The Origins of Local Place Names

Did you ever wonder why Easton is named Easton? Is it because it's East of Bethlehem? And isn't that kind of smug of Bethlehem to think?

Sometimes people will live decades driving by or visiting places with names like "Belfast" or "Portland" or "Bethlehem" and one day suddenly say to themselves "I could have sworn I've heard these names before in other countries. I wonder why they're repeated herein Northampton County."

Or, in the case of Pen Argyl, they'll wonder "What even is a Pen Argyl?"

Look, as a blogger, I try to be in tune with the reading public, okay? I try and get a feel for what people want to read about and then write about that stuff. Obviously, historically anyway, people keep clamoring for one thing: Place name origins.

Actually, in all seriousness, it's kind of striking how much the average person doesn't care about things like that. Sure, it's not vital information to your life, exactly, but learning about where a township or borough or city name came from - what its name means, who named it, why they named it that - usually gives real insight into what it now is.

And now you may say to yourself "Fine, but what's to stop me from looking online for these answers?" Or "Doesn't the Sigal Museum in downtown Easton have a plaque with local place name explanations?"

Well! You can try to go online, or go to Sigal, and you might succeed in learning a thing or two. But I am in possesion of certain documents that are not, to the best of my knowledge, on the Internet. Dusty old things from way back, and they reveal some interesting stuff about Northampton County places you won't find anywhere else.

Plus, I'm talking about more than just inhabited places. I'm talking about certain islands, creeks, caves, hills, and mountains around here with stories long forgotten.

And I have a way of doing history, okay? It's an art, not a science, history. And this blog is my canvas, these words my paint. And like most artists, I probably overestimate my abilities. It's perfect.

Also? It's something to write about on weeks when there's no local history in the news. Old stuff isn't discovered at digs very often around here anymore, though I'll remind you that it does happen.

Because this is Easton Patch, I might as well begin with Easton. But so as to not overburden you with text, I'll leave that for another day.

In the meantime, feel free to suggest places to cover.

Kyle M. Jones, most Saturdays, is a docent at the Sigal Museum. Please forgive that he has shamelessly inserted the website for the museum into this blog not once, but three times.