How the Allegheny River got its name
compiled by Chris Lareau
No matter how you say it, it's a beautiful river.
Called Belle Riviere on mid-18th century French maps, the Allegheny River
around Warren Pennsylvania was last inhabited by the Seneca Indians before
European settlements and they continue to maintain a home on the Allegheny
River Watershed in Salamanca, New York. They still call the waters O-hi-yo,
which early European explorers translated as belle riviere or "Beautiful River."
Today, the region around Warren, Pennsylvania has become a nationally
recognized spot for canoeing because of the calm waters, as well as nearby
camping, hiking, hunting, fishing, and power boating amenities in its Kinzua
region.
So where did the names Allegheny River and Allegheny National
Recreation Area come from? When the Delaware, an Algonquian people,
moved to western Pennsylvania in the 18th century and displaced the Iroquois,
they translated Iroquoian Ohio into Delaware, yielding welhik-heny, "most
beautiful stream" (welhik=
compiled by Chris Lareau
No matter how you say it, it's a beautiful river.
Called Belle Riviere on mid-18th century French maps, the Allegheny River
around Warren Pennsylvania was last inhabited by the Seneca Indians before
European settlements and they continue to maintain a home on the Allegheny
River Watershed in Salamanca, New York. They still call the waters O-hi-yo,
which early European explorers translated as belle riviere or "Beautiful River."
Today, the region around Warren, Pennsylvania has become a nationally
recognized spot for canoeing because of the calm waters, as well as nearby
camping, hiking, hunting, fishing, and power boating amenities in its Kinzua
region.
So where did the names Allegheny River and Allegheny National
Recreation Area come from? When the Delaware, an Algonquian people,
moved to western Pennsylvania in the 18th century and displaced the Iroquois,
they translated Iroquoian Ohio into Delaware, yielding welhik-heny, "most
beautiful stream" (welhik=
Belle Riviere getting out on the Allegheny River
"most beautiful"; heny= "stream"). The name Welhik-heny was then anglicized to Allegheny. So when we say "Allegheny River"
we are literally saying, "beautiful-stream-river." Many local people just prefer to say "The Allegheny." Today more than 86 miles of
the river have become federally designated as a Wild and Scenic River, including the Allegheny River Wilderness Islands and
more than a hundred potentially significant historic and prehistoric sites. Four of the sites are on the National Register.
we are literally saying, "beautiful-stream-river." Many local people just prefer to say "The Allegheny." Today more than 86 miles of
the river have become federally designated as a Wild and Scenic River, including the Allegheny River Wilderness Islands and
more than a hundred potentially significant historic and prehistoric sites. Four of the sites are on the National Register.
photo Copyright 2005 by Norb Thompson. Website
contents Copyright 2005-2007 by
theAllegheny.com unless otherwise noted.
contents Copyright 2005-2007 by
theAllegheny.com unless otherwise noted.
