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ORIGIN of names of rivers, states, counties, townships, cities
and villages in a new country makes a study of absorbing interest.
Incidentally, these names tell much about a country's history. In
the Mississippi Valley can be found traces of the influence of all
the people who once claimed the land, Indian, French, English,
American, even Spanish, though there is less of the latter than of
any other. In our own county there is practically no trace of
the French. Illinois, Mississippi, Chicago, Peoria, Wabash, are
among names that can be ascribed to the Indians. Joliet, LaSalle,
Marquette, Hennepin, Des Plaines took their names from the French.
Macon and Decatur were named for Americans. ILLINOIS The name
Illinois is generally ascribed to the Indian term, Illini, or Innini,
meaning "men".#1 Yet there is another rumor about the naming of
Illinois. It is believed by some students of history to have
come from "Isle au Noix," meaning "Island of Nuts." It is
everywhere known that when the French explored the country they were
much impressed by the fertility of the soil, the produce, the
bountiful crops of grapes, nuts, and the like. As the Illinois
region was almost surrounded by rivers, the Mississippi, the Ohio,
the Wabash, the Illinois and by Lake Michigan, it is not
unreasonable to think that they would call the region the Isle au
Noix. The pronunciation of these words in French is similar to
our pronunciation of Illinois. SANGAMON Sangamon was thought by
some writers to have been the name of an Indian chief who lived
along the river named for him. It is supposed to have been a
Kickapoo Indian word, meaning land of plenty. Others think it
is the English corruption of St. Gamoin, a name that appears in land
records at the court house in connection with locating the
boundaries of Whitmore township. St. Gamoin is the name used
by the first surveyors of this vicinity. The name is used
often enough to make one believe that it was written that way
intentionally and as not an error in transcribing.
STEPHEN
DECATUR
STEVEN DECATUR Decatur was named for
Stephen Decatur, the brilliant young United States naval commander,
who was distinguished particularly for his success and bravery in
this country's troubles with Tripoli, in protection of American
commerce on the Mediterranean. His most brilliant exploit was
the capture of the Philidelphia, U. S. man-of-war, in the harbor of
Tripoli, after the Tripolitans had manned it. Decatur drove
the enemy off the boat into the sea, set the ship on fire, and took
his own men off in safety. Stephen Decatur rose to the highest
commands in the navy and was enthusiastically proclaimed the naval
champion of the country. He died in 1820. NATHANIEL
MACON
Macon county was named after Honorable Nathaniel Macon of North
Carolina, who was a famous man at the time the county was formed.
Nathaniel Macon had served in the Revolutionary war, and had been
elected to the senate of his state before he left the army. He
served in the senate until 1785. In 1791 he was elected to the
lower house of the United States congress, and served until 1815.
From the year 1801 to 1806, he was speaker of the house. In
1816 he was elected to the United States senate and served until
1828. This made thirty-seven years in congress altogether.
Macon was considered a wise, practical and economical man. In
politics he was a Democrat. Twice he declined the office of
postmaster-general. TOWNSHIPS Townships in Macon county received
their names from a variety of sources. Friend's Creek was so
called from the creek which flows through it. The creek was
named for George Friend, of Ohio, who was the first settler on its
banks and who built the first home in the township. Whitmore
township was named for John Whitmore, who came there in the early
days from Connecticut and built a log cabin and began farming.
His name was spelled "Whittemore," but his children changed the
spelling to "Whitmore." It was said the elder
Whittemore did
not like the change. Milam township was named after the Milam
apple, which grew abundantly in that locality. The name was
suggested by J. B. Gleason. Niantic township took its name from
the town of Niantic which had been named for a town in Connecticut,
the former home of some of the early settlers in the township.
The name, Niantic, is an Indian name. Pleasant View was so named
because of the view from the mound near the east line of the
township. Long Creek township was named from the creek which flows
through it. One report is that the creek was named because of
its length, and another is to the effect that it was named for a
family named Long. Blue Mound was so called because the mounds in
that vicinity had a blue appearance, due to the profusion of blue
flowers. In naming South Macon township, the name of the county
was chosen but the "South" was added to avoid confusion, and because
the township is in the south part of the county. Austin township
was named after Benjamin R. Austin, Macon county's first surveyor,
the man who surveyed and platted the town of Decatur. Harristown
was named after Major Thomas Harris, who served in the Mexican war.
The Macon county men in that war were in his regiment. The
village of Harristown first had been called Summit, but the name was
changed because there already was a Summit in the state, located in
Cook county. South Wheatland was named in honor of the
Pennsylvania home of James Buchanan. The name was suggested by
Robert Carpenter. Mt. Zion township took its name from the church
there, organized in early days. It is a scriptural name. Why
Oakley is so named is not definitely known, but it is thought to
have been named by one of the old residents, who chose the name.
Oakley, because the first post office in that vicinity, on an old
state route, was in an oak grove. It is also said that an old
settler named it after a town in Ohio. The township took its
name from the town of Oakley. Illini township was given the
Indian name, Illini, meaning "Men."
Moroa was named in a unique manner, according to John Crocker,
whose grandfather was the first station agent at Maroa and came
there before the town was built. The name was made up out of a
handful of letters taken out of a hat. Mr. Crocker says that
several towns on the Illinois Central were named in the same way.
Some writers of history have said that the town was named after a
tribe of Indians called the Maroas, supposed to be a sub-tribe of
the illini.2 The township received its name from the town.
Hickory Point was so named because of the hickory trees at the point
where Stevens Creek left the timber for the prairie.
TOWNS AND
VILLAGES Many of the towns an villages in Macon county were named
by the railroad companies which were responsible for their birth.
Some were called after early settlers, whose land furnished sites
for them. Oreana and Argenta, meaning gold and silver, were names
given by two Illinois Central officials, Messrs. Wood and Smith.
They were names of stations on the Union Pacific railway in the
west, with which road the men had been connected at one time.
There is an Oreana in Nevada and an Argenta in Montana, also one in
Utah. Bearsdale was named for Samuel Bear, an early settler,
through whose land the railroad was built.3 Blacklands was located
on land belonging to John Black that had long been in possession of
his family, and the station was named for the family. Boody was
named after Colonel William Boody, first president of the Decatur
and East St. Louis railroad, now a part of the Wabash system.
Green Switch was named for Joshua Green, an Englishman for years a
leading citizen of the county. His home was a brick house just
north of the elevator. Hervey City was named for Robert G. Hervey,
who was prominent in the construction of, and was president of the
Paris and Decatur railroad, later the Pennsylvania. Knights was
named for Sam B. Knight, who was general freight agent of the
Wabash.
Warrensburg was named for John K. Warren, former mayor of
Decatur. He was director of the old Pekin, Lincoln and Decatur
railroad at the time the road was built. The town of
Warrensburg was platted by Warren and Durfee. Wyckles station was
named after Joseph Wycle, an early settler who owned the land.
He ran the state stand called Four Mile House. Suffern was named
for James Suffern, who established a shipping station there.
Casner was named for Lewis B. Casner, wealthy farmer whose farm
was north of the village Antioch took its name from the nearby
Antioch church, the church being named for the Biblical city of
Antioch. Forsyth was named for Colonel Robert Forsyth, the first
general freight agent of the Illinois Central, who bought land and
built a home there. The name of Elwin was made up from the names
of its founders, Elwood and Martin. Heman was formerly called
Bullardsville, after Warner Bullard, who ran an elevator there.
When the P. D. and E. railroad was taken over by the Illinois
Central, the Illinois Central changed the name of the station to Heman, though the postoffice continued to be called Bullardsville.
Emery was named for Major Charles F. Emery, former member of the
legislature and prominent resident of Maroa. Turpin station was
named for Major Charles F. Emery, former member owner who lived near
the station. Walker station was named after J. W. Walker. It
was first called Willow Branch, but on June 6, 1882, the name was
changed to Walker to conform with the post office there.
---------------------------- 1 More than one story is told as to
why Illinoians were called Suckers. The name was first
bestowed, it is believed, during the days of the working of the lead
mines at Galena. In 1826 and 1827 thousands of Missouri and
Illinois men went to Galena in the spring, worked the mines during
the summer, then returned home in the fall, establishing a
similarity in habits with the fishy tribe. The Missourians
were the first to call the Illinois men suckers, and in retaliation
the "Suckers" called the Missourians "Pukes" because, it was
claimed, Missouri had vomited forth all its worst population to the
Galena lead mines. Another story is to the
effect that the pioneers were so called because, like the sucker
sprouts of the tobacco plant, they had stripped themselves off from
the parent stem, their native state, and gone away.
2 "It is only within the
last few years that I had hear this suggestion that the town was
named after an Indian tribe," said Mr. Crocker in 1929.
"Not in any reading that I ever did or otherwise have I ever heard
of a tribe of Indians named Maroa. I was brought up with the
belief that the town was named by taking a handful of letters out of
a hat and making a word from them. While I have not anything
in the way of records or evidence, it is my belief that the town was
named in that way." Others familiar with Illinois history
agree with Mr. Crocker that that is the way many Illinois
Central names were made. 3
The
store is told that when three railroad officials dropped off at Bearsdale and asked the name of the place, somebody said "Lickskillet".
They did not like that name, and, knowing that Sam Bear owned the
land through which the railroad passed, they dubbed the place
Bearsdale Lickskillet was the name by which the school in the
neighborhood was called. That school is now the Prairie Center
school.
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