Day 3,870 —Down Lockwood: Looking at Trees and more about State Names —

 

I ran into Webster and was immediately transfixed by the vibrance of the leaves, which seemed to radiate as I was running by. Webster Groves is the only place in St. Louis where I have spent time during every phase of my life. I was thinking about it today when I passed where Lockwood and Rockhill interested. I used to go to Judo when my family lived in Glendale close to that intersection and then went to college at the university and now I live close and run there at least a few times a week. The Straub’s is probably one of the oldest places I can remember always being there.  

I have a correction, or I can say an addition from what I said about the origin of the words “Missouri” from yesterday because according to the U.S. Department of the Interior Indian Affairs, the name word Missouri derives from “an Indian tribal name denoting “muddy water” and named for the large river.

However, this website also acknowledges how there is a lot of contradicting information when it comes to the origins of these names, which seems insane to think that we don’t know for sure how the names of states in this country originated. Something that happened only in the last few hundreds of years. Yet people think they know what happened thousands of years ago. It is truly endless to consider all the things that we don’t know as a species. 

But more about state names. I would look at this list if you’re curious about the origins of state names. It doesn’t give more than a sentence or two about each state but it is interesting what we’re referencing when we say state names. Ohio means “beautiful river” an Iroquois Indian word, which isn’t too shocking, but Texas is an Indian word “tejas,” which means “Friends” or “allies.” I wouldn’t have guessed that a Native tribe would be referring to early Texicans as “Friends,” but I guess they were, and the name just stuck.

https://www.bia.gov/as-ia/opa/online-press-release/origin-names-us-states 

the website I used for yesterday's post. 

https://www.legendsofamerica.com/illinois-tribe/