Naming geographical sites

[Tom]

Here's a question for those who spend their time at the Corps of Engineers or other Map oriented Government office.

How would one get a name assigned to unnamed creeks or bends in a river, or landings, or other geographical points?  The reason I ask is because my place is part of a 200 piece of land on a large creek.  This creek has tributaries that wander through surrounding properties and head waters at mine.  I, and my neighbors, have named many of these points of interest so that we can converse about the property.  That doesn't get the name on maps or documents though. 

Do any of you have any suggestions that would allow our names to live beyond us?

[Ron Scott]

Tom,

There is a process. As I recall,one needs to petition the U.S. Board of Geographic Names, U.S. Dept. of Interior, USGS. This may get you on track.

http://geonames.usgs.gov/domestic/name_form.htm

When I was with the USFS, we named new found streams, land features, etc. and had to rename some to make them politically correct over time.  ;). We had to go through USGS with the application for recognition and approval I believe.

[SwampDonkey]

An interesting subject. I often wondered who named the large creek that ran through the upper farm. It was named Young Brook. Since there were no Youngs around here, I could only assume it was a surveyor's name. There are other unnamed brooks around here that dry up in summer or are very short in length that they may not show up on a small scale map, smaller than 1:20,000.

When I first told my father the beavers have the brook dammed on my woodlot. He said what brook? He said there never was a brook there before. I guess it just appeared when the wood was harvested. :D

[Ron Scott]

The map features need to be somewhat permanent to receive a permanent map name. Many have been named after or by the native americans, early surveyors or settlers of the specific areas.

More recent changes have often been for political reasons.

[Jeff]

Tom, would some of these geographical features be something like what you call the chicken liver? (if I remember that correctly).  I'm thinking that points and land features formed by the path of a river or tidal creeks could never be named due to the ever changing course a river can take.  Across from the old farm where my dad was raised there were several camel humps in  the salt river that we had names for. most of those are gone now as the river would cut through during floods or from natural erosion, changing its course and making that hump completely disappear.

[Larry]

I was checking out some property on Google Earth a while back when I noticed these white hot spots somebody had placed on the aerial photographs.  A mouse over shows a name while a double click takes you down to earth for a photo.  I guess anybody can note special spots at this time.



In this screen capture I circled one hotspot which is named the "50 cent hole".  It got its name because you deposit your 4 bits in a box on a fence post, than proceed across the road and pasture to launch your canoe.  The other visible hot spot is the "War Eagle Mill".

Some of the hot spots I came across weren't geographical features but Bigfoot sightings...never seen one but I heard one up in Durham mill hollar.
   
About every interesting feature is already named with many recorded on topo maps.  I thought it was interesting at first but on second thought a lot of the spots would only be known by a native Ozark ridge runner.  Hate to see our secret places made public.  A few more interesting names...gar hole, eden bluff, devils head bluff, hogscald hollar, penitentiary hollar, natural walk, and crane roost.  Next thing ya know they will be putting tourist signs on the interstate..."next left to cedar bluff".   

I can't find anyplace round here that needs a name...course I might be able to come up with some more Bigfoot sightings to note in the future.

[Tom]

Yes, Jeff, one is "Chicken Heart".  I figure that it might be named since just to the west is a spot called West Landing (which is on the map).   There are several spots on my property and some on the neighbor's property that could be named to carry family names on into the future.

[SwampDonkey]

Out behind grandfather's place there were some localized featured to. 'Fox hole gully', where they used to trap foxes. 'Black gully', a long gully that ascends up from the main brook and crosses 5 woodlots. It got it's name for the black spruce growing in it. They are actually red spruce, but the old timers never ever heard of a red spruce before the over educated types came along. ;D Then there is 'The Lake', which is an ephemeral pool perched up in between some rock outcroppings and fed by springs. The over flow trickles down toward the Black gully on a side channel. Then there is 'The Pines'. A strip of wild white pines growing on the rim of the gully wall that follows the main brook. They have withstood 2 forest fires in the last 100 years. Then the brook itself is known locally as 'Indian Brook', but some cartographer has it named Cockrane Brook even though it has been Indian Brook for over 100 years and will remain that name.  I don't know who Cockrane was. The only Cockrane we knew was Bobby who guided for my grandfather and he wouldn't even know what end was up on a compass. Men never used compasses on the Tobique.  What do ya need that for? ;D  :D

[Ron Scott]

How long since it has been renamed Cochrane Creek? That may be more politically correct now and was found to have some past connection to the creek for a suitable renaming.

[SwampDonkey]

Well the naming of the brook by the locals, goes back to when the area was all incorporated into a Reservation. That's why it was Indian Brook. But, later some parts of the reserve had been sold off by the Indian agent (money pocketed), probably a little over 100 years ago. Today the reservation is adjacent to those private lots, there even used to be a lumber mill across the road from grandfather's house, sitting on Reserve land. The old sawdust pile is still there and still looks like it was from fresh cut lumber. It was closed up in the 60's and the mill was moved up river.

Our local river got renamed here to Presque Isle. In the old English maps and text it was always Pres T'Ile and that's how it was taut in the local community schools. But, I think that was a loose English interpretation of the French name. Later it was called Presquile all one word, then finally Presque Isle.

[sandman2234]

Sorry, but I don't think your going to get the OK to change Jacksonville to Thomasville, but I am willing to vote yes for it, if your get it on the ballet!
   David from jax

[Tom]

 :D  Hadnt thought of taking it that far.  Do you reckon I stand a chance? :D :D

Maybe just the Northside. :D