R. H. Whitbeck

“ Like the French in the St Lawrence and Mississippi Valleys, the Spaniards in the regions which they explored were inclined to leave a spattering of saints' names. Where Spanish influence really dominated there the san and santa is frequent, and there rivers are "rios" and mountains are "sierras." ”

“ Hundreds of New England lakes, particularly of Maine, most of the important lakes of New York, and 4 out of the 5 Great Lakes tell of the Indian. Even in those states where rivers and lakes most generally bear Indian names the political divisions, the mountains, and the shore features do not. Only 2 of the original 13 states, Massachusetts and Connecticut, and 3 of the mountain states, Arizona, Utah, and Wyoming, have Indian names, while 16 of the 18 Mississippi Valley states have such names. ”

“ Less than a half dozen of the 40 important mountains and peaks are named in the Spanish tongue, and not a county in the state has a Spanish name. The place names of Oregon and Washington tell the checkered history of those states. Capes Foulweather and Disappointment speak of unhappy voyages. Astoria recalls the fur trade that helped to found the Astor fortune. The neighboring towns of Harrisburg and Lebanon suggest colonies of people from southeastern Pennsylvania. Salem suggests Massachusetts, and Albany speaks of New York. In both Washington and Oregon Indian names are rare. ”

“ In Arizona and Colorado the trail of the Spaniard is everywhere visible. Twenty larger streams of the latter state are "rios." In the former the Spanish mesa, butte, el, san, and santa are constantly met with, yet of the 14 important mountain passes in Arizona not one has a Spanish name. ”