1000 California Place Names: The Story Behind the Naming of Mountains, Rivers, Lakes, Capes, Bays, Counties and Cities

Where did California get its name? Or for that matter where did a thousand and one cities and counties, peaks and valleys, rivers and bays get their names? As succinctly as possible this little book gives the why, how, when, and where of the names on the land of California, from Abalone to Zaca. It tells how to pronounce Ojai, La Jolla, Hueneme, and many other names of Spanish or Indian origin. It tells of the Indians, the explorers, the early settlers, the Franciscan padres, and the surveyors who bestowed names upon the geographical features of the State, or whose names were themselves given to the features, and it tells the reader how many of the names were transferred by the pioneers from their home tovvns in the East. This is a useful little book that should travel with you as you follow the main highways and trails. You will find that it will enrich your appreciation of the California scene. This new edition of 1,000 California Place Names presents a small fraction of the more than 150,000 geographical names in California. It is a careful selection of important and interesting names based on the comprehensive dictionary California Place Names now in its third revised and enlarged edition. Like its predecessors, this edition concentrates on the origins of the names currently used for the cities, towns, settlements, mountains, and streams of California, with engrossing accounts of the history of their usage. It differs from its predecessors in three important ways:. First, the dictionary has been updated to incorporate the latest research on California place names published by regional historians and to include new names that have been added to the California map since 1969, with particular reference to the current place name files of the U.S. Board on Geographic Names, a section of the U.S. Geological Survey. Second, particular attention has been given to local pronunciations of place names with unusual spellings. Third, the many California place names of American Indian origin - such as Yreka, Shasta, Napa, Sonoma, Tamalpais, Yosemite, Coachella, or Poway - receive special coverage, based on recent fieldwork carried out by linguists and anthropologists among the California tribes. The book includes a Glossary and Bibliography that credits all the sources from which information has been obtained and indicates the resources available for readers who wish to do further research. Where did California get its name? Or for that matter where did a thousand and one cities and countries, peaks and valleys, rivers and bays get their names? This little book succinctly gives the why, how, when, and where of the more frequently encountered names on the land of California, from Abalone to Zaca. From Abadi Creek to Zzyzyx Spring, thousands of discoveries await the reader of California Place Names . This is the fourth edition, extensively revised and expanded, of a classic work of Californiana. It has been updated to incorporate the latest research on California place names published by local historians in the various parts of the state and to include new names that have been added to the California map since 1969. Front Cover Half Title Page Map Full Title Page ISBN: 0-520-01432-4 Preface 1,000 California Place Narnes A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y Z NOTES Back Cover