The States

It is time to finish with how the states got their names. Honestly, I can't believe that I actually did three blogs in a row! Will wonders ever cease? So here we go.

Oregon is a strange one as it might have come from Ouaricon-sint, French for the Wisconsin River. Ah, ha, ha (to be read with a French accent like Maurice Chevalier in Gigi) Zoes crazy Frenchmen got around...but Oregon and Wisconsin? I do believe that is stretching it a bit.

Pennsylvania, as anybody who has ever lived there knows it means Penn's woods, as in William Penn the founder of the colony. Lived there, knew that one.

Rhode Island from "Roode Eylandt meaning red clay. Who would've thunk it? I always associate that state with sailing and lots of water.

Tennessee takes us back to the Indians. Cherokee Tanasi villages along the banks of the Little Tennessee River. The southern settlers sure did like to use the terms big and little. For instance the Little Pee Dee and Big Pee Dee in the Carolinas.

Texas also takes us back to the Indians. This time the Caddo's and it means "friend" or "ally".

Utah means "upper" or "higher" and is attributed to what the Navajos called the Shoshone tribe. ???? Huh???

Vermont takes us back to the French and vert for green and mont for mountain and ta da we have the Green Mountain Boys.

Virginia and West Virginia...well originally just Virginia were named for Elizabeth I, the Virgin Queen by Sir Walter Raleigh in 1584. She must not have been impressed because I do believe he came to a bad end.

Washington was named after our first president, that noble Virginian, George Washington.

Wisconsin is taken from the Chippewa meaning "grassy place". Not cheese? Oh, no, oops, that came later.

Wyoming returns us to the Algonquins (they got around)and means "large prairie place". Been there seen that and it is appropriate.

Well that ends our geography less for these past three weeks. Hope y'all enjoyed it. Once again I have to give the credit to Uncle John's Legendary Lost Bathroom Reader. Without it I wouldn't know anything. Now go dazzle you friends with all of your new knowledge about our wonderful country.