EL RÍO DE LOS AMERICANOS (AMERICAN RIVER).“It runs in deep canyons and the scenery along its course is rugged and striking.”
EL RÍO DE LOS AMERICANOS (AMERICAN RIVER).
“It runs in deep canyons and the scenery along its course is rugged and striking.”
Tahoeis another of the Indian names whose meaning can not be ascertained with any degree of certainty. The definition “Big Water,” theone usually given, is considered doubtful by ethnologists. The statement has been made by intelligent Indians now living on the banks of the lake that the word, pronouncedDá-oby them, means “deep” and “blue.” Yet it is much to know that this pearl among all lakes has at least been fortunate enough to receive an indigenous name, escaping by a narrow margin the ignominious fate of being called Lake Bigler, for a former governor of the state. It appears that Fremont was the first to give to this body of water a name, and it is shown upon his map under the rather indefinite title of Mountain Lake. Afterward it was known for a short time as Lake Bigler. The story goes that in 1859 Dr. Henry de Groot, while exploring the mountains, learned thattah-oo-eemeant “a great deal of water,” and from this Tahoe was evolved as an appropriate name, but did not become attached to the lake until the period of the Civil War. During that time the Reverend Thomas Starr King, the famous “war” clergyman of San Francisco, visited the lake, and inspired by indignation against the Democratic Governor Bigler, whom he regarded as a secessionist, he definitely christened itTahoe, for which wemay be grateful to his memory, regardless of the motives by which he was actuated.
Tahoe is partly in Placer, and partly in El Dorado, at the eastern base of the Sierra Nevada, a portion of its waters also extending into the state of Nevada. It is twenty-two miles long and ten wide, and has an elevation of 6225 feet above sea level. It is especially remarkable for its great depth, being over 1500 feet deep.
Amador(literally “lover”), but in this case a surname. Amador is the long, narrow county lying between Calaveras and El Dorado, and was probably named in honor of the Amador family, either Don Pedro Amador, or his son, José María. Pedro Amador is said to have been a “soldier of fortune” in the Spanish army, who came to California in 1771. His son, José María, was also a soldier and a renowned Indian fighter, and was known to be living as late as 1883.
Calaveras(skulls), is the name of a county in the central part of the Sierra Nevada, on the eastern border. This county is famous for its gold and copper mines, and its Giant Sequoias. The river, to which the name of Calaveras was first given, rises in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada and flows southwest, emptying into the San Joaquín about fifteen miles below Stockton.
The river received its rather lugubrious name at the hands of Captain Moraga, who led the first expedition up the Sacramento and San Joaquín rivers. In his diary, Moraga says that the river tribes fought against those of the Sierra for possession of the salmon in the stream, and that in one battle as many as three thousand were said to have been killed and left on the field. A great number of skulls, relics of this bloody conflict, were found by Moraga scattered along the creek bed, and caused him to give it the name ofLas Calaveras. We find in Fremont a corroborating reference to the salmon as a cause of dissension among the Indians of that region:“This fish had a large share in supporting the Indians, who raised nothing, but lived on what nature gave. A ‘salmon water,’ as they named it, was a valuable possession to a tribe or village, and jealously preserved as an inheritance.”
SHORE OF LAKE TAHOE.“ ... pearl among all lakes.”
SHORE OF LAKE TAHOE.
“ ... pearl among all lakes.”
Particular interest was aroused in the Indian relics of this county some years ago by the finding of the celebrated “Calaveras skull,” purporting to have been taken from the Tertiary deposit, a stratum in which no human remains had ever before been discovered. A close examination into the circumstances, however, caused scientists to look with great doubt upon the assertion that the skull had been taken from the Tertiary deposit. In theHandbook of American Indians, published by the Smithsonian Institute, the following reference appears: “Remains of aborigines are plentiful in this county, embedded in ancient river gravels, from which gold was washed. By some scientists these remains were thought to belong to the Tertiary Age, but their resemblance to the modern Indian makes this doubtful. The Calaveras skull, still preserved in the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, at Cambridge, Massachusetts, was said to have comefrom the gravels of Bald Mountain, at a depth of 130 feet, but there are good reasons for suspecting that it was derived from one of the limestone caves so numerous in that region.”
Tuolumneis the name of the county in the Sierras just east of Calaveras, and of the river which rises at the base of the Sierra Nevadas, and flows into the San Joaquín, twenty-five miles south of Stockton, a part of its course running through a deep canyon.
Here we have another of the river names ending inumne, already discussed under the heading ofCosumne. As stated before,umneprobably means “people of,” and it is held by some authorities that the meaning ofTuolumneis “people of the stone houses, or caves.” Bancroft maintains this theory, holding that the name is a corruption oftalmalamne, “a group of stone huts or caves, or collection of wigwams.” Objection has been raised to this theory on the ground that the Indians of California were not cave-dwellers, butuniversally lived in flimsy huts made of sticks and grass. This objection is cleared away in some measure by a very interesting paragraph in the diary of Padre Pedro Muñoz, who accompanied the Gabriel Moraga expedition of 1806 into that region. The passage in question relates: “On the morning of this day, the expedition went toward the east along the banks of the river, and having traveled about six leagues, we came upon a village calledTautamne. This village is situated on some steep precipices, inaccessible on account of their rough rocks. The Indians live in theirsótanos(cellars or caves); they go up and come down by means of a weak stick, held up by one of themselves while the one who descends slips down. They did not wish to come down from their hiding-places, and for me the ascent was too difficult. This village probably has about two hundred souls, judging by the considerable mass which we repeatedly made out among the rocks and corridors [or ledges], in the manner of balconies, which the precipice made.” This meeting with the cave-dwellers occurred at a spot about six leagues from the Guadalupe River, after the expedition had left the Merced. It is not, ofcourse, to be inferred from this circumstance that the California Indians were genuine “cliff dwellers,” but rather that, at least in the mountainous parts of the state, they may have had the habit of taking refuge in natural caves from inclement weather or attacks of enemies.
As to the pronunciation of the word, it is said that the Indians called itTu-ah-lúm-ne, rather thanTuólumne, which is the general usage.
Mariposa(butterfly), is famous as the county that holds within its borders two of the wonders of the earth, the Yosemite Valley and the Giant Sequoias. Some of these trees are three hundred feet high, thirty feet in diameter, and 2400 years old, having unfolded their feathery fronds before Christ came upon the earth. According to Professor Jepsen, “they are the direct descendants of the species dominant in the Tertiary Period,” and thus are a living reminder of the plant life of that dim and distant past of which the animal life is pictured for us in the fossil remains of themammoth and saber-tooth tiger of the La Brea asphalt beds.
MARIPOSA SEQUOIAS.“ ... some of these unfolded their feathery fronds before Christ came upon the earth.”
MARIPOSA SEQUOIAS.
“ ... some of these unfolded their feathery fronds before Christ came upon the earth.”
Nearly every writer who has attempted to account for the nameMariposahas fallen into the error of ascribing it to the charming little flower called the Mariposa lily. Fremont, with his intense appreciation of the beauty of the wild flowers covering the whole country with a carpet of many hues at the time of his passage over the Sierra, says: “On some of the higher ridges were fields of a poppy which, fluttering and tremulous on its long thin stalk, suggests the idea of a butterfly settling on a flower, and gives to this flower its name of Mariposa (butterflies), and the flower extends its name to the stream.” It is almost a pity to demolish such a pretty story, yet it is unavoidable, for the true explanation is at hand in the diary of Padre Muñoz, who accompanied the Gabriel Moraga expedition of 1806 into the Sierra. He says: “This spot [not far from the Merced river], was calledLas Mariposas(the butterflies), on account of their great multitude, especially at night and in the morning, so much so that they became excessively annoying, carrying their desire to hide from the rays ofthe sun so far that they followed us everywhere, and one even entered into the ear of one of the leaders of the expedition, causing him a great deal of annoyance, and not a little trouble in getting it out.” This story is corroborated by the fact that at the present day equally great numbers of butterflies, equally annoying, swarm through the mountain forests during a certain part of the autumn.
Yosemite(grizzly bear, notlargegrizzly bear, according to the scientists), said to have been calledYohamiteby the natives, is one of the few Indian names whose meaning has been ascertained with a reasonable degree of certainty. It must be remembered that Yosemite, like most Indian words, has been greatly corrupted from its original form, which wasu-zú-mai-ti,o-só-mai-tioruh-zú-mai-ti, according to the tribe using it, and the valley was never known by this name to the Indians, but always asA-wa-ni, from the name of their principal village. Considering the great alteration of the name from its native form,it does not seem to be a matter of vital importance whether it shall now be used as one word, Yosemite, or in two words, Yo Semite, although the latter form was at one time the more general usage, and is greatly preferred by some persons. The valley was discovered in 1851 by Major James D. Savage of the United States army, while chasing the Indians, who had a bad habit of sallying forth from their hiding-place in the valley to commit depredations. The name was chosen by Dr. L. H. Bunnell, surgeon of the expedition, who tells the story in hisDiscovery of the Yosemite. He gave it the name of an Indian tribe living there and to whom this name had been given by other tribes, they calling themselvesAh-wah-nee. Their chief, Ten-ei-ya, said that when he was a young man the nameYosemite, orYohamite, had been chosen because the tribe lived in the mountains and valleys which were the favorite resorts of the bears, and because his people were expert in killing them. He also said, perhaps in a spirit of boasting, that the name was bestowed upon his tribe to express the idea that they were held in as much fear as the bears. This band of Indians was said to have beenoriginally composed of outlaws or refugees from other tribes, and may have well deserved their evil reputation.
Indian names, few of which can be scientifically defined, have been given to many peaks and waterfalls in the valley. In the folder printed by the Southern Pacific Railroad Company more or less fanciful definitions are given for these names, for which there is no foundation in fact except in the case of Yosemite itself andHunto, which really does mean “eye,” though not “watchingeye.” Tenaya Peak was probably named for the Yosemite chief, Ten-ei-ya. The definition ofPi-wa-ackas “cataract of diamonds” is absurd on its face, for a moment’s thought will remind any one that diamonds were wholly unknown to the Indians of that time and place.
“Ma-ta(the canyon), a generic word, in explaining which the Indians held up both hands to denote perpendicular walls.”—(Powers’Tribes of California.)
“Tis-se-yakis the name of an Indian woman who figured in a legend. The Indian woman cuts her hair straight across the forehead and allows the sides to drop along her cheeks, presenting a squareface, which the Indians account the acme of female beauty, and they think they discover this square face in the vast front of South Dome.”—(Powers’Tribes of California.)
Cho-ko-nip-o-deh, translated as “baby basket” in the Southern Pacific folder, means literally “dog-place” or “dog-house.”—(Powers’Tribes of California.)
Monois the name of a county on the eastern border of the state, and of the lake near the eastern base of the Sierra Nevada. This lake is fourteen miles long and nine miles wide, and is peculiar in having no outlet, its waters being strongly saline and alkaline. It lies 6730 feet above sea-level and is almost completely destitute of animal life.
VERNAL FALLS IN THE YOSEMITE VALLEY.“The valley was called by the IndiansA-wa-ni, from the name of their principal village.”
VERNAL FALLS IN THE YOSEMITE VALLEY.
“The valley was called by the IndiansA-wa-ni, from the name of their principal village.”
This name, corrupted fromMonache, the name of the Indians of this region, through its resemblance to the Spanish wordmono(monkey), has been the cause of considerable confusion, and of a number of extravagant theories, such as the supposed existence of monkeys in that country,or the resemblance of the natives to those animals, but the similarity between the two words is regarded by ethnologists as purely accidental. The meaning is obscure, but it is said that the name was applied to some Shoshonean tribes of southeastern California by their neighbors on the west.
Inyo, a word of unknown meaning, was the name of a tribe of Indians in the Sierra. Inyo County is on the eastern border of the state, adjacent to Nevada. Its largest stream is the Owens River, which flows into Owens Lake, another body of saline water having no outlet. This county has the unenviable distinction of containing within its borders the terrible “Death Valley,” where the bones of so many unfortunates have been left to whiten under the desert sun, and which still claims a victim now and then. This desolate valley is forty miles long, lying far below the level of the sea, is destitute of all vegetation, totally without water, subject to terrific heat, and in all respects well deserves its funerealname. Inyo is unique in containing the highest and lowest points in the United States, Mount Whitney and Death Valley, within sight of each other. In other parts of the county the mountain scenery is of remarkable grandeur, and the gold mines in which it is unusually rich are still worked with profit.
Amargosa(bitter), is the very appropriate name of a river of Nevada and southeastern California which flows into Death Valley, sometimes known also as the Amargosa Desert. The mountains lying northeast of the river’s upper course are sometimes called the Amargosa Mountains. Fremont gives a characteristic picture of this dreary country in the following paragraph: “We traveled through a barren district, where a heavy gale was blowing about the loose sand, and, after a ride of eight miles, reached a large creek of salt and bitter water, running in a westerly direction, to meet the stream bed we had left. It is called by the SpaniardsAmargosa, the bitter water of the desert.”
Alta(high), is a village in Placer County, sixty-eight miles northeast of Sacramento, two miles from the great American Canyon. The altitude of this place is 3607 feet above sea level. The name is modern and was only given to the place after the building of the Central Pacific Railroad.
Cerro Gordo(large, thick hill), is the name of a famous mining camp in Inyo County.
Ciscois a town in Placer County, situated at an altitude of 5934 feet above sea level. Cisco is a word of disputed origin. It has been said to be derived from the Algonquin wordcisco, meaning a fish, a sort of oily herring found in the Great Lakes, but it seems unlikely that such a name should be transported all the way from the Great Lakes to the Sierras, especially as no fish of that kind is to be found there. Other persons believe the word to be derived from the Spanishcisco(broken pieces of coal), but for this there appears to be no legitimate reason. In theHistory of Placer Countythe statement is made that the town was named for John J. Cisco, at one timeconnected with the United States Government, an explanation which is probably the true one.
Esmeralda(emerald), a village in Calaveras County.
Hetch Hetchyis the Indian name of a deep valley in the Sierra, lying north of the Yosemite, which will some day cease to be a valley and become a lake, as the people of San Francisco have succeeded in obtaining the permission of the United States Government to turn it into a reservoir for the city’s water supply. An explanation of the meaning of the word Hetch Hetchy has been obtained through the kindness of John Muir, who says: “I have been informed by mountaineers who know something of the Indian language that Hetch Hetchy is the name of a species of grass that the Tuolumne Indians used for food, and which grows on the meadow at the lower end of the valley. The grain, when ripe, was gathered and beaten out and pounded into meal in mortars.” The word was originally spelledHatchatchie.
Lancha Plana(flat-boat), is in Amador County, and its story is thus told by Mr. Junius Farnsworth, an old resident of Stockton: “This townis located across the Mokelumne River from Poverty Bar, a name given to a gravel bar in the river which was exceedingly rich in placer gold, and to which thousands of early day miners were attracted. Those who came from the north side of the Mokelumne centered in Lancha Plana and reached Poverty Bar by means of a flat-boat, or flat ferry. The Spanish soon designated the settlement on the north bank of the river as Lancha Plana, as it was the point at which the flat-boat tied up.”
Moquelumneis the name of a river which rises in the high Sierra in Alpine County, flows southwesterly and empties into the San Joaquín. The word is a corruption of the MiwokWakalumitoh, the Indian name of the river. The Moquelumne family was made up of an aggregation of tribes which occupied three sections, one lying between the Cosumnes and Fresno Rivers, another in Marin, Sonoma, and Napa Counties, and a third occupying a small area in the south end of Lake County. (A. L. Kroeber, inAmerican Anthrop.VIII, no. 4, 1906.) The Miwoks constituted the great body of this family, the different branches of which were connected by asimilarity of languages. The Miwoks are described as being quite low in the scale of civilization, and “it has been asserted that this tribe of Indians ate every variety of living creature indigenous to their territory except the skunk. The skins of jack-rabbits were rudely woven into robes, and they bought bows and arrows from the mountain Indians for shell money. Cremation of the dead was usual, and all possessions of the departed were burned with them. Their names were never afterward mentioned and those who bore the same names changed them for others. Widows covered their faces with pitch, and the younger women singed their hair short as a sign of widowhood.”—(Handbook of American Indians.)Muk-kelwas the name of the principal village of this tribe, and ifumnedoes in fact mean “people of”, Moquelumne may be “people of the village of Muk-kel.”
Panamint Rangeof mountains was named for the Panamint tribe, who belonged to the Shoshonean family, and lived around the Panamint Valley, in Inyo County, southeastern California. Many unfortunate seekers after gold have lost their lives in this desolate mountain range.
Pinto Range(painted or spotted range), so-called because of the variegated colors of the rocks. This range is in Inyo County.
San Andreas(St. Andrew), is the county-seat of Calaveras County, and is situated near the Calaveras River, fifty-six miles southeast of Sacramento. Placer gold mining was at one time extensively carried on here. St. Andrew, the patron saint of this place, was the brother of Simon Peter, and was the first called to be an apostle. He suffered martyrdom by being crucified, supposedly on a cross shaped like the one that bears his name. He is the patron of the Order of the Golden Fleece, and of the great Order of the Cross of St. Andrew.—(Stories of the Saints.) San Andreas is anomalous in being almost the only Spanish name in the mining district. The circumstances of its naming have not been ascertained.
Sonora, named for the province of Sonora in Mexico, is the capital of Tuolumne County, and is situated ninety miles southeast of Sacramento. It received its name from the large number of Sonorans from the Mexican province who mined there in the very early days. This is a miningperiod name and has no real connection with Spanish names.
Tenaya Peakin Yosemite Valley is named for Ten-ei-ya, chief of the Yosemite Indians.
Vallecito(little valley), is in Calaveras County, fifty-five miles northeast of Stockton.
Wawona, in Mariposa County, is said by some authorities to be a Moquelumnan word meaning “big tree,” but this definition is regarded by ethnologists with doubt.
Camino Real(royal road, or the King’s highway). The Camino Real was the road connecting the missions, and was the chief means of intercourse between the different settlements during the early years of the state’s history. After American occupation the road fell into disuse, but at present is being reconstructed along the old route, with many extensions and branches, and will, when finished, be one of the finest roads in the United States.
While it scarcely falls within the province of this book to enter into an elaborate discussion of the matter of pronunciation of Spanish names, it is thought desirable to present a few of the simplest rules, with some examples, so that persons unacquainted with the language may avoid at least the worst of those pit-falls set for their inexperienced feet by our nomenclature. It should be mentioned that in California the Spanish-American usage, rather than the Castilian, is followed in the pronunciation of the c and z. The rules of pronunciation quoted here are those given in Ramsey’s text books, generally regarded as excellent authority.
Asounds likeainah, midway between the Englishainfatherand that infat. Example,Pala, pronouncedPah´lah.
Esounds likeainhay, its sound being slightly varied according to situation. Example,Rode´o, pronouncedRo-day´o.
Isounds likeeeinbee. Example,Vista, pronouncedVees´tah.
Osounds likeoinhope. Example,Contra Costa, pronouncedCone´trah Coast´ah. This name is frequently mispronounced by using the short sound ofo, as innot.
Usounds likeuinrule. Example,La Punta, pronouncedLa Poon´tah.
Y, when a vowel, is equivalent toi.Yis considered a vowel only when standing alone, as iny(the conjunctionand), or at the end of a word, as inley(law), but is sometimes used interchangeably withIat the beginning of a word, as inSan Ysidro, pronouncedSan Ee-see´dro, and sometimes spelledIsidro. In other cases it is a consonant and is pronounced like theyin the Englishyard.
Only those consonant sounds differing from English usage need be mentioned here.
Chas two sounds. Beforeeandiit is pronounced likesinseat, that is, in Spanish-American usage; examples,Cerro, pronouncedSer´ro, andCima, pronouncedSee´mah. In all other caseschas the sound ofk; examples,Carlos, pronouncedKar´loce,Colorado, pronouncedKo-lo-rah´do(eacholong, as inhope),Cuesta, pronouncedKwes´tah, andCruz, pronouncedKroos.
Chhas the sound ofchinchurch. Example,Chico, pronouncedChee´ko.
Dis slightly softened, and when occurring between vowels and at the end of words it is almost likethinthen. Examples,Andrade, pronouncedAhn-drah´-dthay, andSoledad, pronouncedSole-ay-dadth.
Ghas two sounds. Beforeeandiit has the sound of strongly aspiratedh. Examples,German´, pronouncedHare-mahn´, andgiro, pronouncedhee´ro. In all othercases it sounds likegingo. Examples,Gaviota,Goleta,Guadalupe,Granada. Ingueandguitheuis regularly silent; exceptions to this rule are marked by the diaeresis, as inArgüello, pronouncedAr-gwayl´yo, or in Spanish-American,Ar-gway´yo.
His silent except in the combined characterch. Example,La Honda, pronouncedLa On´dah, with longo, as inhope.
Jhas the sound of strongly aspiratedh. Examples,Pájaro, pronouncedPah´hah-ro, andSan José, pronouncedSan Ho-say´. This letter is one of the worst stumbling-blocks in the pronunciation of Spanish names.
Llhas the sound of the letterslliin the Englishmillion, but in many parts of Spanish-America it is pronounced likeyinbeyond. The latter is not considered an elegant pronunciation. Example,Vallejo, properly pronouncedVal-yay´ho, but in Spanish-American,Va-yay´ho.
Nhas the sound of the lettersniin the Englishpinion. Example,Cañada, pronouncedCan-yah´dthah.
Qonly occurs beforeueandui, and sounds likek, the followingubeing always silent. Example,San Quintín, pronouncedSan Keen-teen´.
Shas the hissing sound ofsinsay,base, and is never pronounced likeshas inmansion, orzas inrose. Thus inSanta Rosathesis sharply hissed and is not pronounced asSanta Roza.
Zis sounded in Spanish-America like sharply hisseds, as insayorbase. Example,Zamora, pronouncedSah-mo´rah.
A peculiarity of pronunciation common to almost all Spaniards is the confusion of theband thevso that one can hardly be distinguished from the other. Vowel sounds are pronounced shortly and crisply, never with the drawling circumflex sound sometimes heard in English. Without going into the complications of the division of syllables, it may be stated that the fundamental principle is to make syllables end in a vowel as far as possible; examples,Do-lo-res(notDo-lor-es),Sa-li-nas(notSal-in-as).
All words ending innorsor a vowel are regularly accented on the next to the last syllable; examples,Sausalíto,Altúras,cómen. All others are accented on the last syllable; examples,San Rafael´,Avenal´. In words following the above rules no mark is used, but in the exceptions, which are many, the stress must be indicated by the written accent. Examples,Portolá,Jolón,Álamo,Los Ángeles.
In the Spanish language articles agree with their nouns in gender and number. The forms of the definite article areel(singular) andlos(plural) for the masculine,la(singular) andlas(plural) for the feminine. Examples,El Portal(the portal, or gate),Los Gatos(the cats),La Paz(the peace),Las Vírgenes(the virgins).
MAP OF THE MISSIONS.Used by the courtesy of Father Engelhardt.
MAP OF THE MISSIONS.
Used by the courtesy of Father Engelhardt.
FINAL LIST AND INDEX
Abalone(the great sea-snail of the Pacific Coast). See page75.
Acampo(common pasture). See page282. This name is used here in the sense of “camp,” and was given by the Southern Pacific Railroad years ago, in reference to a camp of wood choppers and Chinese which was located there.
Acolito(acolyte), is in Imperial County.
Adelante(onward, forward), now changed to Napa Junction, is in Napa County. This place was calledAdelantein the hope that its location on Napa River would cause it to become the principal city of the valley.
Adobe(sun-dried brick).
Agua(water), is in very common use in referring to springs, usually accompanied by a qualifying adjective. See page339. This word is usually mispronounced by Spanish Americans.
Agua Amargosa(bitter water). See page154.
Agua Caliente(hot water, hot spring). See pages76and259.
Agua Cayendo(falling water).
Agua Dulce(sweet water, fresh water).
Agua Fria(cold water, cold spring).
Agua Hedionda(stinking water, sulphur spring).
Aguaje del Centinela(water hole, or watering place of the sentinel), the title of a land grant.
Agua del Medio(middle spring).
Aguajito(little water hole). Near Monterey, in a delightful little glen, there were a number of these springs, or water holes, where the women were in the habit of doing the town washing, kneeling upon the ground and washing the clothing directly in the springs. This place was calledLos Aguajitos(the water holes), by the Spanish residents, and “washerwoman’s canyon” by the Americans. In the pastoral days of California, entire families climbed into their ox-carts, made with solid wooden wheels, and, provided with a liberal lunch basket, made a picnic of “blue Monday” under the green trees ofLos Aguajitoscanyon. See page339.
Agua Mansa(still water, smooth-running current). One writer, for what reason does not appear, defines this as “house water.” This place is in Southern California, near Colton.
Agua Puerca(dirty or muddy water).
Agua Puerca y las Trancas(muddy water and the bars, or stiles). This was the peculiar title of a land grant, based, no doubt, upon some trivial circumstance now forgotten. One writer has translated it as “water fit for pigs and Frenchmen,” a gratuitous insult to the French people of which the Spaniards were not guilty. This writer evidently mistook the wordpuerca(muddy or dirty) forpuerca(sow), and by some strange twist of the imagination, seems to have takentrancasto mean Frenchmen!
Agua Tibia(tepid or warm water, warm spring). See page36.
Agua de Vida(water of life).
Aguilar(the place of eagles).
Las Águilas(the eagles).Real de las Águilasmeans the “camp of the eagles.”
Ahwanee(an Indian place name), popularly but not authentically translated as “a deep or grassy valley,” is the name of a place in Madera County.
“A-wa-niwas the name of a large village standing directly at the foot of Yosemite Fall.”—(Powers’Tribes of California.)
Alameda(an avenue shaded by trees, or a cottonwood grove). This word is derived fromálamo, a poplar tree known in the West as cottonwood. See pages208and339.
Los Alamitos(the little cottonwoods). See page76.
Álamo(cottonwood). See page227.
Los Álamos(the cottonwoods). See page105.
Los Álamos y Agua Caliente(the cottonwoods and hot spring), the title of a land grant.
Alcalde(mayor, justice of the peace). This place is in the southern part of Fresno County.
Alcatraz(pelican), see page203.
Alessandro(Alexander). This place is in Riverside County.
Alhambra, near Los Ángeles, was named for the famous Alhambra of Spain. The Alhambra was an ancient palace and fortress of the Moorish monarchs of Granada in Southern Spain, probably built between 1248 and 1354. The word signifies in Arabic “the red,” and was perhaps given to this building in allusion to the color of the bricks of which the outer walls are constructed. “The marvelous beauty of the architecture of this structure has been greatly injured by alterations, earthquakes, etc., yet it still remains the most perfect example of Moorish art in its final European development.”
El Alisal(alder grove).
Aliso(alder), see page76.
Los Alisos(the alders).
Almadén(mine, mineral). See page178.
Alta(high). See page329.
Alto(high), is near San Francisco.
Los Altos(the heights), is about fifteen miles from Los Gatos.
Altúras(heights). See page259.
Alvarado(a surname). See page227.
Alviso(a surname). See page178.
Amador(a surname). See page310.
Amargosa(bitter). See page328.
American River.See page299.
Anacapa Island.This name is Indian, but the popular story that it means “vanishing island, disappearing island,” is probably not authentic. “Anacapais a corruption of Vancouver’s Indian name of the island,Enneeapah; the engraver spelled itEnecapahon the chart, and subsequent compilers have endeavored to give it a Spanish form.”—(Geo. Davidson inUnited States Coast and Geodetic Survey.)
Andrade(a surname). This place is near Calexico.
Los Ángeles(the angels). See pages51and339.
Angel Island.See page204.
Las Ánimas(the souls). See page65.
Año Nuevo(new year). See page157.
Aptosis said to be an Indian name, meaning “the meeting of two streams,” in reference to Valencia and Aptos Creeks. As this was a method of naming very much in vogue among the Indians, it is likely that this is the true explanation of Aptos.
Arena(sand). See page259.
Las Arenas(the sands).
Punta de Arenas(sandy point), a cape on the coast of Mendocino County.
Argüello(a surname). See page106.
Armada(fleet, squadron). The Armada was the name of the great fleet sent against England by Philip II in 1588. Whether the name of this town, situated in Riverside County, has this origin has not been ascertained.
Las Aromitas y Agua Caliente(the little perfumes and hot spring), title of a land grant.
Aromas(the odors, perfumes), is in San Benito County.
Arroyo(a creek or small stream). The designationarroyois sometimes applied to the dry bed of a former stream. It does not, as is sometimes thought, refer only to a bed with steep sides, but is applied as well to shallow streams flowing through level country.
Arroyo de la Alameda(creek of the cottonwood grove).
Arroyo Buenos Aires(creek of the good airs). See page282.
Arroyo del Burro(jackass creek).
Arroyo Chico(little creek). See page283.
Arroyo de los Dolores(creek of the sorrows). Dolores Creek in San Francisco was so-named “because this was the Friday of Sorrows.”
Arroyo de los Gatos(creek of the cats—wild-cats).
Arroyo Grande(big creek). See page127.
Arroyo Hondo(deep creek). See page179.
Arroyo de la Laguna(creek of the lagoon).
Arroyo Medio(middle creek).
Arroyo de las Nueces y Bolbones(creek of the walnuts and Bolbones). The meaning of Bolbones has not been ascertained, but it may have been the name of an Indian tribe.
Arroyo del Norte(creek of the north).
Arroyo Real de las Águilas(creek of the camp of the eagles).
Arroyo del Rodéo(creek of the cattle round-up).
Arroyo Seco(dry creek). See page157.
Asfalto(asphalt), incorrectly spelledasphalto, is in southwestern Kern County.
Asunción(ascension). See pages97and339.
Atascadero(bog-mire). See page127. The Atascadero is one of the largest ranches in the state, comprising 22000 acres.
Avena(oats), is in Inyo County.
Avenal(a field sown with oats). See page127.
Avenales(wild oats).
Avila(a surname), eight miles from San Luís Obispo, was probably named for a pioneer family of Los Ángeles.
Azusa.See page77. This is the name of a place in Los Ángeles County.
El Bailarín(the dancer). See page99.
Ballena(whale). See page39.
Bandini(a surname). See page77.
Los Baños(the baths), is in Merced County, thirty-five miles southwest of Merced. This place was so-called from the creek, which has large, deeppools of clear water that were used by the early inhabitants as a bathing place.
Barranca(ravine).
La Barranca Colorada(the red ravine).
Barril(barrel).
Barro(clay).
Batata(sweet potato), is in Merced County, and is so-called because it lies in the best sweet potato growing district in California.
Baulines, see page228.
Bella Vista(beautiful view).
Bellota(acorn), is in San Joaquín County.
Benicia(a surname). See page223.
Berenda, probably a misspelling ofberrenda(female antelope), is in Madera County.
Berrendo(antelope). See page40.
Berrendos(antelopes). See page40.
Berros(water-cresses), is in San Luís Obispo County.
Berryessa(a surname).
Blanco(white). See page157. In early days an American named Thomas White lived near the present town of Blanco. His name was translated into the Spanish form for white,blanco, by the native residents, and the place became known by that name.
Boca(mouth), in this case refers to the mouth of the Truckee River, in Nevada County.
La Boca de la Cañada del Pinole(the mouth of the valley of the cereal meal). This was a land grant, which received its peculiar name from the fact of the Spaniards having been compelled to live on pinole while they awaited the return of a party with supplies from Monterey. SeePinole, page231.
Boca de la Playa(mouth of the beach).
Boca de Santa Mónica(mouth of Santa Mónica).
Bodega(a surname). See page259.
Bolinas, probably a corruption ofBaulines, an Indian word. See page228.
Bolsa(pocket), often used to mean a “shut-in place.” See page78.
La Bolsa(the pocket), is near Newport Beach.
Las Bolsas(the pockets).
Bolsa de Chamisal(pocket of the wild cane, or reeds). The chamisal, sometimes incorrectly spelled chemisal, is defined in the dictionaries as wild cane, or reed, but in California, at least, it is applied to a “shrub attaining a height of six or eight feet. Its thickets are almost impassable except by bears or similar animals, as the branchesare low and very stiff and tough. In some places men are only able to penetrate it by crawling.”—(Mr. Charles B. Turrill.)
Bolsa Chica(little pocket).
Bolsa de las Escorpinas(pocket of the perch.)
Bolsa Nueva y Moro Cojo(new pocket and lame Moor). The wordMorowas often used to mean anything black, as, for instance, a lame black horse, for which the Moro Cojo Rancho, near Monterey, is said to have been named.
Bolsa del Pájaro(pocket of the bird).
Bolsa del Potrero,yMoro Cojo ó la Sagrada Familia(pocket of the pasture, and the lame Moor or the Holy Family). This is the combined name of several land grants.
Bolsa de San Felipe(pocket of St. Philip).
Bonito(pretty). See page228.
La Brea(the asphalt). See page54.
El Buchón(the big craw). See page127.
Buena Vista(good view).
Bueyes(oxen).
Los Burros(the donkeys, or jackasses), is in San Luís Obispo County.
Cabeza(head).
Dos Cabezas(two heads).
Cabeza de Santa Rosa(head of St. Rose).
Cabezón(big head). See page78.
Cabrillo(a surname), the name of a cape on the coast of Mendocino County. See page259.
Cádiz, between Needles and Barstow, was probably named for the well-known Spanish city of the same name. “In naming the stations on the Southern Pacific Railroad from Mojave to Needles going east, an alphabetical order was used, Barstow, Cádiz, Daggett, etc., until Needles was reached.”—(Mr. Charles B. Turrill.)
Cahto, Mendocino County, Indian, probable meaning “lake.”
Cahuenga, near Los Ángeles, is an Indian name, that of a former village.
Cahuilla, is said to be a corruption of the Indian word Ka-wia. See page78.
El Cajón(the box, or canyon). The name ofEl Cajónwas first given to a valley lying about fifteen miles east of San Diego. The valley comprises about 16,000 acres of level land entirely surrounded by hills several hundred feet high, thus presenting a box-like appearance that gave rise to its name. See pages41and339.
Cajón Passis in San Bernardino County.
Calabazas(pumpkins), see page79.
Calaveras(skulls). See page311.
Calexico, on the border of Lower California, is a hybrid word made up of the first part of California and the last of Mexico. Its counterpart on the Mexican side isMexicali, in which the process is reversed.
Caliente(hot). See page282.
Caliente Creek.See page41. This creek was so-named because its water is warm.
California, see page13.
Calistoga, see page259.
CalnevaandCalvadaare two more hybrids, made up of syllables from California and Nevada.
Calor, near the Oregon line, is likely to cause confusion by its resemblance to the Spanish wordcalor, (heat); this Calor is one of those composite words to which Californians are so regrettably addicted, and is made up of the first syllables of California and Oregon.
Calpellawas named for the chief of a village situated just south of the present town, near Pomo, in Mendocino County. The chief’s name was Kalpela.
Calzonais another trap for the unwary, throughits resemblance to the Spanish wordcalzones(breeches); it is one more of those border towns bearing names made up of the syllables of two state names, in this case, California and Arizona.
Camanche, a post town in Calaveras County, was so-named in honor of the great Camanche, or Comanche tribe, whose remarkable qualities are thus described by Father Morfi in hisMemorias de Texas, a document written about the year 1778: “The Comanche nation is composed of five thousand fighting men, divided into five tribes, each with a different name. They are very superior to all the others in number of people, extent of the territory that they occupy, modesty of their dress, hospitality to all who visit them, humanity towards all captives except Apaches, and their bravery, which is remarkable even in the women. They live by hunting and war, and this wandering disposition is the worst obstacle to their reduction, for it induces them to steal. Nevertheless, they are very generous with what they have, and so proud that one alone is capable of facing a whole camp of enemies if he cannot escape without witnesses to his flight.” Both spellings are used in the original records.
Camaritas(small cabins or rooms). The application of this name has not been ascertained. It may refer to Indian huts seen by the Spaniards, or may have a totally different meaning.
Camino Real(royal road, or the King’s highway). See page339.
Campo(a level field, a camp, the country). See page41.
El Campo(the field or camp), places in Marin and San Diego Counties.
Campo de los Franceses(field or camp of the Frenchmen).
Campo seco(dry field or camp), in Calaveras County.
Camulos, orKamulas. See page105.
Cañada(valley or dale between mountains). See page339.
Cañada de los Alisos(valley of the alders).
Cañada del Bautismo(valley of the baptism). See page41.
Cañada de los Capitancillos(valley of the little captains).
Cañada de la Carpintería(valley of the carpenter-shop). See page100.
Cañada de los Coches(valley of the pigs).Coche,used in the sense of “pig”, is a Mexicanism, said to have originated in the state of Sonora.
Cañada del Corte de Madera(valley of the wood-cutting place).
Cañada del Hambre y las Bolsas(valley of hunger and the pockets), a name said to have been given to this canyon because some Spanish soldiers nearly perished of starvation there. Abolsais a pocket, or shut-in place.
Cañada Larga(long valley).
Cañada de los Muertos(valley of the dead).
Cañada de los Nogales(valley of the walnut-trees).
Cañada de los Noques(valley of the tan-pits).
Cañada del Osito(valley of the little bear). See page127.
Cañada de los Osos y Pecho y Islay, valley of the bears and breast (perhaps referring to Pecho Mountain in San Luís Obispo County), and wild cherry.Islayis said to be a California Indian word meaning wild cherry. Islais Creek, San Francisco, may take its name from the wild cherry.
Cañada de los Pinos(valley of the pines).
Cañada de Raymundo(valley of Raymond).
Cañada del Rincón en el Río San Lorenzo deSanta Cruz(valley of the corner section on the river San Lorenzo of Santa Cruz).
Cañada de Sal si Puedes(valley of “get out if you can”). See page109.
Cañada de San Felipe y las Ánimas(valley of St. Philip and the souls).
Cañada Segunda(second valley).
Cañada de los Vaqueros(valley of the cow-boys).
Cañada Verde, y Arroyo de la Purísima Concepción(green valley and creek of the immaculate conception).
Capay, in Yolo County, is Indian, but its meaning has not been ascertained.
Capistrano, see page35.
El Capitán(the captain), the name of a precipice in the Yosemite Valley.
Capitán(captain), the name of a flag station in Santa Bárbara County. It was named for a ranch owned by Captain Ortega, which was calledCapitán, in reference to his title.
Capitán Grande(big captain). The origin of this name has not been ascertained.
La Carbonera(the charcoal pit).
Carnadero, a corrupt word used to mean “butchering-place.”
Carne Humana(human flesh). See page246.