Ohio History Journal

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SOURCES OF THE NAMES OF THE COUNTIES

SOURCES OF THE NAMES OF THE COUNTIES

OF THE WESTERN RESERVE

 

By FREDERICK C. WAITE

 

An examination of the names of the eighty-eight counties in

Ohio shows that over half of these names commemorate indi-

viduals such as signers of the Declaration of Independence, gen-

erals in the Revolutionary War, early presidents of the United

States, and statesmen of the early period of our national history.

A considerable number of county names are of Indian origin.

Part of these are the names of Indian tribes. In others the In-

dian word is the name of a river which traverses the county and

was named before the county was erected.

A few county names in Ohio are descriptive either of topog-

raphy, position, or of some feature within the bounds of the

county.

There is a fifth small group of county names that have no

relation to anything in American history. Among the names of

the counties in the Western Reserve are found examples of each

of these five groups.

The name of a county adjacent to the Western Reserve--

Columbiana--is an euphonistic alteration of Columbia, the per-

sonification of our country, and the name of Gallia County recalls

that unfortunate endeavor to colonize refugees from the French

Revolution.

In the origin of a county there are two phases. The first is an

enabling legislative act, defining the boundaries and the name of

the new political unit. This preliminary phase is called the "erec-

tion" of a county. In case of counties arising during the terri-

torial era erection was by a proclamation of the territorial gover-

nor and ruling judges. After statehood was attained erection was

by legislative enactment. In many cases county boundaries were

changed by legislative acts subsequent to the original erection.

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