USA > Illinois > Cook County > Chicago > A History of the Origin of the Place Names Connected with the Chicago & North Western and. > Part 3
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Kossuth County, State of Iowa. Was established in 1851, organized in 1855 and named for Louis Kossuth of Hungary.
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County seat, Algona. Named from a corrupted Indian word meaning "Al- gonquin waters." The word Algoma was formed by Schoolcraft, and Algona is a changed form of Schoolcraft's word. The original name of the settle- ment was Call's Grove, and was so named for the brothers Call, who came here in 1854. The present name was suggested by Mrs. A. C. Call. The town was laid out by the Calls and J. W. Moon in 1856.
La Crosse County, State of Wisconsin. The word is from the French name for the game that was played by the Indians and which the French settlers called "la crosse."
County seat, La Crosse. Named from the county.
LaFayette County, State of Wisconsin. Named for Marquis de LaFayette. County seat, Darlington. Was named for Joseph Darlington, an early settler.
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HISTORY OF THE PLACE NAMES OF THE NORTH WESTERN LINE
Lake County, State of Illinois. Was named from the large number of lakes (108) in the limits of the county.
County seat, Waukegan. Originally this place was called "Little Fort." The present name is the Indian translation of Little Fort.
Lancaster County, State of Nebraska. Named from the town and county in Pennsylvania, which were named from the county in England.
County seat, Lincoln. Named for President Abraham Lincoln.
Langlade County, State of Wisconsin. Named for Charles de Langlade, a Frenchman and said to be the first permanent white settler in the State of Wisconsin.
County seat, Antigo. The name was taken from the Indian words neequic- antigo-sebi. The word Antigo, means evergreen, or where there always are evergreens.
La Salle County, State of Illinois. Named for Rene Robert Cavalier, Sieur de de la Salle, the noted French explorer.
County seat, Ottawa. Named for an Indian tribe.
Lawrence County, State of South Dakota. Named for John Lawrence, a member of the legislature.
County seat, Deadwood. Was named from Deadwood Gulch, and that was so named because of the many dead trees the first prospectors found in the gulch.
Lee County, State of Illinois. Named for General Richard Henry Lee of the Revolution.
County seat, Dixon. Named for Captain John Dixon, an early settler and owner of Dixon's Ferry on Rock River.
Le Sueur County, State of Minnesota. Named for Pierre Charles Le Sueur, an explorer of and trader on the upper Mississippi River 1683-1722. County seat, Le Sueur Center. Named from the county.
Lincoln County, State of Minnesota. Named for Abraham Lincoln.
County seat, Ivanhoe. Was named from Sir Walter Scott's novel of that name.
Lincoln County, State of South Dakota. Named for Abraham Lincoln.
County seat, Canton. Named from Canton, Ohio, that was named indi- rectly from the Chinese city.
Linn County, State of Iowa. Named for Hon. Lewis F. Linn, United States senator from Missouri. The county was created in 1837 and organized in 1839.
County seat, Marion. Was laid out in 1839 and named for General Francis Marion of the Revolutionary War.
Lyman County, State of South Dakota. Named for W. P. Lyman, legislator and soldier.
County seat, Oacoma. This is a Sioux Indian word and means "a place be- tween," and. is here used because the town is located between the river and a bluff.
Lyon County, State of Minnesota. Named for General Nathaniel Lyon of the United States Army.
County seat, Marshall. Named for Gen. W. R. Marshall, governor of the state, 1866-1870.
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HISTORY OF THE PLACE NAMES OF THE NORTH WESTERN LINE
Macoupin County, State of Illinois .. This county was named for the Indian word that designated a tuber, resembling the potato, that was found in abundance along the banks of what is now called Macoupin River or creek. County seat, Carlinville. This city was named for Thomas Carlin, who was governor of Illinois from 1834 to 1842.
Madison County, State of Nebraska. Named for President. James Madison. County seat, Madison. Named from the county.
Mahaska County, State of Iowa. Named for Mahaska, "White Cloud," . chief of the Iowa tribe of Indians. The county was created in 1843 and organized in 1844.
County seat, Oskaloosa, and was named for the wife of the Indian Chief Mahaska. This place was first named "The Narrows;" it was then called Mahaska, but when chosen for the county seat, its name was changed to the present title. This was done at the suggestion of M. T. Williams, an early settler in the county.
Manitowoc County, State of Wisconsin. Man-i-to-wroc-is-an is the Indian word for "spirit land," and the name Manitowoc comes from this word.
County seat, Manitowoc. (For further particulars as to this name, see Manitowoc in the alphabetical list of place names.)
Marathon County, State of Wisconsin. Named for the battlefield in ancient Greece.
County seat, Wausau. The name is a corruption of the Indian word was-sa, meaning "far away."
Marinette County, State of Wisconsin. Named for Marinette Jacobs, the daugh- ter of an Indian chief. This name was made from Maria and Antoinette. County seat, Marinette. Named from the county.
Marshall County, State of Illinois. Named for Chief Justice John Marshall. County seat, Lacon. Named from Laconia in Greece.
Marshall County, State of Iowa. Named for Chief Justice John Marshall. The county was created in 1846 and organized in 1848.
County seat, Marshalltown. Its first name was Marshall, from a place of that name in Michigan, and was laid out and so named by Nels Hanson and John Childs in 1853, but to prevent confusion, the word "town" was afterwards added to the name.
Martin County, State of Minnesota. Named for Henry Martin, an early settler. County seat, Fairmont. Was named in 1857 by W. H. Budd and other com- missioners, who were by the Government appointed to select a site for the county seat. The location is on elevated ground and along a chain of lakes. The outlook is very fine and that induced these commissioners to call the site Fairmont. (Not Fairmount, as it is often incorrectly written.)
Marquette County, State of Michigan: Was named for Father Jacques Mar- quette, the noted Missionary to the Indians. Father Marquette was born at Laon in France in 1637, where he was educated. He came to North America in 1666 and went to Sault St. Marie on the St. Mary's River in Michigan in 1668, where he established a mission. He went to La Pointe on Madaline Island, near the present city of Ashland, Wisconsin, in 1669, and then determined to explore the Mississippi River, of which he had heard much from the Indians of the Lake Superior country. He spent the time between 1669 and 1673 at the island of Michilmacinac (now Macki-
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HISTORY OF THE PLACE NAMES OF THE NORTH WESTERN LINE
nac); at what is now known as old Macinac, and at St. Ignace on Point St Ignace on the main land of the northern peninsula of Michigan near the island of Mackinac. He taught and tried to Christianize the Indians who occupied or visited the vicinity.
On May 17, 1673, he and Louis Joliet left Mackinac in canoes and went up Green Bay (baie de puants of the early French traders and trappers), and via the Fox and the Wisconsin Rivers reached the Mississippi River on June 17. They floated down that stream to a point in what is now the state of Arkansas. They then retraced their steps to the mouth of the Illi- nois River, which they ascended to the Des Plaines River and thence to Lake Michigan, and finally reached the location of the present city of Green Bay in September, 1673.
In the fall of 1674 Marquette reached Chicago, on his second trip to the south, and wintered there. Not long since a monument was set up and dedicated on the spot where this winter sojourn was made. He started south via the south branch of the Chicago and the Des Plaines Rivers on March 30, 1675, and on April 8, 1675, reached Kaskaskia, near where the Kaskaskia River enters the Mississippi River, a hundred miles or so below St. Louis, Mo. After a sojourn there he started back to Mackinac, but died (in 1675) at a point on the east shore of Lake Michigan. His remains were taken to Mackinac and are believed to be buried in or near the ruins of the old mission church at St. Ignace. There is no doubt that Father Marquette visited the site of the present city of Marquette, and hence can be seen the propriety of naming the city and the county it is in for him and to honor and perpetuate his name.
Marquette is a very old settlement. Before Father Marquette first visited the location in 1668, the Indians made it a place of meeting and they had told Radisson and Grossilliers, who preceded Father Marquette in visiting this spot, that it had always been a favorite meeting and fishing point for the Indians.
Peter White, its oldest settler, came west from Rome, New York. The early French trappers and Indian traders called him Pierre Le Blanc, and by that name he was known, and loved and trusted by all the Indians in the country bordering on the shores of Lake Superior. A "poet" claims Peter White lived here in 1664, and welcomed and feasted Marquette when he visited the locality in 1668. This legend is confirmed (?) by the follow- ing poem.
"PIERRE LE BLANC AND FATHER MARQUETTE.
"You know one man call Petare Wite What live up by Marquette, Was born four hundred year ago An' I'm glad she hain't daid yet.
Perhaps you tink dat one big lie, But if you doan' b'lieve true, She's live for last two t'ousand year I'm goin' prove to you.
Deys got a Sunday school up dere, An' one day not long ago Ze teachare hask em question To see how much dey no.
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HISTORY OF THE PLACE NAMES OF THE NORTH WESTERN LINE
'Who's was the one dat run ahead, Say, 'Mak' road and mak' 'em strait'" Come, hanser me dat question now, Doan keep me long to wait.'
Jus' one in hinfant class what no, She was six year hole and bright. Now, I always s'pose 'twas Jean Baptiste- But she say 'Petare Wite.'
An' no I've prove ze haige to you, I'm goin' on wid my story, It's more about dat Petare Wite, An' more as to his glory.
Long time she was call Pierre Le Blanc, 'Bout two tree hundred year Before 'twas change to Petare Wite, By dose English peepl 'roun' here.
One day she walk down by ze rocks, 'Bout sixteen sixty four, An' scratch hees haid and wink hees hye At lit' speck far out from shore.
Ver soon dat lit' speck was a canoe, Bimby it came to shore, A man jump out, strange French man, What she never saw before.
An' dat man say 'Bon jour, my fren', I doan know you, and yet I guess your name is Pierre Le Blanc- Mai name ees Pere Marquette.
'I hear 'bout you from mai grand-pere, Dat you could not be beat, An' I tought I'd stop and get acquaint' So two good mans could meet.'
An' Petare say, 'Dat's very good, I'll tell you what I'll do- I'll build a town on dis here spot An' call it after you.'
An' Petare tak' him to hees house, An' fill him to hees jaw Wid everything she had was nice, Champagne and poisson blanc.
Dat good pries' stay for two, tree week, An' den he say 'Good-bye,' While great big tear run down hees check, Two, tree stan' on hees hye.
An' den he jump in hees canoe An' shove off from ze bank, An' look up to ze sky and say, 'God bless you, Pierre Le Blanc.'
An' Petare built dat city, An' did more' as dat, you bet, He also built one monument For hees young fren, ' Pere Marquette." .
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HISTORY OF THE PLACE NAMES OF THE NORTH WESTERN LINE
PETER WHITE.
A mention of the city or of the county of Marquette without a mention of Peter White would be like explaining the light of day without men- tioning the sun. For many years all the weal and activities of Marquette and of the surrounding county seemed to revolve around and about Mr. White.
He is undoubtedly the best-known citizen in the Upper Peninsula, and one of the most popular in all Michigan. Mr. White was born in Rome. Oneida County, N. Y., and went to Green Bay, Wis., with his parents in 1839. He set out for the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. After repeated efforts to reach his destination, it taking some three years on account of many vicissitudes, one of which was spent as a clerk in a Detroit store, he joined an expedition to the Lake Superior iron mines that then for the first time were being talked about. After experiencing many hardships he reached the end of his journey and had the distinction of being the first white man to fell a tree on the site of the present city of Marquette. It was while employed in these pursuits that Mr. White, who at that time spoke several languages, learned to talk with the Chippewas in their own tongue, thereby gaining their friendship, which proved very valuable in after years. He also picked up the patois of the French-Canadian habitat. He was literally one of the pioneers of this part of Michigan. Although but a boy at that time. he had the pluck and perseverance of a man of mature years and was respected and trusted by his employers as well as by all those, Indians included, with whom he came in contact. First as a common laborer, then as a storekeeper, then a banker, real estate dealer, legislator, journeying part of his way to Lansing on snowshoes, always with his eye on the goal he had in sight, he never swerved, and his life is a model for the American youth to pattern after.
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At the outbreak of the War of the Rebellion he organized a company to go to the front and was elected its captain, but such great pressure was brought to bear upon him by his fellow citizens that he remained at home. Dating from about this time he became the leading man in Marquette. He has always been a generous citizen, never sparing his time or money in furthering the interests of his home town.
The history of Mr. White is the history of the Upper Peninsula. It is full of romance as well as of the stern realities of life. During the earlier days it was full of exciting experiences and adventure, at one time as a mail carrier over a then trackless waste with Indians as guides. At the . present time he is a cultured gentleman and a successful business man.
He is still in the prime of his activity, both mental and physical, and his advice on leading questions of the day is freely asked and always given merited consideration.
County seat, Marquette; named from the county.
Marquette County, State of Wisconsin. Named for the Jesuit Missionary and explorer, Father Jacques Marquette.
County seat, Montello. This town was located in 1849 by James Daniels, and by him was named Seralro from a place in Mexico where Mr. Daniels had fought during the war with Mexico. The location was also, for some time known as Hill River on account of its location as to granite hills
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and Fox River. In course of time objections were made to the name Seralro; when J. N. Dart, an early settler, suggested the present name, and the suggestion was adopted by a meeting of its principal inhabitants. The name is a translation of two Spanish words for "mountain" and "waters." Mr. Dart also named Dartford, the county seat of Green Lake County.
McCook County, State of South Dakota. Named for General Edwin S. McCook of Ohio, who was distinguished for bravery in the War of the Rebellion. County seat, Salem; named from the Jewish word meaning "Peace."
McHenry County, State of Illinois. Named for General William McHenry, prominent in the Blackhawk War.
County seat, Woodstock; named from the town in Vermont and that was named from the town in England.
Meade County, State of South Dakota. Named for Gen. George C. Meade of the War of the Rebellion.
County seat, Sturgis; named for Col. Samuel Sturgis of the Seventh United States Calvary.
Menominee County, State of Michigan. Named from the Menominee Indian tribe (the rice eaters). The word refers to "wild rice."
County seat, Menominee; named from the county.
Milwaukee County, State of Wisconsin. This name came from an Indian word probably Milicke, meaning "good earth" or "good land."
County seat, Milwaukee. The word has been spelled in many ways from Father Hennipin's Millecke in 1679, Mileke of a French map in 1864; Milwarick of John Buisson de St. Cosme in 1699, down to the present. (For further particulars as to the word Milwaukee, see under its place in the alphabetical list of place names.)
Miner County, State of South Dakota. Named for Capt. Nelson Miner and Ephraim Miner, members of the legislature of 1872 that created the county. Capt. N. Miner raised a company of cavalry during the War of the Rebellion and was a noted Indian fighter after that war closed.
County seat, Howard; named for Howard Farmer, the first settler there.
Monona County, State of Iowa. The word Monona is Indian, but its meaning is lost. The county was created in 1851.
County seat, Onawa; this was laid out by the Mormon Land Company in 1857, and was named from an Indian word meaning "wide awake."
Monroe County, State of Iowa. Was named for President James Monroe.
County seat, Albia. Princeton was the original name of this place. It was changed by Dr. Anson Flint, an early settler, and was named by him for his native place in New York State.
Monroe County, State of Wisconsin. Named for President James Monroe. County seat, Sparta; was named in 1851 by Mrs. M. Pettitt from Sparta in ancient Greece.
Natrona County, State of Wyoming. Named from the Spanish word natron meaning "native carbonate of soda," which is plentiful in this county. County seat, Casper; was named from the United States post Fort Casper, which is located on the Platte River near this station. This post was named by the United States War Department for Capt. Casper W. Collins, who
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HISTORY OF THE PLACE NAMES OF THE NORTH WESTERN LINE
lost his life in a battle with Indians near this spot. Capt. Collins had but a handful of men while the attacking Indians numbered three thou- sand. Three only of the soldiers escaped, all the rest, with the captain, being killed.
Ticollet County, State of Minnesota. Named for Joseph Nicholas Nicollet, a French explorer and map maker.
County seat, St. Peter; the town was named by the Winona and St. Peter Railroad Company from the river on which it is located. The river was named for Pierre (Peter) Charles Le Sueur, the first white man to navi- gate this stream. He was on it as early as 1689. Nicollet explored Dakota and Minnesota with J. C. Fremont, then a lieutenant in the U. S. Army, in 1838 and 1839, and mapped the territory for U. S. Government. They camped for a considerable time where the city of Pierre now is. Nicolette also discovered, explored and mapped that part of the Mississippi river that lies above Lake Itaska.
Tuckolls County, State of Nebraska. Was named for an early settler.
County seat, Nelson; was named by and for Mr. C. Nelson Wheeler, who owned and laid out the town site.
)'Brien County, State of Iowa. Named for the Irish patriot of 1848, William Smith O'Brien. The county was created in 1851 and organized in 1860. County seat, Primghar. The site was selected and laid out by commissioners in 1872. Many names were suggested as the name for the town, but none was acceptable to all of the commissioners. It then was suggested that the initials of the names of the commissioners should be taken and arranged into a name. The following were the names from which the initials came: Messrs. Pumphrey, Roberts, Inman, McCormack, Green, Hays, Albright and Renck. These initials made P-R-I-M-G-H-A-R and this made the name of the town site and county seat.
Iconto County, State of Wisconsin. Oconto is a Menominee Indian word mean- ing "red ground" and also meaning "place of the pickerel." County seat, Oconto; named from the county.
Igle County, State of Illinois. Named for Capt. Joseph Ogle, a fighter of Indians in the Ohio Valley.
County seat, Oregon; was named from the then territory of Oregon.
Imsted County, State of Minnesota. Named for David Olmsted, mayor of St. Paul, Minnesota, in 1854.
County seat, Rochester; named from Rochester, New York; this was named for its senior proprietor, Col. Nathaniel Rochester.
neida County, State of Wisconsin. Named for the Oneida Indians. The word means in the Oneida tongue "people of the stone," or, "granite people." County seat, Rhinelander; named for F. W. Rhinelander, who was presi- dent of the railroad that first reached the place.
Intonagon County, State of Michigan. Ontonagon is an Ojibway Indian word meaning "fishing place."
County seat, Ontonagon; was named from the county.
rutagamie County, State of Wisconsin. Named for the Outagamies or "Fox" Indians or from an Indian word meaning "those that live on the other side."
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HISTORY OF THE PLACE NAMES OF THE NORTH WESTERN LINE
County seat, Appleton; which was named for Samuel Appleton of Boston, Mass, one of the founders of Lawrence University, located at Appleton, Wis.
Ozaukee County, State of Wisconsin. Was named for the Sauk Indian word meaning "yellow clay." Ozaukee is the proper name of the main Sauk tribe.
County seat, Port Washington; was named for George Washington. (See Port Washington in the alphabetical list.)
Palo Alto County, State of Iowa. Was named from the battle field of the Mexican war and is Spanish for "high timber." The county was estab- lished in 1851 and organized in 1856.
County seat, Emmetsburg; was named for the Irish patriot, Robert Emmet. It was laid out by Martin Coonan in 1871.
Pennington County, State of South Dakota. Named for John L. Pennington, an early governor of Dakota.
County seat, Rapid City, which was named on February 25, 1876, on the suggestion of J. R. Brennan and W. P. Martin, by vote of a meeting of the early settlers who had determined to locate a town at this point. It was, from the location, expected by these town builders that the town would have a very rapid growth, and hence that the name proposed would be appropriate. The name was taken from the stream that ran through this location. Its name came from the many "rapids" that were in the stream. Peoria County, State of Illinois. A corrupted form of an Indian tribal name meaning "carriers" or "packers." County seat, Peoria; was named from the county.
Pierce County, State of Nebraska. Named for President Franklin Pierce. County seat, Pierce; was named from the county.
Platte County, State of Nebraska. Named from the Platte River; that was named from the French plate, meaning "dull, " "shallow."
County seat, Columbus; named for Christopher Columbus.
Plymouth County, State of Iowa. This county was named from the Plymouth colony in Massachusetts. The county was created in 1851 and organized in 1858.
County seat, LeMars. For a full account of the way the women named the town see Le Mars in the alphabetical list of the place names of the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis and Omaha railroad in this book.
Pocahontas County, State of Iowa. Named for the Indian "Princess" of that name. It means "stream between two hills." The county was created in 1851 and organized in 1858.
County seat, Pocahontas; named for the Virginia Indian squaw, who in history (1) goes by this name. The word is supposed to mean ''stream between two hills." Rolfe was the first name given this place and was in honor of the man who carried Pocahontas to Europe and is supposed to have married her there.
Polk County, State of Iowa. Named for James K. Polk, ex-president of the United States. The county was established in 1846 and organized the same year.
County seat, Des Moines; was named from the river. The river name comes from the Indian word mikonang, meaning "road." The French
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HISTORY OF THE PLACE NAMES OF THE NORTH WESTERN LINE
spoke the word as if it were spelled moingona, and then shortened it to moin and called the river la riviere des Moines. Originally the town was called Fort Des Moines. It was platted in 1846 by A. D. Jones and made the capital of the state in 1857. At this time the word "Fort" was dropped from its title.
Polk County, State of Nebraska. Named for ex-President James K. Polk.
County seat, Osceola; named for Osceola, the Seminole Indian chief. The name refers to a medicinal drink used by the Seminole Indians.
Portage County, State of Wisconsin. This comes from a French word applied to a "carrying place." Refers to the passage between the Fox and Wis- consin Rivers.
County seat, Stevens Point; named for the Rev. J. D. Stevens, a mission- ary among the Indians of Wisconsin.
Pottawatomie County, State of Iowa. Named for an Indian tribe. It means "makers of fire." "They had no partners in their council fires." The county was created in 1847 and organized in 1848.
County seat, Council Bluffs. For the history of Council Bluffs see that name in the alphabetical list of places in this book.
Potter County, State of South Dakota. Named for Dr. A. J. Potter, a popular physician of the state.
County seat, Gettysburg; named from the battlefield in Pennsylvania.
Poweshiek County, State of Iowa. Named for Poweshiek an Indian chief. The word means "roused bear." The county was created in 1843 and organ- ized in 1848. County seat, Montezuma; named for the Emperor of Mexico, or for his Mexican palace-"the halls of Montezuma." The site for the county seat was selected by the county commissioners, who were appointed for that duty and it was platted and named in 1848.
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