A Dictionary of Iowa Place-Names

Introduction

introduction I decided to compile this book when I found that there were no comprehensive guides to Iowa place-names in print. There are many community and county publications that record information about their local histories, and certainly information is in print about American Indian place-names in Iowa, but there is no central source for this information. Having spent many years working with students looking ahead and trying to assess what careers would be viable for them, I thought it would be refreshing to look back. I just didn’t realize that it would take four years to complete this project. The towns that I have included were drawn from the Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) road map published in 2006. The DOT included all incorporated communities and all the unincorporated towns that met at least two of the following criteria: twenty-five residents or more; a retail business; an annual celebration or festival; a school, church, or cemetery; a building on the National Register of Historic Places; a zipcoded post office; or an association with a public recreation site. I used its list in determining which towns to include in the book, not only because it was expedient but also because many people have the DOT road map and could readily locate the towns listed. I have also included information about why the communities were named, when they were established, and when they were incorporated. The names reflect the history and development of Iowa. American Indians were the inspiration for many names in Iowa, as they should be since they were the first residents of the area. The early French explorers left many names in the state as well. Many of the U.S. explorers and soldiers who traveled through Introduction xiii the area have also been commemorated. Later, the influx of settlers from Europe and the eastern United States brought many new names. Place-names were applied to pay tribute to the hometowns from which they came. Other town names were drawn from the family names of the settlers and founders. Mining towns reflected the names of the companies that they sprang up around. With the railroads came many new towns. John Blair, who was heavily involved with the development of the railroads in Iowa, probably is responsible for the names of more towns in the state than any other individual. While I was aware of the old coal mines along the Des Moines River and the extensive harvesting of timber in the forested areas of the state, I must admit that I did not understand the extent of the role those activities and others had played in the development of both the economy and the geography of the state. Although agriculture had been critical for the survival of the various American Indian tribes that had lived in the area, it did not become important economically for the settlers until after Iowa developed a strong rail system. The railroads were important in the location of towns throughout the state because of their policy of making sure that there were towns every seven to ten miles along their tracks. Those tracks were crucial for the development of Iowa’s agricultural economy from the middle of the nineteenth century onward. On a lighter note, it was interesting to learn that Dewar has had a community pot-luck running for over sixty years and that the mayor of West Okoboji is the longest-serving mayor in the state of Iowa. American Indians populated the upper Midwest for thousands of years before there was contact with Euro-Americans. There is little information recorded about the tribes before contact with the French. Most of the Iowa place-names derived from xiv Introduction Indian dialects are based on either the Siouan or Algonquian root languages, since those were the two language groups used by the Indian populations in Iowa. Some names are derived from the words used by Indians to describe an area. Ottumwa and Quasqueton are examples. Battles between tribes competing for space have been commemorated. While the term is French, Tete des Mortes Creek was named for the human skulls found in and by it, gruesome relics of an Indian battle. A town was named from the creek, Tete des Mortes, but later renamed St. Donatus. Another example was Battle Creek, named for a particularly vicious fight between tribes. Not all Indian names used in...