The Changing of Historic Place Names

Whilst the greatest effort has been made to ensure the quality of this text, due to the historical nature of this content, in some rare cases there may be minor issues with legibility. Some of these early names are most beautiful lto hear, and some are not. But they are all of interest and historic value. Many of the most beautiful sounding names. And names of his toric value, 'have disappeared entirely from Ithe map of the state. Wyoming is an illustration of the disappearance of an old, beau tiful and historic name. Many people think that the name Wyoming belongs to the state to which it migrated from the beautiful vale of Pennsylvania, where it was made historic for all time. Some of the earliest place names now are applied to town-s and topographical features far removed from the place which gave them brath. Shamokin is an illustration of this change. This name is one of the very oldest on the Susquehanna River, and it was used during-the entire period of settlement, as well asduring the period of Indian occupancy, when the vice-gerent of the Iroquois Confederacy made it the Indian capitol of Penn sylvani'a. All of.the early travelers and all of the official docu ments relating to Indian affairs use this name for the present Sunbury. The name Sham-okin has been given to a town which is in no way connected with the historic town from which this name was taken. In order to 1avoid confusion, a historical writer now has to always refer to the old, historic place in this manner Shamokin (now Su The same rule has to apply to the other historic village of Wyoming. When this place is men tioned, the statement must be made as Wyoming (now Wilkes Barre). Probably the greatest crime of all is that which was committed by some classical school teacher in the change which was made from Tioga to Athens. The author in other publica tions has referred to the trail of the massacre of Indian place names by these classic school teachers from New England. It was one of the sad results of the Connecticut Settlement of Pennsylvania and Western New York. The Indian names were slaughtered without pity. The scotch-irish in Pennsylvania killed the Indians, but spared th

Some of these early names are most beautiful lto hear, and some are not. But they are all of interest and historic value. Many of the most beautiful sounding names. And names of his toric value, 'have disappeared entirely from Ithe map of the state. Wyoming is an illustration of the disappearance of an old, beau tiful and historic name. Many people think that the name Wyoming belongs to the state to which it migrated from the beautiful vale of Pennsylvania, where it was made historic for all time. Some of the earliest place names now are applied to town-s and topographical features far removed from the place which gave them brath. Shamokin is an illustration of this change. This name is one of the very oldest on the Susquehanna River, and it was used during-the entire period of settlement, as well asduring the period of Indian occupancy, when the vice-gerent of the Iroquois Confederacy made it the Indian capitol of Penn sylvani'a. All of.the early travelers and all of the official docu ments relating to Indian affairs use this name for the present Sunbury. The name Sham-okin has been given to a town which is in no way connected with the historic town from which this name was taken. In order to 1avoid confusion, a historical writer now has to always refer to the old, historic place in this manner Shamokin (now Su The same rule has to apply to the other historic village of Wyoming. When this place is men tioned, the statement must be made as Wyoming (now Wilkes Barre). Probably the greatest crime of all is that which was committed by some classical school teacher in the change which was made from Tioga to Athens. The author in other publica tions has referred to the trail of the massacre of Indian place names by these classic school teachers from New England. It was one of the sad results of the Connecticut Settlement of Pennsylvania and Western New York. The Indian names were slaughtered without pity. The scotch-irish in Pennsylvania killed the Indians, but spared the names which the Indians had given to the rivers and mountains in the region in which they had lived. The New England school teacher slaughtered the names. Follow the trail of these classical scholars from Athens up into New York and you find a vertiable trail of blood of historic and beautiful Indian names.