The principal reason for my doing this project was simply because I wanted to do it! I've long been interested in toponomy - the science of placenames - and until now, with the priviledge of retirement, was afforded the time to do it. It was mentally laborious, time consuming, ( a guesstimated 10,000 hours over a 6-year period), highly educational and greatly rewarding. I have always had an interest in dissecting things, analyzing them and then restructuring the information gathered into a new form with the hope of producing a pleasant result. In order to do this, I had some help. My best helpmates in gathering the information I sought were things seen on paper, not things seen on a screen. I feel good about the fact that I, coming from another era, did not employ any electronic means to accomplish the task. And it was all formed out with the use of an antiquated device known as a typewriter! My principal information "buddies" were the 2-volume U.S. Postal Service Zip Code and Post Office Directory, the 50-state Rand McNally road map inventory, and each state's official road map. The indices to each of these individual road maps followed by a thorough hand-and-eye scanning of their surface provided the means to lift the names of these entries - nearly 22,000 of them! The names are a smattering of old names and new names, common names, usual names and unusual names but basically this is a study involving physical geography, with placenames formed from lots of nouns, pronouns, verbs, adverbs, and a few conjunctions. It's physical! Many of the placenames chosen for inclusion in this piece were chosen because they involved things essential to the early settlement and survival of this country.

NAMES ON THE LAND

AMERICA'S TOPONYMSBy IRVIN MAGIN

AuthorHouse

Copyright © 2011 Irvin Magin
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4567-4874-6

Introduction

The principal reason for my doing this project was simply because I wanted to do it! I've long been interested in toponomy - the science of placenames - and until now, with the priviledge of retirement, was afforded the time to do it. It was mentally laborious, time consuming, (a guesstimated 10,000 hours over a 6-year period), highly educational and greatly rewarding.

I have always had an interest in dissecting things, analyzing them and then restructuring the information gathered into a new form with the hope of producing a pleasant result. In order to do this, I had some help. My best helpmates in gathering the information I sought were things seen on paper, not things seen on a screen. I feel good about the fact that I, coming from another era, did not employ any electronic means to accomplish the task. And it was all formed out with the use of an antiquated device known as a typewriter!

My principal information "buddies" were the 2-volume U.S. Postal Service Zip Code and Post Office Directory, the 50-state Rand McNally road map inventory, and each state's official road map. The indices to each of these individual road maps followed by a thorough hand-and- eye scanning of their surface provided the means to lift the names of these entries - nearly 22,000 of them!

The names are a smattering of old names and new names, common names, usual names and unusual names but basically this is a study involving physical geography, with placenames formed from lots of nouns, pronouns, verbs, adverbs, and a few conjunctions. It's physical! Many of the placenames chosen for inclusion in this piece were chosen because they involved things essential to the early settlement and survival of this country. You will notice theinclusionofplacenamesinvolvingforgesandfurnaces,landandlanduse,everyreference which involved water in any way, farm and farming interest, mills, foundries, husbandry and numerous vocational interests. These and their interrelated subjects are everywhere in the makeup of the names which were included.

Another fascinating fact which came to the fore in my search was the presence of so many names which were based upon Native America – over 4,000 of them. They're present in every state of the union including, surprisingly, Hawaii! These names are not only of tribes but sub-tribes, little known bands, linguistic groups, individuals, (both native and "adopted"), various cultural periods and "things" (animal, vegetable and mineral), and the many artifacts born of native talent. All of these entries which reflect on Native Americana are identified in the text by the symbol "*".

Following the index to the major portion of this work is a group of appendices reflecting on as many topics as I could find to add interesting sidelights to this whole study. It may be considered a bit of overkill by some, but the information just simply fell into my lap with such ease I couldn't resist adding it. Since much of this work involves physical geography, these add-ons just fit in. The assorted facts and figures provided by these pages may influence some head-scratching, wonderment and the occasional "Gee, I didn't know that". And if that's what it does, so much the better, for I've provided some interesting and educational information.

I followed the lead of the USPS system, choosing to use its two-letter state designations, thus there is a difference in the usual form of alphabetizing. And as a more well-defined locater, each placename is recognized by the political unit into which it falls – county, parish (LA) or borough (AK). There are more than 3,000 of them.

Through it all the creator of this piece hopes that the reader will have as much fun with it as he did in putting it all together.

HOPEULIKIT (GA)

Excerpted from NAMES ON THE LANDby IRVIN MAGIN Copyright © 2011 by Irvin Magin. Excerpted by permission of AuthorHouse. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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