lyons, Burt County, Nebraska. This town was named by Waldo Lyons for him- self in 1880. Waldo Lyons was a strenuous advocate of total abstinence, and when the town was named he insisted that no saloon or other place for the public sale of alcoholic liquors should ever be permitted in the place. All the deeds for lots in the place contain this prohibition.
Medelia, Watonwan County, Minnesota, was started in 1857 and was named by General M. Hartshorn for his daughter Medelia. This naming was the settlement of a dispute as to what name the place should have. The name is an elision and reconstruction of the name Madeleine.
Magnet, Cedar County, Nebraska, was started in 1893 and named by B. E. Smith the owner of the town site, from the Magnet (lodestone) thinking the name would draw (attract) people there, as the magnet attracts iron.
Magnolia, Rock County, Minnesota, was named from the township it is in. The township was named by Philo Hawes the first settler in the county, from Magnolia, his old home in Rock County, Wis. That place was named directly or indirectly for Dr. Pierre Magnol, for whom a species of the Magnolia tree was named.
Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minnesota. This place was named by a Mrs. Hinkley an early settler here, who spoke the Sioux Indian language. The word is Sioux Indian and means "blue" or probably more properly "green earth." The proper spelling of the word seems to have been Mah-ka-to and was by the Indians applied to the river because of the bluish or greenish cast of its waters. This color came from copper ores that were and are in the soil along the river.
Maskell, Dixon County, Nebraska, was named for John Maskell who "home- steaded" the land on which it is located during the War of the Re- bellion, and it has been the home of the family ever since. The name was suggested by T. N. Jones of St. James, Neb., as he wished to honor the memory of Mr. Maskell.
Marston, Bayfield County, Wisconsin. This name merely indicates a point that is shown on the time table of the road. The name has no historical significance.
Marshfield, Wood County, Wisconsin. This place was named by John J. Marsh of Haverhill, Massachusetts for his uncle, Samuel Marsh. The land on which the town is located, was part of the lands granted by the United
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States to the Fox River Improvement Company for the purpose of es- tablishing a waterway between Green Bay and the Mississippi River. Horatio Seymour, A. B. Cornell, Erastus Corning, Wm. Allen Butler, all of New York State and Samuel Marsh of Massachusetts, were among the original owners of the place. The legend that this place was named from Marshfield, the home of Daniel Webster in Massachusetts is a myth propa- gated in very recent years. We are indebted to Hon. W. H. Upham, ex- Governor of Wisconsin for the facts in this case. The Governor has been nearly a life-long resident, and the most prominent business man of the place.
Mason, Bayfield County, Wisconsin, was named by John A. Humbird, the owner of the town site, for the Free Masons, because a friend of his was a very enthusiastic Mason.
Mendota, Dakota County, Minnesota. This is the oldest town in the State, having been started in 1830. The name is an Indian word meaning in one language "the junction of two trails," and in the Sioux tongue "the mouth of a river." As the Dakota (Sioux) Indians frequented these parts, it is believed that their meaning of the word should apply, as here the Minnesota (St. Peter) River enters the Mississippi. As early as 1835, General H. H. Sibley had an Indian trading post here and in 1837, erected a stone dwelling house that still stands and is in good preservation. Nearby is Fort Snelling. This United States Fort was built by Colonel Josiah Snelling in 1820-3 and was named Fort Anthony from the falls of that name. In 1824 the name was formally changed by the United States Sec- retary of War, and was named for the above named Colonel Snelling.
Menominee, Dunn County, Wisconsin, was named by Captain William Wilson in 1846 for the Indian tribe. The word having reference to wild rice (Zizania aquatica) which formerly grew throughout the country the Menomonee tribe of Indians ranged over. These Indians lived a large part of the year on this wild rice. The French called them "The Rice Eaters."
Menominee Junction, Dunn County, Wisconsin, was so named because of its relation to the city of this name. It is a mere junction between the main line and a branch of the railroad.
Merriam, Scott County, Minnesota, was started in 1875 and named by General Judson W. Bishop of St. Paul, Minnesota for Governor John L. Merriam of Minnesota.
Merrill, Plymouth County, Iowa, was named in 1872 in honor of Samuel Mer- rill, Governor of Iowa, 1868-70.
Merrillan, Jackson County, Wisconsin, was named by and for L. G. Merrill, who owned property here when the town was platted and named.
Miloma, Jackson County, Wisconsin. The original name of this place was Prairie Junction and was given it, because it was a junction on the prairie, between the main line and a branch. The present name was made up by taking the first three letters "Mil" from the word Milwaukee of the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railroad and the first three letters "oma" of the word Omaha (from the title of the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis and Omaha Railroad) and uniting them. Both railroads contribute to the prosperity of this place and were intended to be honored by making this name.
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Midvale, Washington County, Minnesota, was named by E. W. Winter, then General Manager of the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis and Omaha Rail- road, because it was about midway between Hudson, Wisconsin and St. Paul, Minnesota and was situated in a "vale" or "valley."
Millston, Jackson County, Wisconsin, was started in 1870 and was named by and for H. B. Mills.
Mines, Pierce County, Wisconsin, was named from nearby iron ore mines. Minneapolis, Hennepin County, Minnesota. This name is a combination of the Indian word minni water and the Greek polis, meaning city. The first house was built here in 1849. The town was incorporated in 1867. St. Anthony, a very old town on the east bank of the river and directly at the Falls of St. Anthony, was incorporated in 1856 and merged with Minneapolis in 1872. St. Anthony city was named from the Falls, and the falls were named by the early French missionaries and explorers for St. Anthony of Padua. The falls were first seen by these missionaries on St. Anthony's day.
Minnesota Transfer, Ramsay County, Minnesota. It is an important freight transfer point, but the name has no historical significance.
Minneopa, Blue Earth County, Minnesota. The place was started in 1876 and was named from the falls nearby in the Minneopa River. The name is a contraction of the Dakota (Sioux) Indian name min-ne-hin-opa, which means "water falling twice," or "two waters fall,"' or "two water falls." This name for euphony, was contracted to the form given to the village. The state of Minnesota recently purchased the land around these falls and has converted it into the "Minneopa Falls State Park."
Minong, Washburn County, Wisconsin, was started in 1888 and named by Joshia Bond. The name minong is said to be Indian name for blue ber- ries, huckleberries, whortleberries. i. e. Vaccinium corymbosam,
Mitchell, Davison County, South Dakota, was named by J. D. Lawler of Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, for Alexander Mitchell, then president of the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railway.
Mondovi, Buffalo County, Wisconsin, was started in 1855 and was named by Elihu B. Gifferd, from Mondovi, in Italy, one of the battlefields of Napoleon the First.
Montrose, McCook County, South Dakota. This town was started in 1880 and named by R. F. Petigrew of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, from Sir Walter Scott's "Legend of Montrose."
Mountain Lake, Cottonwood County, Minnesota, was named by A. A. Soule once of the state of Maine, in 1870, from his farm. When first named he called it "Twin Mountain Lake," and when asked why this name, he replied, "because there is neither mountain nor lake within a hundred miles." When he discovered the nearby lake, he found an elevation on a small island in the land, and changed the name of his farm to the present form, and the name of the village followed that.
Nacora, Dakota County, Nebraska. This is a name coined from the Spanish word nacio, meaning "I am born."
Narrows, Washburn County, Wisconsin, was named from a stream connecting Balsam and Cedar Lakes.
Neillsville, Clark County, Wisconsin. This place was started in 1856 and was named by and for James Neill, the pioneer settler of the place.
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New Auburn, Chippewa County, Wisconsin. Originally in 1878, this place was called Cartwright, for D. W. Cartwright, the pioneer. He was a hunter, trapper, etc., etc., and wrote "Western Wild Animals," which had con- siderable reputation at one time. The name was then changed to Auburn to correspond with the name of the township that it is in. In 1904 the word "New" was added, but the reasons therefor, seem to have been lost. The "Auburn" came from Goldsmith's "Deserted Village," through Auburn, Cayuga County, New York.
New Castle, Dixon County, Nebraska, was started in 1878 and was named by Gustavus Smith because as is asserted in the place, he had just built a house which he called his "new castle." The compiler of this record believes this to be fiction, and has reason to believe the place was named from New Castle, Lawrence County, Pennsylvania, as Mr. Smith emigrated from that place. New Castle in Pennsylvania was named from the town in England that gave title to the Dukes of Newcastle.
New Richmmond, St. Croix County, Wisconsin. This place was established in 1850 and bore the names of Foster's Crossing, Gridley and Fremont respectively at various times down to 1862, when by Henry Russell and John McGregor the name was finally fixed in its present form. It was named for Richmond Day, one of the original founders of the ulace.
Nicols, Dakota County, Minnesota. This place was named more than forty years ago for John Nicols, who was a prominent citizen of St. Paul, Min- nesota, and who owned in 1865, a farm near this town site. Mr. Nicols was the founder of the hardware firm of Nicols, Dean and Gregg, of St. Paul, Minnesota.
Norfolk, Madison County, Nebraska, was started in 1869 and was named by ex-Governor General John M. Thayer from Norfolk, Mass. A local legend made the name come from the north fork of the Elkhorn River, but so far as can now be learned, this is a legend without any fact behind it.
Norma, Chippewa County, Wisconsin. Was named for the name referred to in a popular opera-"Hear me, Norma, etc."
Northrop, Martin County, Minnesota. Was started in 1899 and was named by the Inter-State Land Company that owned the site, for President Cyrus Northrop, of the Minnesota State University.
North Line, St. Croix County, Wisconsin. Was so named because at this point on the main line of the railroad, a branch line (since grown into a main line) started into the thinly settled parts of northern Wisconsin. The original name was North Wisconsin Junction. The change of name was made in 1906 by J. T. Clark, second vice-president of the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis and Omaha Railroad.
Oaches, Washburn County, Wisconsin. This name merely indicates a point that is shown on the time-table of the road. The name has no historical sig- nificance.
Oakdale, Washington County, Minnesota, was so named because when estab- lished, the location was adjacent to a grove of oak trees in a little valley or "dale."
Oakland, Burt County, Nebraska, was started in 1865 and on the suggestion of James Arkwig a citizen of the village, was named for John Oak, who was the first permanent settler in the place.
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Omaha, Douglas County, Nebraska. Omaha is an Indian word, meaning "up stream." It is the name of an Indian tribe, who by other tribes were called Omaha-"up stream people." In Lewis and Clark's Journal, this tribe was called Mah-has. The application of this name to the city was made on the suggestion of Jesse Love, a man well read in the history of the Indians.
Org, Nobles County, Minnesota. This place was originally called Iselin and was named for Adrian C. Iselin, a banker of New York City who owned much land in this vicinity. It was then named "Sioux Falls Junction," and was so called, because at this point a branch railroad left the main line for the city of Sioux Falls. In 1890 the name was changed to Org by W. A. Scott, the then general manager of the railroad. No one now living knows why he so named the place, where he got the name, or what it means, if it means anything. A legend connects it with "Org" (Dorg) bad slang for the word, dog.
Osseo, Trempeleau County, Wisconsin. The town was started in 1856 and was named by Robert C. Field, one legend says, from the Spanish word oso, meaning "bear," while another says it came from an Indian word ossi, meaning "stone," or "stony place," or "stone on stone," or having relation to "river" and "stone." The name is used by Longfellow in his "Song of Hiawatha." He called Osseo the "son of the Evening Star," and has him apparently when a very old man, turned into a very handsome and attractive young man. Where Longfellow got the name is not now known.
Ottawa, Le Sueur County Minnesota. This is one of the oldest towns in the state, as it was started in 1854. It was named for the Indian tribe. With- out definite and certain proof, the word is said to mean "far away," "away from any other place." E. M. Haines in his "American Indian" says the word means "traders." The fact seems to be, that the word means one thing in one Indian languge and something entirely different in another. It is not at all unlikely that the word has other meanings than the above.
Pender, Thurston County, Nebraska. This place was started in 1885 and was named by W. E. Peebles, the founder, for a Lord Pender of England, who owned much land in the vicinity.
Pennocks, Clark County, Wisconsin. This name merely indicates a point that is shown on the time-table of the road. The name has no historical sig- nificance.
Perley, Barron County, Wisconsin, was named for Perley Lowe, a well known lumber dealer of Chicago, who had large property interests here.
Perth, Blue Earth County, Minnesota, was named in 1905 from the city in Scotland. Previous to this, the place was called Iceland, from the fact that a number of Danes had emigrated from Iceland to this vicinity. They settled around this place and are now prosperous and contented farmers.
Peterson, Bayfield County, Wisconsin, was named for B. E. Peterson, who owned large timber interests around this place and who shipped his product from this town.
Phipps, Sawyer County, Wisconsin, was named for W. H. Phipps, for a long time land commissioner of the Chicago, St. Paul Minneapolis and Omaha Railroad.
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Pike, Bayfield County, Wisconsin, was named for Captain R. D. Pike, of Bay- field, Wisconsin, who had property interests here.
Pipestone, Pipestone County, Minnesota. This place was started and platted in 1876 by C. H. Bennett and Daniel E. Sweet, and was named by them for the Indian, Great Red Pipestone Quarries, that are mentioned by Longfellow in his "Hiawatha," and that are quite close to this city. These quarries were visited by Catlin in 1836 and by Fremont in 1838-9 and were described by them. Jean Nicholas Nicollet, the French explorer and map maker, also visited and mapped these quarries in 1838-9. The land surrounding the quarries is now an Indian reservation, and on it is a large United States Indian Training School.
Ponca, Dixon County, Nebraska. This town was established in 1854 and was named from the Ponca tribe of Indians who had a reservation nearby. The word means "medicine."
Prentice, Bayfield County, Wisconsin. This name merely indicates a point that is shown on the time-table of the road. The name has no historical significance.
Price, Jackson County, Wisconsin. Was named for State Senator William (Bill) T. Price, of Black River Falls, Wisconsin, who had large property interests there.
Requa, Jackson County, Wisconsin. When this town was platted, it was named Hanson, for the owner of a farm in the neighborhood. It was then changed to Garfield to honor the name of President James A. Garfield. It ultimately was named Requa. This name (or as it was originally spelled Re-que) is taken from a cluster of farms in Norway, where the parents of the Pastor St. S. Reque of the church of Spring Grove, Minnesota and of many persons who are settled around the village of Requa, lived in Norway. The meaning of the old Norse word (Rockvin) is "path meadow" "rok" "rach," "raak," means "a path," and "vin" or "wen" or "veen" means meadow. Hence a "meadow with a path running through" would be the literal meaning of the word as spoken in the old Norse tongue. In course of time after Denmark had forced its language upon Norway, the word was spoken as if spelled Requa and hence the present name. The residents, on one at least of these farms, is known as Siur Requa or Reque and his father was known as Styrk Reque, while still an older one was cal- led Nils Reque, so that it would seem that the present name was finally fixed to the soil in Norway.
Radisson, Sawyer County, Wisconsin. This place was named on the suggestion of Captain E. E. Woodman, ex-secretary of the Chicago, St. Paul, Min- neapolis and Omaha Railroad, for Pierre Esprit Radisson. In this way, Captain Woodman has helped to save from almost oblivion, the name of a French traveller who preceeded Fathers Jacques Marquette, Joliet and others, in exploring, not only the country that now forms the state of Wisconsin, but a large portion of the northwestern country. Pierre Esprit Radisson was born in St. Malo, Brittany, France and arrived in New France (Canada) in 1651, a mere youth. In 1652, he was captured by the Iroquois Indians, but escaped from them and got back to the French settlements. In his "Relations," he calls this his "first voyage." Meet- ing another Frenchman, who was named Medard Chouart des Grosielliers, and who claimed to have been as far west as Lake Superior in 1645, Rad-
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isson arranged to have Grosielliers accompany him on his projected explor- ations. Grosiellers was considerably older than Radisson. His native place in France is not known, but it is supposed to have been near Meaux. He, by missionaries and others, was called "Chouart" and "Grosielliers" indifferently and this fact has led to much confusion and has also led many to believe that Radisson had two companions in place of only one. Grosiel- liers spoke the language of the "Huron" Indians and that of some, if not all of the Algonquin tribes, which rendered him invaluable to Radisson, who at this time only spoke-and that indifferently-some of the Iroquois dialects. These two men were the most daring explorers who ever pene- trated the western wilderness in the seventeenth century. In what was the first real exploration, for we should not consider his adventure that ended with his capture by the Iroquois, as a voyage, though he called it such- Radisson accompanied by Grosielliers went to the head waters of the Mis- sissippi River and explored it for a great distance, and he asserts he went south so far that he reached a country where snow and frost were nearly or quite unknown. This was years before the journeys of Marquette and Joliet. The next trip took them to the south shore of Lake Superior and west to the territory inhabited by the Sioux Indians, and into northern Minnesota, and it is believed as far north as Hudson's Bay. The route taken by these explorers from Montreal is not certain, but it appears to have been up the Ottawa River to Lake Nipissing and down the French River to Lake Huron, the same route Jean Nicollet followed when he visited Wisconsin. (This was not Jean N. Niccolett, who explored with John C. Fremont, but was a Frenchman who was here in the seventeenth century.) They certainly visited the Pottawattomie Indians and spent a winter with them, probably at or near Green Bay (the Bay and not the site of the pres- ent city of that name). They visited the Fox River country and met the Mascoutin or "Fire" Indians, who dwelt on this river. Father Allouez found these Indians when he founded in 1670 the first mission for Indians in Wisconsin, near what is now Berlin, Wisconsin. Radisson and Grosielliers spent the next winter on the shore of Lake Superior, probably somewhere between Sault Ste. Marie and the "Pictured Rocks" and quite possibly on "White Fish Bay," as he says he saw and described the Grand Portal at the "Pictured Rocks" (near what now is the town of Munising) and named it for St. Peter. They visited the Huron Isles, Keweenaw Bay and the Montreal River, that forms a portion of the boundary between Wisconsin and Michigan and Chequamegan Bay near the present city of Ashland. Near Whittlesey's Creek, the site of the present city of Ashland, Wisconsin, they built a fort, the first structure built by white men in Wisconsin, or on Lake Superior. They then went westwardly and built a fort in what is now the state of Minnesota, and this was the first building erected by whites in that state. They also built a fort on Chequamegan Bay, on one of their visits to its shores. This voy- age seems to have ended in 1660. Radisson did not, as has been charged, claim to have discovered the Mississippi River, to covet that honor from Marquette and Joliet, as his account of the discovery was written years before Marquette started towards that river. Radisson had been told of this great river by Indians whom he had met during his wanderings. An Iro- quois Chief, for instance, had told him about it in 1657. While Radisson
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has told much that has been proved to be fiction, still there is no doubt that he and Grosielliers were the first to thoroughly explore the shores of Lake Superior and the territory of Wisconsin and Minnesota, and they were the "promoters," to use a modern term-of the "Hudson Bay Com- pany of Traders," and hence are entitled to all the honor that is due to such intrepid workers. "Their names must ever inseparably remain con- nected with the history of Wisconsin and of the old North West, as well as of much more of the North American continent." An island in Lake Superior has been named for Grosielliers, but we believe that this attempt of Captain Woodman, is the first that has been made to perpetuate the name and fame of Radisson.
Ranch Spur, Burt County, Nebraska. This name came from the fact that around this location was a very large cattle ranch. A side track was put in here to accomodate the operators of the ranch and thus the name became attached to the place.
Randolph, Cedar County, Nebraska, was named for Randolph Churchill of England, by F. H. Peavey, of Minneapolis, Minnesota, who owned the town- site.
Rice Lake, Barron County, Wisconsin. This village was named im "350 by the Knapp-Stout Lumber firm, from the nearby lake. The lake was named from the abundance of wild rice (Zizania aquatica) that grew in it v'hen the land was surveyed by the United States.
Richardson, Polk County, Wisconsin. This place was formerly called Marsh Lake from a nearby marshy lake. Its present name was given it in 1887 for Eugene Richardson, an early settler.
Ritter, O'Brien County, Iowa, was named for J. L. Ritter, who when the place was platted was, and for a long time had been a train dispatcher on the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis and Omaha Railroad.
River Falls, Pierce County, Wisconsin, was started in 1849 and was known as Greenwood, until 1853, when the present name was adopted from the falls in the Kinnikinnick River on which it is located. The river is named from an Indian word that means a mixture of tobacco and the bark of the red willow or other shrubs, or the bark of the shrubs without any admixture of tobacco. In either case, the Indians were fond of smoking in their pipes the substance they named by this word.
Riverside, Hanson County, South Dakota, was named in 1899 from its situation on the east sided of the James River. It was once known as Whites, for J. R. White, a grain and stock dealer here, for many years. In 1893, it was by W. A. Scott, then general manager of the railroad, changed to "Kif" which were the first three letters in the name of a town in Asiatic Turkey -Kifri. The name so made was merely adopted because it was short, and because it was certain that no other place in the United States would have such a name.
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