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Show Whats in a name? Youd be surprised by CHANCES ARE that if you asked for directions to Chicken Creek, youd get a baffled response from any Utahn Chicken Creek 7 Ah, but if you in inquired about Juab (thats JU-a- b Utah, not the Spanish WAHB), no doubt youd find it on a map. Juab "thirsty land mustve represented a vast improvement over Chicken Creek to most inhabitants of that area. Similarly, the sleepy hamlet of Torrey probably took a step up in morale, though not necessarily in finances, by erasing Poverty Flat" as its official title. As for several of the long Spanish names of old. surely many a young geography students applauds their passing The meandering Virgin River couldve remained the Rio de los Piramides Sulfureo (River of the Sulfer Pyramids), the Green River couldve stayed the Rio Buena venturs (River of Good Lucki and Utah Lake couldve forever been stuck as the Laguna de los Timpanogos (Lake of the River of Rocks). While that is the translation of Timpanogos. a more popularized version of recent years called it the Sleeping Indian Princess, because the resemblance of Mount Timpanogos to a reclusive figure CAN you imagine trying to PHEW Barbara Coynrr If an Indian offered you a "Koosharem, however, you'd know it wild edible, just as a was a carrot-lik- e Kamas was another native food staple. No secrets in those names. As for a "Tooele," pick one and put it in a vase, for the "tuilla is actually a pretty wildflower. And did you know that a Kanahe is a willow? the Deseret stamp represents industry and hard work as embodied in the honey bee OTHER SETTLERS also blazed their brands into the region. With Toquervil- - and today Utah is still Empire." The d While some Indian place names have continued to fit their respective areas, others seem to present something of a its not puzzle Take southern Utah exactly known for its abundance of water. Yet theres "Paragonah," or "the source of many springs," and Piute." or the Indians that live near the water. Panguitch, too, alludes to water, but its popular translation is "big fish. Who could quibble with that title after fishing Panguitch Lake? TENDS to straddle two separate origins, one being the apparent Book of Mormon reference and the other being an alternation of an Indian term, "mosquito water." Perhaps residents of Moab should have the final there. say-s"MOAB le (the black city) and Cache (a hiding place), the French got their two cents worth in, and Cisco was another Spanish contribution meaning "coal dust " More apparent are the English place names which illustrate so much about an area by a mere word or two. Can you picture the landscape around Copper-ton- , Coalville, Salt Lake, Boulder or Thistle? Now of course Tropic isnt master those? True, one of Utahs scenic wonders, Timpanogos Cave, did get shackled with a handle, but the Rio de Santa Isabel gradually gave way to the Simpler Sevier River multi-syllab- le Place names they run the gamut in Utah Some are traditional, some European, some commemorative and some are straight out of the Book of Mormon or Indian folklore For example, UTAH itself steps out of the Red Man's vocabulary to describe "people Then we have who live in high places "Wasatch "a mountain pass Or "Uinta whose full meaning lies buried with the Indians who first uttered it Modern man is left with scraps of a definition revolving around the word sit. Garden and Hells Backbone This tossed salad of names and places makes one wonder about Deseret. And how about some of the fun names? Santaquin Santa WHO? two ship three ship Wanship and Wah Wah Springs and Shivwits! Theres Sardine Canyon, a cramped pass that convinces you that you've been funneled into a sardine can, but is actually named to pay homage to all the sardines a band of settlers consumed during their journey. And what story hides in the depths of Starvation Reservoir The Utah map is a delight, spelling out the sights that color the terrain unique. Goblin Valley, Koda- . The spots on a map have a way of filling up, naming chunks of land after famous people, so why should Utah be any different? There are the obvious place names such as Brigham City, Heber City. St George, Woodruff (these four pay tribute to Mormon leaders), Escalante (after the Catholic priest and settler) and Ogden (after an early trapper), as well as Provo (the town took the liberty of dropping the final "t" from trapper Etienne Provots name). The northern Utah nickname "Bridgerland recognizes that notorious mountain man, Jim Bndger, who cached his furs in that well-know- SPEAKING OF "VILLES (thats French for city or town, incidentally), There are no less than 18 (and probably more) in Utah Hanksville, Kaysville, Snowville, Circleville, Cannonville to name but a few. The early Mormons acknowledged their giant desert empire as "Zion," so it's not surprising to see town names of praise. Who wouldnt be attracted to Bountiful, Providence, Pleasant Grove or Paradise'. But alas, the Devil, too, made his impressions on the Saints maps with designations such as Devils Slide, the Dirty Devil River, the Devils . o Barbara Coyner is a freelance writer based in Kalispell, Mont project "Orderville " Straight and to the point. n . , . The going to excite large number of Floridians with its temperature range, but to surrounding towns of Garfield County, Tropic may indeed be tropical. And really Cedar Breaks should've been Juniper Breaks, except early settlers goofed in their Salt Lake plant taxonomy Nevertheless, Cedar Breaks is a pretty and imaginative name! chrome Basin. Book Cliffs, Big Rock Mountain. Graphic and lively, they tantalize and tease, beckoning the tourist to take a look around. A Utah Candy part of the state. And Bryce Canyon bears the title of its discoverer, Eben-eze- r Bryce, who declared the labyrinth of eroded rock formations "a hell of a place to lose a cow." Peculiar to the state of Utah is the roster of Book of Mormon names such as Lehi, Nephi and Moroni Where else in the nation has a religous work left such bold footprints as Joseph Smith's book has0 But to countless rugged pioneers, this was the Promised Land "Zion. They bestowed their own unique designation on the territory Orderville is a peculiar title that tells a simple story of a village named after the United Order, the Mormon expert ment in planned communities Townspeople acted .ut the concepts of Brigham Young's grand design for communal living, naming their bold map just seems to inspire cur iosity and exploration NOW. ABOUT Chicken ( reek 10, i! II |