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NC Places Named for the Native Americans

 

The most obvious way that Native Americans influence present day North Carolina is in the many landmarks and towns in the state that are named for Native American tribes and words. Many of these also have interesting stories behind them, which can teach a lot of obscure North Carolina history in researching them. Some of these stories and words are still somewhat disputed as to the origins, because the languages were oral languages, and had no original written language (Reynolds, 1973).

 

The Appalachian Mountains, for example, are named after a tribe that lived in one of the more southern states (Reynolds, 1973). Basically all of the rivers in North Carolina have a name that is either directly from Cherokee or some other language, or is named after a specific tribe that once lived there (Reynolds, 1973). Many of the towns in North Carolina are named for Indian tribes or words (Reynolds, 1973). Finally, even a few of the counties have names that relate to Native American words (Reynolds, 1973).

 

One of the most significant landmarks with a Native American story is Pilot Mountain. Pilot was originally known as Jomeokee, which means “pilot” or “great guide” (Kickler, 2014). Native Americans and settlers used the mountain as a directional landmark alike. Pilot Mountain is also known as a monadnock (Frankenburg, 2000). It is one of the Sauratown Mountains, which are mostly monadnocks (Frankenburg, 2000). The Saura Indians lent their name to these mountains, and the word monadnock is from their language, meaning “Smooth Mountain” or “lone mountain” (Frankenburg, 2000). That is exactly what they are, they are mountains rising by themselves out of a surrounding valley (Frankenburg, 2000).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

            Pilot Mountain, once known as "Jomeokee"- "pilot" or "great guide."

            The mountains in the distance are the Sauratown Mountains, named for the Saura Indians

 

These are the many places named from Native American words, from stories, and for different tribes:

  • Appalachian Mountains- named for the Appalachee Indians for FL, AL, and GA

  • Bay/Bear River- named for Indians that lived at the river

  • East and West Buffalo Creeks- from the Cherokee word for these, "Yunsai," which means, "buffalo place"

  • Cape Fear River- named for Siouan Cape Fear Indians

  • Carraway Mountains and Creek- once home to the Carraway Indians

  • Indian Trail- town through which the old Indian trading route used to travel through

  • Cashie River- "Cashie" is the Tuscarora word for river

  • Cataloochee Mountain and Valley- means "row upon row," referring to the rugged terrain

  • Chatuge Reservoir- Chatuge means "land where the waters meet"

  • Cheoah RIver/Lake Cheoah/Cheowa Maximum- Cheoah/Cheowa means "otter" in Cherokee

  • Coharie Creek- named for the Coharie Indians

  • Connestee Falls- for indians that pre-date the Cherokee from Cherokee legends

  • Core Banks/Core Sound- named for the Coree Indians

  • Cowee Creek- name from Cherokee word "Kawi'yi" which means "place of the Deer clan"

  • Coweeta Creek- "war town" or "lesser or lower creek"

  • Cullasaja River and Gorge- Cullasaha means "honey locust place"

  • Cutawhiskie Creek/Swamp- location of an indian village of the same name

  • Ekameetlee Creek and Gap- Cherokee word for "gentle wind"

  • Eno River- named for Eno Indians

  • Haw River- named for the Sissipahaw indians

  • Heintooga overlook/bald/creek- Cherokee for "hiding place,refuge, dwelling"

  • Junaluska Lake, Creek, Ridge, Mountain, and Gorge- named for a great Cherokee warrior that saved Andrew Jackson in 1812 at the Battle of Horshoe Bend, and who battled against the Creek Indians

  • Juneywhank Falls- "place where the bear passes"

  • Lumber River- name after the Lumbee people

  • Mattamuskeet Lake- Algonquian word for "near marsh or bog"

  • Meherrin River- named for Meherrin indians

  • Neuse River- named for the Neusiok indians

  • Nolichucky River- Cherokee for "spruce tree place" or "a tree"

  • Nottely River- Cherokee village on river named Naduhli, which means "daring horseman"

  • Occaneechee Mountain- named for the Occaneechi Indians

  • Oconaluftee river- means "by the water"

  • Ocracoke Island- originally "wokokon" for the Wokokon Indians related to the Neusiok

  • Pacolet River- Cherokee for "fast running horse"

  • Pee Dee River- for Pee Dee Indians

  • Pacosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge- Pacosin is Algonquian for "swamp on a hill"

  • Potecasi Creek- named for indian tribe that lived there

  • Pungo Lake and River- named for the Machapunga tribe

  • Roanoke- originally "rarehawok" which is Algonquian for "shell"

  • Sauratown Mountains- named for the Saura indians

  • Pilot Mountain- was named Jomeokee which means "great guide" or "pilot"

  • Scuppernong River- Algonquian for "place of the sweet bay tree"

  • Sequoya Lake- named for a Cherokee born in the late 1700s who developed the written Cherokee language, allowing Cherokee to become literate

  • Shocco Creek- named for Shoccoree Indians

  • Skeenah Creek- Cherokee word for "ghost" or "devil"

  • Soco Gap and Creek- Cherokee for "one"

  • Steestachee Bald- Cherokee for "mouse"

  • Sugar Creek- for Sugaree Indians

  • Tallulah River- either Creek indian for "town" or Choctaw for "leaping water"

  • Tellico River- Cherokee word "tallikwa" which is from the Creek Indians and means "bean"

  • Toxaway- means "red bird"

  • Tsali- named for a Cherokee Indian

  • Uwharrie- means "rocky field"

  • Wayah Bald and Gap- means "wolf"

  • Wiccacon River- for the Wyanoke Indians, which are named for the word for "little river"

  • Yeopim River- Algonquian Yeopim Indians

  • Mount Yonaguska- for a Cherokee chief who is considered to be the last great chief

  • Yonahlossee- at grandfather mountain, means "trail of the bear"

  • Aquone- named for a cherokee village, means "by the river" or "where the streams meet"

  • Cahaba- Choctaw for "water above"

  • Cartoogechaye- means "corn fields"

  • Coolemee- "where the white oaks grew"

  • Cullowhee- "place of the white lillies"

  • Donnaha- named for an Indian chief

  • Ela- "land or earth"

  • Etowah- Cherokee version of a creek word meaning "trail crossing"

  • Hiwassee- "meadow"

  • Kinnakeet- Algonquian for "that which is mixed"

  • Kitty Hawk- named Chickahawk which means "goose hunting grounds"

  • Milwaukee- "rich, beautiful land"

  • Okeeweemee- "land between two rivers"

  • Osceola- from "asiyahola" which means "Black drink." This is named after a Creek indian ceremonial drink

  • Ossipee- "pine river or stoney river"

  • Oswego- Iroquian for "outpouring"

  • Oteen- Cherokee for "chief aim"

  • Pocomoke- Algonquian for "broken ground"

  • Quitsna- Tuscarora for "strong and mighty"

  • Saluda- "corn river"

  • Stecoah- "little place"

  • Tuckasegee- named for a Cherokee village of the same name

  • Chaka- "white"

  • Alamance- from "Alamons" which means "noisy river"

  • Catawba- named for Catawba indians

  • Chowan- "south country"

  • Currituck- was "coratank" which means "land of wild geese"

  • Pasquotank- Algonquian for "divided tidal river"

  • Perquimans- "land of beautiful women"

  • Watauga- "the land beyond"

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