Collection: Books and Periodicals

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Title: A Memorial and Biographical History of Northern California (1891) Collection Type: Books and Periodicals Publisher: Lewis Publishing Company Published: 1891 Copyright: In the public domain or published before 1925 Source(s): Google Books # of Pages: 713 Download PDF: User Login Required Download OCR Text: User Login Required

Date Scanned: 2024-07-22 00:25:09 Item Sourced From: PDF First Created: 2025-03-17 03:11:29 Last Updated: 2025-03-17 06:30:36

Original Held At: Searls Historical Library Location: 161 Nevada City Hwy, Nevada City, CA 95959

Page: of 713  

94 HISTORY OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA. — of any other word of geographical designation in the State. The beautiful lake, lying on the boundary line between this State and Nevada, has borne that name since aboriginal days. On February 10, 1870, an act of the Legislature was approved declaring the name of the lake to be “ Bigler,” in honor of the ex-Governor. In the debates in the Legislature the matter of the ‘name of the lake became almost a partizan issue. The Democrats favored the name Bigler, and the Republicame Tahoe. The Democrats claimed that the name Tahoe had been borne by a disreputable and vicious Indian chief who had murdered an American family named Rothrock on the Truckee River in early days. The Republicans contended that it was an Indian word, meaning “ big water.” A correspondent in the Sacramento Union of February 3, 1880, claimed that the word was a corruption of “ Tejon.” or badger, and that the lake had been s0 called by the half converted Indians who had fled to the mountains to escape servitude to the Spaniards, the region about the lake being prolific with badgers. The correspondent was no doubt in error. Tehachapi isan Indian word of unknown signification. Temescal is an Indian word, meaning ‘ sweat-house.” Tomales Bay was named after a tribe of Indians of that name who lived in that vicinity. William Baldridge, a very early pioneer. writes the following account of the derivation of the word “ Truckee:” In 1845, James M. Harbin and a few others were on their way to California, via overland route, and on arriving at the sink of the Humboldt, they met with an Indian and employed him to pilot them across the desert. While en route Harbin noticed a resemblance in him to a Frenchman he had formerly known, and therefore bestowed the name of the Frenchman (Truckee) on the Indian, and on arriving at the river (Truckee) they were greatly elated at their good fortune, and named it Trnekee’s River. “ Truckee” and two of his brothers came to California with the emigrants in 1846, and served in Fremont’s battalion until the end of the war. The Reno Gazette, in 1880, published the following account of the same incident: In 1844 4 party of men left Council Bluffs, Iowa, to go to Oregon. They came across the plains, and when they reached the hunting grounds of the Shoshonnes they procured an Indian guide named Truckee. This Indian accompanied them as far as Sucter’s fort. In traversing this region the Indian told thein of a rapid river that flowed from one great lake to another. The party did not reach this river as soon as they expected, and they began to look upon Truckee’s river as a river of the mind, a flowing fiction. Truckee’s river was, for a time, a frequent jest upon their lips, and when at last they reached the stream he described they had already nameu it. Ukiah derives its name trom the Eukio or Yukio tribe of Indians, who dwelt in the valley when it was first visited by the whites. Vallejo was founded by General M. G. Vallejo, from whom: it received its name. It was for a short time the capital of the State. Visalia was named after Nat Vise, a bear hunter, who lived there in early days. Walloupa was named after an Indian chief. It is a corruption of GuadaInpe, the name which he had received from the missionaries. Washoe is the Indian name for the valley lying along the eastern base of the Sierra Nevadas. The word signifies “ beantiful.” Watsonville was named after J. H. Watson, who founded it in 1853; Weaverville was named after a miner named Weaver, who at an early period obtained a large qnantity of gold from Weaver Creek. Winters was laid out in 1875, and was named in honor of Theodore Winters, who owned an interest in the town site; and Woodbridge waa named after its founder, J. H. Woods. Yeomet is an Indian name, signifying rocky falls, and was given to the forks of the Cosumnes River, in Amador County. Yosemite is a corruption of “ Vosoom-ite,” an Indian word meaning, in the language of the tribe that inhabited the valley, “large grizzly bear.” Yountville was named after George C. Yount, who died October 5, 1865. The town of Yreka was originally called Shasta Butte City, but as this was too much