| Agate Harbor |
The designation "Agate Harbor" originated
with the 1840 Houghton expedition. It commemorates a morning of
agate hunting on July 24. Of this occasion Penny wrote: "The entire
forenoon was spent in gathering agates, and with such good success
that we have concluded to give this bay the name of Agate Harbor."
Hubbard noted that they collected agates until 2:00 P.M., filling
two casks. |
| Alcona |
Believed to have been made up by Henry R.
Schoolcraft with "al" from the Arabic for "the," "co" the root of a
word for "plain" or "prairie," and "na" for excellent; thus the word
is interpreted as "excellent plain." |
| Alger |
Named for Russell A. Alger, governor of
Michigan at the time (1885-1886) and later U.S. senator
(1902-1907). |
| Allegan |
Its derivation is obscure. Most sources
say it was a Henry Schoolcraft creation with "al" for "the" and
"egan" from "sa-gi-e-gan" (Chippewa for "lake"). Other meanings
often given are "fine river" or "fair river." |
| Alpena |
Indian word for "a good partridge
country", according to some. According to others, it is not a
Native American name, but rather, believed to have been created by
Henry Schoolcraft with "al" for "the" and "pinai" for partridge or
"penaissee" for bird. The best interpretation is "the bird." |
| Antrim |
Irish county name. |
| Arenac |
A name made up by Henry Schoolcraft, it is
a combination of the Latin "arena" (sandy) and the Native American
"ac" (earth). The combined words mean "sandy place." |
| Baraga |
Named for missionary Bishop Frederick
Baraga (1797-1868), a French Jesuit missionary who worked among the
Native Americans in the area and wrote a Chippewa grammar and
dictionary. |
| Barry |
Named for William T. Barry (1785-1835) of
Kentucky, postmaster general in the cabinet of President Andrew
Jackson 1829-1835. |
| Benzie |
The French named the river here "Riviere
Aux-Bec-Scies." It was changed to "Betsey" because of the way
Americans pronounced the French "Bec-Scies." Later it was changed to
Benzie. |
| Berrien |
Named for John M. Berrien of Georgia,
attorney general under President Jackson (1829-1831). |
| Bete Grise Bay |
The present name, "B�te Grise Bay," has
evolved over the years and is a good example of the alterations
which can occur in a foreign language place name as it is
Americanized. Not recognizing that the French pronunciation of "Baie
de" (which sounded like "B�te") meant "Bay of," the Americans added
"Bay" to the end of the name. Thus, we have the present redundant
name, which means, literally, "Bay of Sandstone Bay." |
| Black River |
An early traveler on Lake Superior
remarked that "there seems to be no end to Black Rivers" along its
shore. At that time (and still today where the land remains
undisturbed) many of the streams tributary to the Great lakes flowed
with dark water. The reason for the discoloration of the water was,
and is, the tannic acid from the decaying vegetation in the marshes
and swamps along their courses. Streams named for their dark water
are numerous in Michigan. In the lower peninsula there are "Black
Rivers" in Van Buren, St. Clair, and Cheboygan counties. In the
Upper Peninsula, in addition to the one under consideration here,
"Chocolay River" (Marquette County) and "Tobacco River" (Keweenaw
County) were named for their dark water. |
| Branch |
Named for John Branch of North Carolina,
secretary of the Navy under President Jackson (1829-1831). |
| Cadillac |
Named for the French pioneer Antoine de la
Mothe Cadillac, founder of Detroit. |
| Calhoun |
Named for John C. Calhoun (1782-1850),
vice president of the United States (1824-1832). |
| Carp River |
Many "Carp Rivers" exist in
Michigan. They are named for the Carp or Sucker, a fish found
in abundance in these rivers, and which was a mainstay of the diet
of the Indians and early settlers, for it runs upstream in spring
and at that time of year, when food supplies are getting very low,
it was a welcome source of nutrition! |
| Cass |
Named for Lewis Cass (1782-1866), second
governor of the Michigan Territory, secretary of war under President
Jackson (1831-1836). |
| Charlevoix |
Named for Pierre Fran�ois Xavier de
Charlevoix (1682-1761), a French Jesuit missionary, explorer and
historian who traveled through the Great Lakes region in 1721. |
| Cheboygan |
This Native American word was first
applied to the river. The word may have originally been "Chabwegan,"
meaning "a place of ore." |
| Chesaning |
Named for the Chippewa village of
Che-as-sin-ning or "Big Rock". |
| Chippewa |
Name for the Chippewa or Ojibwa, the
largest of the Algonquin tribes. The word referred to the puckered
seams on their moccasins: "he who wears puckered shoes." |
| Clare |
Irish county name. |
| Clinton |
Named for DeWitt Clinton (1769-1828), the
New York governor under whose administration the Erie Canal was
built. |
| Copper Harbor |
As a result of Houghton�s 1840 expedition
the name of this Harbor on the Keweenaw Peninsula was changed from
"Big Marais" (literally: Great Bay) to "Copper Harbor." The
reason for the name change is revealed in the July 3 entry of
Houghton�s 1840 field notes: "examined the vein of copper which
gives the harbour its name." |
| Delta |
From the Greek "delta," it refers to the
triangular shape of the original county which included segments of
Menominee, Dickinson, Iron and Marquette counties. |
| Eaton |
Named for John H. Eaton (1790-1856) of
Tennessee, secretary of war under President Jackson
(1829-1831). |
| Emmet |
Named for the Irish patriot Robert Emmet
(1778-1803), who was hanged as a traitor to the British government at
the age of 23. |
| Genesse |
From a Seneca (Iroquoian) word,
"je-nis-hi-yeh," meaning "beautiful valley": the county was named
after the valley in western New York State from which many area
settlers came. |
| Gladwin |
Named for Major Henry Gladwin, British
commander of the fort at Detroit during the siege by Pontiac in
1763-64. |
| Gogebic |
This name probably comes from the Chippewa
"bic" which most references interpret as "rock." |
| Grand Traverse |
The French phrase "grande travers" means
"long crossing." It was given first to the bay by early French
voyageurs. |
| Gratiot |
Named for Captain Charles Gratiot
(1788-1855), who supervised the building of Fort Gratiot at the
present site of Port Huron. |
| Graveraet River |
The name originated from the fact
that a trader by that name was killed there in 1791. According to
the testimony, the bloodshed resulted from a feud between the trader
Albert Graveratte and one of his voyageurs, Louis Drouin. An
underlying cause of the animosity between the two was apparently
jealousy over an Indian woman with whom Drouin was living. Drouin
was an engagee on a trading expedition under the command of
Graveratte which set out from Mackinac Island in the autumn of 1791
to winter on the headwaters of the Ontonagon River. While traversing
the Keweenaw Portage Graveratte became ill and had to be carried.
They stopped to rest at the mouth of an unnamed stream just beyond
the Salmon Trout River. By this time it was November and an early
snow had fallen. After eight days� delay Drouin was anxious to be
off because he knew the trip up the Ontonagon would be very
difficult and he did not want to do it under icing conditions.
Drouin told his boss that they had better be off; Graveratte said
they would wait a while longer. Drouin told the men to go ahead and
load the canoe. Graveratte could not tolerate this insubordination,
got his gun and, confronting Drouin, declared that one of them must
"mark the encampment" by his death. He got his wish. Graveratte
fired and missed, but Drouin did not, and the trader Graveratte�s
name continues to mark the encampment to this day. Other spellings
recorded in the early literature, however, were "Graverods,"
"Grandrods," and "Graveyard". |
| Hillsdale |
The rolling surface of the area (hills and
dales) served as the basis for this name. |
| Houghton |
Named for Dr. Douglass Houghton
(1809-1845), first state geologist of Michigan, physician and
surgeon, Detroit mayor 1842-43. He studied and helped open up
the mineral wealth of the UP. |
| Huron |
Named for the lake (Lac des Hurons) the
French named for the Native American tribe they called "hure"
(Hurons)--meaning "head"--when they saw the fantastic way they
dressed their hair. The tribe referred to itself as "Wendat"
(Wyandotte), meaning "dwellers on a peninsula." |
| Ingham |
Named for Samuel D. Ingham of
Pennsylvania, secretary of the treasury under President Jackson
(1829-1831). |
| Ionia |
Named for a province in ancient Greece
noted for its flourishing cities, commerce and culture. |
| Iosco |
This was a favorite name used by Henry
Schoolcraft for Native American boys and men in his writings. He
interpreted the word to mean "water of light." |
| Iron |
Named for the iron deposits and mines in
the county. |
| Iron River |
Henry Schoolcraft named the "Iron River"
because "Iron ore and [iron] pyrites are said to abound upon its
banks." |
| Ironwood |
Named after James "Iron" Wood, a man
prominent in early mining deals on the Gogebic Iron Range. |
| Isabella |
Schoolcraft proposed naming this county
for Queen Isabella (1451-1504) of Spain, under whose patronage
Columbus undertook his voyages in 1492. |
| Jackson |
Named for Andrew Jackson (1767-1845), 7th
president (1829-1837) of the United States. |
| Kalamazoo |
Named for the river that runs through it,
the Native American form of which was probably "Ke-Ken-a-ma-zoo." A
widely accepted translation is "boiling water." Other versions are
"otter tail" or "reflected river." |
| Kalkaska |
This word was a Henry Schoolcraft
creation, originally spelled Calcasca. One suggestion is that this
is a play on words. Schoolcraft's family name formerly was Calcraft.
The Ks may have been added to make the name appear more like a
Native American word. |
| Kent |
Named for Chancellor James Kent
(1763-1817), New York jurist. Michigan employed him to defend its
rights during the "Toledo
War," 1836-37. |
| Keweenaw |
A Native American word,
"Kee-wi-wai-non-ing" meaning "portage" or "place where portage is
made" is the source of this name.
The meaning of the
name Keweenaw was commented on by some early visitors to the
area who had the opportunity to ask the Indians themselves. One of
the earliest to offer an explanation of the name�s meaning was John
Johnston, a fur trader on Lake Superior in the late 1700s and early
1800s. He wrote that the peninsula was called by the Chippewa
Keewaynan, "the way made straight by means of a portage." The
Indians replied that it signified "a portage, or a place where a
portage is made." The theory that the name Keweena comes from
the river-portage route across the peninsula is given additional
support by the fact that Indian traders called the stream "Keweena
River" as late as 1820. |
| Lake |
Lake County has several small lakes and is
only one county away (Mason) from the shore of Lake Michigan. |
| L'Anse |
One of the most common term found on the
old French maps of the Great Lakes is "Anse" (often spelled "Ance"),
the meaning of which is "cove", or "inlet." As is indicated by
Hubbard�s rendition, Americans� recording of what they heard the
voyageurs say often varied from the correct French spelling. |
| Lansing |
Ultimately, named for John Lansing, New
York Revolutionary War hero. Initially, New York state named a city
after him. Joseph North, who settled in the Lansing
(MI) area, named it after the town he was from: Lansing, NY. |
| Lapeer |
This is said to be a derivation of the
French "la pierre," meaning flint or flint stone. |
| Leelanau |
Created by Henry Schoolcraft (Ottawas and
Ojibwas did not use the letter L), who gave the name "Leelinau" to
some Native American women in his stories. |
| Lenawee |
From a Native American word meaning "man,"
either from the Delaware "leno or lenno" or the Shawnee
"lenawai." |
| Livingston |
Named for Edward Livingston (1764-1836) of
Louisiana, secretary of state under President Jackson from 1831 to
1833. |
| Luce |
Named for Cyrus G. Luce, then governor of
Michigan (1887-1890). |
| Mackinac |
The county was originally laid out under
the name of Michilimackinac in 1818. Some references claim the word
was the French interpretion of a Native American word that meant
"great turtle," the shape of the island from a distance. Others
claim it came from "place of the Mishinimaki," an ancient tribe that
inhabited the island and whose spirits still dwell there. |
| Macomb |
Named for General Alexander Macomb
(1782-1841), an officer in the War of 1812. Later he was a
trader/merchant in the Detroit area, circa 1800. |
| Manistee |
This Native American name was first
applied to the county's principal river. It means "river at whose
mouth there are islands." |
| Marquette |
Named for the French Jesuit missionary and
explorer, Pere Jacques Marquette (1637-1675). |
| Mason |
Named for Stevens T. Mason (1811-1843),
first governor of the State of Michigan (1835-1840). |
| Mecosta |
Named for the Indian chief, Mecosta. |
| Menominee |
This is the name of the Menominee tribe
who lived in the vicinity. The word means "rice men" or "rice
gatherers." |
| Midland |
Midland County is located near the
geographical center of the Lower Peninsula. |
| Mio |
Oscoda County seat, originally named Mioe.
In November 1883 the "e" was dropped from the name. There are
several explanations for the origin of Mioe. The name was supposedly
derived from Maria Deyarmond, an Oscoda pioneer. Because her young
nieces and nephews found it difficult to pronounce Maria, they
called her "Aunt Mioe." The settlement of "Mio" apparently was named
in her honor. |
| Misery River |
The first explanation of the origin of the
stream�s present name is found in the journals of two
members of the 1832 Henry Schoolcraft expedition. A member of that
expedition claimed that the river got its name "from the
circumstance of traders having greatly suffered here, in former
times, from starvation." |
| Missaukee |
Named for a Ottawa chief who signed the treaties
of 1831 and 1833. |
| Monroe |
Named for James Monroe (1758-1831), 5th
president of the United States (1817-1825). He visited Detroit on
August 13, 1817, and stayed five days. The county was named in
anticipation of his visit. |
| Montcalm |
French General Marquis de Montcalm is this
county's namesake. His defeat and death in 1759 marked the end of
the French and Indian War in North America. |
| Montmorency |
It is not clear for which of the
historical persons named Montmorency (or Morenci) the county was
named. None had direct connections with Michigan. |
| Muskegon |
The county took its name from the river
running through it that empties into Lake Michigan. The word comes
from the Ojibwa/Chippewa word "mashkig" meaning "swamp" or
"marsh." |
| Nadoway Point |
Ojibwe name for a 1662 battle ground where
many Ojibwe and Iroquios Indians lost their lives. Translated
from the Ojibwe Nau-do-we-e-gun-ing it means "Grave
of the Iroquois" or "Place of the Iroquois bones". |
| Newaygo |
This was derived from then name of a
Chippewa chief who signed the Saginaw
Treaty of 1819 or from a Native American word meaning "much
water." |
| Novi |
Named for Stage Coach stop NO. VI (No. =
number and VI is the Roman numeral 6). Novi used to be stop number
6
along one of the travel routes between Detroit and Lansing. |
| Oakland |
Named for the numerous oak openings in the
county. Bela Hubbard described an oak opening as "a majestic orchard
of oaks and hickories varied by small prairies,
grassy lawns and
clear lakes." |
| Oceana |
Oceana County borders Lake Michigan, the
fresh water "ocean." |
| Ogemaw |
Named after Ogemaw-ki-keto, a prominent
Saginaw Valley Indian chief who signed the Treaty of
1819. "Ogima" in Ottawa or Ojibwa is "chief" or "boss." |
| Okemos |
Indian Chief who often camped and lived in
the area near Lansing |
| Ontonagon |
This river was important enough to
receive notice in the earliest French accounts, and was the only one
in the western UP to retain an approximation of its Indian name. On
the 1672 map of Lake Superior made by the Jesuit missionaries is
found the name "R. Nantounagan." In the Jesuit Relations for
1669-1670, written by Father Dablon, occurs the statement: "In the
River named Nantounagan, which is toward the South [shore of Lake
Superior]....." From that time until the modern spelling was
finalized (mid-1800s), the name appeared on maps in a variety of
ways. These include: "Nontounagon," "Nantoungan," "Tonnagane,"
"Antonnagan," "Donagan." Maps of the 1670s reveal that there was an
attempt to rename the river for the Intendant of New France, Jean
Talon, but the Indian name prevailed. In attempting to
translate the river�s Indian name one is tempted to rely on the
generally accepted legend, a typical version of which was recorded
by John St. John in 1845.
The word Ontonagon is said by an
intelligent gentleman, Mr. Groveret of Mackinaw, to mean �my
bowl.� That an Indian girl went to the lake with a wooden bowl
for some purpose, and placing it upon the water, while her
attention was drawn off, the bowl had floated beyond her reach,
and to attract attention screamed Onto-na-gon, Onto-no-gon, -my
bowl, my bowl, and hence the
name.
The legend is based on the fact that the Chippewa word for
"bowl," onagan, combined with the pronoun for "my,"
nin or neen, results in a word similar to the Jesuit
"Nantounagan." |
| Osceola |
Named for the Seminole Indian chief,
Osceola (1800?-1838), of national prominence. |
| Oscoda |
This Henry Schoolcraft creation is
believed to be a combination of two Ojibwa words, "ossin" (stone)
and "muskoda" (prairie). |
| Otsego |
A county and a lake in New York bear the
name derived from the Mohawk Iroquoian word that meant either "clear
water" or "meeting place." |
| Ottawa |
Named for the Ottawa tribe called
"Ondatahouats," or "people of the forest," by the Hurons. |
| Porcupine Mountains |
The Indian name for these highlands, like
those of other prominent Great Lakes� landform features, such as
Mackinaw Island ("Turtle Island"), the Beaver Islands, and the
Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes, originates from their imagined
resemblance, when seen across the water, to the animal named.
Evidence supporting this theory was recorded by Henry Schoolcraft
during his 1831 trip along the Lake Superior shoreline. He asked the
a Chippewa chief of the origin of their name for the Porcupine
Mountains: "I asked Konteka their Indian name. He replied Kaug
Wudju. I asked him why they were so called. He said from their
resemblance to a couching porcupine." |
| Presque Isle |
French for "almost an island". This
name is often given to "almost islands" such as peninsulas |
| Presque Isle River |
The name of this river is the French
translation of the original Indian term. The first description of
Presque Isle River which gives a hint of the origin of the name was
by James Duane Doty, a member of the 1820 Cass expedition:
Six miles from [Carp River is] Presque
Isle river. This stream appears to have formerly emptied by 2
mouths with a small Island in the middle, one of which appears
to have been obstructed and almost joined the island to the main
land. On the left side [of the island] the water still makes up
a considerable distance.
The next mention of the "almost an island" at the river�s mouth
was by Lt. Allen, a member of the 1832 Schoolcraft tour.
Between the two falls the river has
another channel, to the east, now dry, but which discharges a
portion of its waters, in time of floods, by another mouth; and
hence the name �Presque Isle
river.� |
| River Raisin |
From the French "Riviere aux Raisins". So
named by the French because they saw "immense quantities" of wild
grapes along the banks of the river. |
| Roscommon |
Roscommon County is in the central part of
Ireland. |
| Saginaw |
There are two possible derivations: from
"Sace-nong" or "Sak-e-nong" (Sauk Town) because the Sauk (Sac) once
lived there, or from Chippewa words meaning "place of the outlet"
from "sag" (an opening) and "ong" (place of). |
| Lake St. Clair |
Named by La Salle, a French explorer, who
first entered the lake on the feast day of St. Clare (Aug.
12). |
| St. Clair (County) |
Named for General Arthur St. Clair, first
governor of the Northwest Territory. |
| St. Joseph |
The river for which the county is named
got its name from a mission established along it by the French. They
named the mission for St. Joseph, the patron saint of New France.
New France included the lands they claimed in what are now Canada
and the United States. |
| St. Mary's River |
Named by the French for the Blessed Virgin
Mary, mother of Jesus |
| Sanilac |
Named for Sanilac, a chief, according to
Wyandotte (Huron) traditions. |
| Sault Ste. Marie |
French for "the Rapids of Saint Mary" |
| Schoolcraft |
Named for Henry R. Schoolcraft who lived
in Michigan from 1820 to 1842. Author and Indian agent, he developed
and suggested (in 1838) the names of many
of Michigan's
counties. |
| Shiawassee |
Named for the river, its derivation is
difficult. Suggestions have included: "now it is light," "straight
running river," "twisting river," "sparkling waters," green river"
and "it runs backward and forward." |
| Tahquamenon |
From the Ojibwe for "this is a short
route" (Ou=this + takou=it is short +
minan=trail or path). This name refers originally to
Tahquamenon Bay, which the Indians used as a shortcut while
traveling. The bay has a small island in it that facilitated
the "shortcut" from Whitefish Point across the open and at times
dangerous bay. The name was later given to the River that
enters into the bay. |
| Tuscola |
Created by Henry Schoolcraft, it is
believed to be a combination of "dusinagon" (level) and "cola"
(lands). |
| Van Buren |
Named for Martin Van Buren of New York,
secretary of state under President Jackson (1829-1831) and later 8th
President of the United States (1837-1841). |
| Washtenaw |
Native Americans called the area west of
Detroit, "Wash-ten-ong," meaning "further district" or "land
beyond." Another explanation is that it was a name for the Grand
River and referred to the areas along and near the river. |
| Wayne |
Named for "Mad Anthony" Wayne (1745-1796),
a famous US general (late 1700's) who won several important battles
against the Indians. |
| Wexford |
Irish county name. |
| Whitefish Point |
Names for the many Whitefish taken there,
both by Ojibwe Indians and by settlers. |