Fred Tarpley

Subject: Onalaska Sun 03 Jun 2007, 3:09 am

M C,

I have a favor to ask. If you have time, would you please check in Mr. Tarpley's main place-names volume to see what origin he gives for Onalaska, Polk County? I know that it most likely was called after another logging town in Wisconsin, the name of which is thought to have been inspired by a poem of Thomas Campbell ( http://www.cityofonalaska.com/
This origin differs slightly from that offered by the following article posted to 'Texas Escapes':

http://www.texasescapes.com/AllThingsHistorical/Onalaska-Texas-1004BB.htm

Then there is the town of Unalaska within the Aleutian Islands.

The small uncertainty for me lies in having read that this place-name pronounced is close to the Choctaw phrase for 'having arrived here wet' ..... as during a rain storm. I hesitate to voice this uncertainty because it may get a big laugh from somebody Laughing

Of course, I don't know whether the phonography of 'onalaska' is close to a meaningful expression in the associated Muskogee dialects (hence, Alabama and Coushatta).

Place-names travel and fluctuate, are fascinating and often challenging to work with! I'll go with whatever Fred Tarpley says.

Thanks, M C.

Holly

PS. Here is a link to the interesting history of Onalaska as given on the city's website:

http://cityofonalaska.us/history.htm