Rensselaer Republican, Volume 22, Number 26, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 February 1890 — Naming the Great Lakes. [ARTICLE]

Naming the Great Lakes.

Lake Michigan, persistently called at first “Illinois,” was called “Michigan” first by Sener in 1744, since which time it has been generally known by that name. Champlain, the first topographer of Lake Superior, called it “Grand Lac.” The wonderful Jesuit map called it “Tracy or Superior.” Coxe and Sener called it by an alias after the Sioux, or as they were then called, Nadousaians, on its shores. Lake Erie received its name from the Eries on its banks and uniformly retained the name. The Eries were known as a cat nation; therefore some early writers call it “Folia,” and “Do Chat” Sener called it “Cadaragua.” Washington’s Journal, Mitchell and Pownall called it “Okswego.” The earlier discoverers of Ontario called it ‘‘St Louis,” and afterwards the early French called it “Lake Frontenac,” after the governor. The English when they first claimed duminion, called it “Katarakui,” or Ontario. Mitchell called it “Cataraqui,” and Pownall the same, but the name “Ontario” was always used.