Place-names of the province of Nova Scotia

UC-NRLF ^B 7B^ bSD ^ "SS isSE?S J STja ^3^ ^B^^=nf' Place-Names OF THE ScotiaNovaofProvince BY BROWNTHOMAS J. 1922f r^ 'i^^'. • ! r *-»c 037 _37SAWORD IN JUSTIFICATION, lakescoves, hills, rivers,towns, villages, capes, valleys, the haveand harbors of ourthis, glorious province sea,byTHE and beautiful names. of them weremany strange Many named the Indian the bravetribes; others, Sp&nish,by original by Norse and adventurers of the and stillFrench, English eariy times; at a laterothers the Irish and whoScotch, emigrantsby English their home.date made thisluckily province adopted Often have we heard the within our exclaim:"stranger gates" does it mean?" "And*'What an odd name!" "What[or pretty] was it so named?"why theThis little book is intended to to a limitedfurnish, extent, answers to these questions. material has been from it wouldThe gleaned many sources; havehave added to the work to creditedobviously considerably the the information has been so ruth-authorities from whichmany The Author admitwill, however,lessly plundered. (?) frankly that of the contentsso far as he is there is littleconcerned, very matter.original The has been in the hands of themanuscript placed printer with full but with the thatthe of its hopeknowledge imperfections, it some be of assistance to a more crafts-may day competent man. As a "Peace it is dedicated to the of NovaOffering," memory Scotia's and historians.past present Rock Eyrie, North N. THOS. BROWN.Sydney, S., J. 1922.December, " asNames of form an of our standTheyplaces important part history. of men and in the throw on the scenes andmemorials events past. They light movements of former and therefore cannot be in our of theages, neglected study of ourdevelopment country." An extract from an MS. on the lateunpublished Place-Names, by Rev. Dr. of N. S.Patterson, Pictou, M25^M3THE INDIAN NAMES OF CANADA. The of the Red Man,memory How can it pass away, While their names of music linger On each mount and stream and bay; While watersMusquodoboit's Roll to thesparkling main; While falls the sunbeamlaughing On fields ofChegoggin's grain; While floats our bannercountry's O'er Chebucto's glorious wave, And cliffs of Scatariefrowning ^The trampling surges brave; While breezy Aspotogan Lifts its summithigh blue, And on itssparkles winding way The gentle Sissibou; While Eskasoni's fountains Pour down their crystal tide; While mountainsIngonish's Lift their forms ofhigh pride;' Or while on Mabou's river The boatman his oar,plies Or the billows burst inthunder On Chickaben's ?shorerock-girt The of the Redmemory Man, It like alingers spell On amany storm-swept headland. On amany dell;leafy Where Tusket's thousand islets Like emeralds stud the deep; . Where aBlomidon, sentry grim. His endless watch doth keep. It dwells round Catalone's blue lake. Mid forestsleafy hid, Round fair Descouse and the tidesrushing Of the turbid Pisiquid; And it alends, Chebogue, touching grace To thy softly flowing river. As we think of thesadly racegentle That has forever.passed away Written by Mr. Richard Huntington, Yarmouth, 1883.AMERICA. The name first in and is called after1499,appears Amerigo an Italian Astronomer and The name asVespucci, Explorer. Worid had its into the New origin Germany.applied the name sometimes to is so calledColimibia, America,applied who discovered America in 1492.from Columbus, CANADA. The name first in and is derived from the Indian1540,appears or "Kannatha" which means aword "Kannata" orsettlement, collection of cabins. It is said to be of Indian derivation,Iroquois was to have been to theand supposed applied encampment at but was Cartier to the wholeMontreal, appHed byunwittingly country. MARITIME PROVINCES. The Maritime Provinces wereknown the Indians asby "Mega- i. e. home of the or the true man.Micmacs,mage" —1. The names in this book are in orNote. diction-alphabetical order. after the name the initial letter,ary Immediately appears or letters of the in which the is located.County place Annapolisof Nova Scotia.Place-Names so named afterThis wasplace likelyABERCROMBIE(P.)— a British who was connectedGeneral General,James Abercrombie, battalion of Hewith the 42nd or the first Royal Highlanders. made several in and was killed at Bunker HillCanada,campaigns in 1775. C. B.—See New Aberdeen.ABERDEEN, ABUPTIC HARBOR AND RIVER See(Y.)— Argyle River, — Cadie or isACADIA. sometimes the MicmacAcadia, Kaddy, Indian of land or thefield,equivalent region, ground, place, place and when to an it denotes that theof; joined adjective, place referred to is the or of theappropriate special place object expressed the noun or In the Micmac Indianby noun-adjective. language of this kind are formed **a" or "wa" to theby suffixingadjectives noun. anAs is the Micmac Indian forexample: Segubbun ground nut. of or to nuts.Segubbuna, relating ground Segubbuna- is the or of nuts. This us theKaddy, place region ground gives place name of "Shubenacadie." The Malicite Indians used the word for"quoddy" "Kaddy,*, as it occurs in the nameplace "Passamaquoddy." Acadia included the of Nova Scotia andgreater part Maine, New and wasknown as "the Duke's and laterBrunswick, territory" as "the it was also sometimes called "theKing's territory", province of Sagadahock." ACADIA COLLEGE—See Wolfville. ACADIAVILLE Little(R.)—Formerly Arichat, changed by ofAct Parliament to its name in 1866.present ADDINGTON FORKS so named in honor(Ant.)—Likely of the who was the British Prime Minister in theAddington years that the Duke of was Commander-in-Chief ofEdward, Kent, Nova 1796-1800.Scotia, AINSLIE The of Ainslie of the fourone sub-(I.)— Township ^ divisions of the north-western of Breton waspart Cape Island, formed in the 1828 and was named after Lake Ainslie whichyearOF NOVA SCOTIAPLACE-NAMES8 named after Lt.-Govemor who was thein turn had been Ainslie, Island 1816-1820.of BretonLt.-Governor Cape Lake Ainslie).(See — known as "Boom" wasALBA This place formerly given(L) inname Act of Parliament 1893. It is the Latinits bypresent ** white" and the name is to thename for appHcable owing large rocks to be found in theof white plaster neighborhood.quantities BRIDGE The and was noALBERT (C. B.)— Bridge place of Prince whodoubt named in honor the marriedCoilsort, Queen in 1840.Victoria —Y A on Isle namedALDERNE Madame, after the(R.) place Island which name is a of the FrenchChannel Alderney, corruption A number of fishermen thisAlderney frequented port"Aurigny." of Breton.Cape RIVERORCREEK This is the namenowALLEN (A.)— given once known asthe smaller from theAnnapolis River, "L'Esquilla" **a sea needle" or little FrenchGerman fish;"Equille", meaning This name is now to an-meaning "splinter." "L'Equille" given other river in this Called Dierville in Du Moulincounty. by 1708, the French for "Mill River."River, —So named in commemoration of theALMA where(P.) place a was won the Allies over the Russians in thegreat victory by War in the 1854.Crimean year AMAGUADUSPOND This is said to be namedB.)—(C. place from a Micmac Indian word It was first settledmeaning "plenty." in the At the of1805. the inhabitantsyear requestby Europeans the name was to Castle in the 1896.changed Bay (see) year AMETHYST COVE So named to thenumber of(K.)— owing and found there.Agate, Jasper, Amethyst specimens AMET ISLAND The name of this island is(Col.)— original have orto been "Isle L'Ormet" "L'Ormet" and the namesupposed is to be its resemblance to an "Armet" or suggested by helmet. —AMHERST This was named after Lord(C.) place Jeffrey Amherst in with Admiralwho,(1717-1797) co-operation Boscawen, in 1758. He was Commander-in-captured Louisbtu-g appointed Chief and inGovernor General in America 1761. Previous to it was called the French "Les Planches." The1759, Micmacby Indian name was "Nemaloos andKudaagun" "Nemcheboogwek,"