US Place Names ~ Fabius River,
New York to Fly Stream, New York
Fabius; river in Missouri and town in Onondaga County,
New York, named for the celebrated Roman consul. The
town was named by the State land board of New York.
Factory; hill in Yellowstone Park, Wyoming, covered with
geysers and hot springs, so named because of the noise
and steam proceeding from them, resembling in this
respect an active factory town.
Fair; a name used with various suffixes, such as
"brook," "land," "port," etc., to indicate an attractive
appearance.
Fairbank; township in Sullivan County, Indiana, named
for General Fairbanks. Fairbury; city in Jefferson
County, Nebraska, named by an early settler, Mr.
McDonell, for his home, Fairbury, Illinois.
Fairchild; creek in Park County, Colorado, named for A.
Fairchild, a prospector. Fairfax; county, and town in
same county, in Virginia, named for Lord Fairfax,
grandson of Lord Culpeper.
Fairfield; county, and town in same county, in
Connecticut, town in Somerset County, Maine, and
counties in Ohio and South Carolina, so named from the
beauty of their fields.
Fairmont; city in Marion County, West Virginia, so named
for its situation on a hill.
Fairplay; town in Park County, Colorado, established by
gold miners who named it as a living reproof to their
"grab-all" neighbors.
Fairport; village in Monroe County, New York, so named
for its pleasing location on the Erie Canal.
Faison; town in Duplin County, North Carolina, named for
a prominent family.
Falkner; island in Long Island Sound, New Haven County,
Connecticut. Named by the discoverer, Capt. Adrien
Block, Valcken Eylandt (Falcon Island), of which the
present appellation is a corruption.
Fall; river in Massachusetts, so named because it is
only about 2 miles in length and falls about 140 feet in
a half mile.
Fall River; city in Bristol County, Massachusetts,
situated on the Fall River.
Fall River; county in South Dakota, named from the
river. A literal translation of the Indian name.
Fallowfield; township in Washington County,
Pennsylvania, named for Lancelot Fallowfield, one of the
first purchasers of the land from William Penn.
Falls; county in Texas, named from the falls in Brazos
River.
Falls Church; town in Fairfax County, Virginia, so named
because of the Episcopal church established there.
Fallston; borough in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, named
from the falls in Beaver River.
Falls Village; village in Litchfield County,
Connecticut, named from the falls in the Housatonic
River.
Falmouth; towns in Cumberland County, Maine, and
Barnstable County, Massachusetts, named from the seaport
town in Cornwall.
Famoso; town in Kern County, California. A Spanish word
meaning "famous," or "celebrated."
Fannin; county in Georgia, and county, and village in
Goliad County, in Texas, named for Col. James W. Fannin,
of North Carolina, who fought in the Texan war.
Farallone; group of small islands on the coast of
California, named by the early Spanish explorers. The
word farallon means "needle," or "small, pointed
island."
Fargo; city in Cass County, North Dakota, named for one
of the members of the Wells, Fargo Express Company.
Several other places bear his name.
Faribault; county, and city in Rice County, in
Minnesota, named for John Baptiste Faribault, a settler
and French fur trader among the Sioux Indians.
Farina; town in Fayette County, Illinois, named from its
location in the wheat-growing district.
Farley; town in Dubuque County, Iowa, named for the
superintendent of the Sioux City Railroad.
Farmer; name applied to many small places, either with
or without suffixes, indicative of rural conditions and
appearance.
Farmersville; village in Collin County, Texas. An early
settler set apart a square piece of land as a gathering
place for farmers from the surrounding country, which
square forms the nucleus of the existing village.
Farmington; town in San Joaquin County, California; an
agricultural district, so designated to distinguish it
from the mining regions.
Farmington; town and river in Hartford County,
Connecticut, named from a place in England.
Farmington; township and city in Fulton County,
Illinois, and town in Ontario County, New York, named
from Farmington, Connecticut.
Farmington; village in Oakland County, Michigan, named
from Farmington, New York.
Farmington; town in Strafford County, New Hampshire, so
named because of its unusual adaptability to farming
purposes.
Farnham; village in Erie County, New York, named for Le
Roy Farnham, the first merchant.
Farnham; town in Richmond County, Virginia, named from
the town in Surrey, England.
Farragut; town in Fremont County, Iowa, named for
Admiral Farragut.
Farrandsville; village in Clinton County, Pennsylvania,
laid out by and named for William P. Farrand, of
Philadelphia.
Farrar; town in Edgecombe County, North Carolina, named
for a wealthy citizen.
Farwell; village in Clare County, Michigan, named for
Samuel B. Farwell, an officer of the old Flint and Pere
Marquette Railroad. Faulk; county in South Dakota;
Faulkton; township and city in Faulk County. Named for
Andrew J. Faulktho, the second governor of Dakota
Territory.
Faulkner; county, and village in same county, in
Arkansas, named for Sandy Faulkner, the real "Arkansas
Traveler." Fauquier; county in Virginia;
Fauquier Springs; village in Fauquier County. Named for
Francis Fauquier, governor of the State.
Fausse Riviere; village in Louisiana, so called because
it is situated on what was formerly the bed of the
Mississippi River. Many years ago the river wore through
an isthmus and left its former bed dry for a distance of
about 30 miles. A French name, meaning "false river."
Faustburg; village in South Carolina, named for the
first settler.
Fayette; counties in Alabama, Georgia, Illinois,
Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee,
Texas, and West Virginia, and many places through-out
the country, named for the Marquis de la Fayette. The
name is also used with suffixes, such as "ville" and
"corner."
Fear; cape and river in North Carolina. Sir Richard
Grenville narrowly escaped being wrecked near the cape,
in consequence of which he so named it.
Feather; river in California. A translation of the early
Spanish name, plumas.
February; village in Washington County, Tennessee, named
for a resident of the place.
Federal; name given to several places in the country, in
reference to the national form of government.
Federalsburg; village in Caroline County, Maryland, so
named because settled by persons from the Northern
States.
Felix; townships in Grundy counties, Illinois and Iowa,
named for Felix Grundy, Senator from Tennessee.
Fells; point in Maryland named for the purchaser, a ship
carpenter, William Fell.
Felts Mills; village in Jefferson County, New York,
named for John Felt, an early proprietor.
Fence; rivers in Wisconsin and Michigan. A translation
of the Indian word "mitchigan" referring to a wooden
fence constructed near its banks by the Indians for
catching deer.
Fenner; towns in San Bernardino County, California, and
Madison County, New York, named for Governor Fenner, of
Rhode Island.
Fennimore; village in Grant County, Wisconsin, named for
a settler who disappeared during the Black Hawk war.
Fennville; village in Allegan County, Michigan, named
for a lumberman, Elam Fenner, who founded the village.
Fenton; village in Genesee County, Michigan, named for
Colonel Fenton, who owned a large tract of land on the
present site.
Fentonville; village in Chautauqua County, New York,
named for Reuben Eaton Fenton, governor of the State in
1865-1869.
Fentress; county in Tennessee, named for James Fentress,
member of a commission appointed to fix upon a place for
the seat of justice for Shelby County.
Fergus; county in Montana;
Fergus Falls; city in Ottertail County, Illinois. Named
for John Fergus, a pioneer of the West.
Ferguson ville; village in Delaware County, New York,
named for the Ferguson brothers, who were largely
engaged in business there.
Fermanagh; township in Juniata County, Pennsylvania,
named from the county in Ireland.
Fern; town in Shasta County, California, named from its
location in the fern district of the Siskiyou Range.
Fern; name used with various suffixes, generally given
because of the presence of the plant. Eighteen places
bear this name, some with suffixes, such as "dale,"
"bank, "and "ridge."
Femandina; city in Nassau County, Florida, named for a
Spaniard, Fernandez.
Ferrisburg; town in Addison County, Vermont, named for
Benjamin Ferris, who applied for a charter in 1762.
Ferry; county in Washington, named for Elisha P. Ferry,
governor of the Territory.
Fetterman; town in Taylor County, West Virginia, named
for a resident of Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, who owned the
land.
Fever; river in Illinois, named by the early French, la
rivière de fève, "the river of the bean," because of the
immense quantity of wild beans upon its bank. The name
was corrupted to fièvre, "fever," which gave rise to the
impression that the place was unhealthy.
Fidalgo; island and village in Skagit County,
Washington, and harbor in Alaska, named for the Spanish
explorer.
Fields Landing; village in Humboldt County, California,
named for a settler.
Fifty Bight; village in Orangeburg County, South
Carolina, named so because it is 58 miles from
Charleston.
Fillmore; mount in California, named for a naval
officer.
Fillmore; counties in Minnesota and Nebraska, and many
places in the country named for Millard Fillmore,
President of the United States.
Fillmore; station in Wyoming, named for a superintendent
of the Southern Pacific Railroad.
Fincastle; town in Botetourt County, Virginia, and
several other places directly or indirectly named for
Governor Lord Dunmore and his son George, Lord
Fincastle.
Findlay; city in Hancock County, Ohio, named from Fort
Findlay, built by Col. James Findlay, of Cincinnati.
Findley; township in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania,
named for William Findley, governor of the State in
1817-1820.
Fine; town in St. Lawrence County, New York, named for
John Fine, the principal proprietor.
Finney; county in Kansas, named for David W. Finney,
lieutenant-governor in 1881-1885.
Fire; hill in Humboldt County, California, so named
because in early days it was used as a station from
which to signal with fire.
Fire; creek in Missouri, originally called Fire-prairie
Creek, because of the fires that swept over the
prairies.
Firehole; river in Yellowstone Park, Wyoming. The word
"hole" was used by the early explorers to designate
depressions among the mountains, while the first part of
the name refers to the remarkable geyser region from
which the river flows.
Fisher; county, and village in same county, in Texas,
named for S. Rhodes Fisher, secretary of the navy in
Houston's cabinet.
Fishkill; town, creek, plains, and mountains in Dutchess
County, New York, named by the early Dutch settlers,
vishkill "fish creek."
Fitch; stream in Stark County, Illinois, named for
George Fitch, an early settler on its banks.
Fitchburg; city in Worcester County, Massachusetts,
named for John Fitch, one of the committee that procured
the act of incorporation.
Fitchville; township in Huron County, Ohio, named for
Colonel Fitch.
Fithian; village in Vermilion County, Illinois, named
for Dr. William Fithian.
Fitzwilliam; town in Cheshire County, New Hampshire,
named for the Earl of Fitzwilliam.
Five Comers; village in Miami County, Indiana, so named
because it is at the junction of several roads.
Flackville; village in St. Lawrence County, New York,
named for John P. Flack, first postmaster.
Flagstaff; town in Coconino County, Arizona, named from
a pole set by a party of immigrants who camped near and
celebrated the Fourth of July.
Flagstaff; plantation in Somerset County, Maine, so
named because Benedict Arnold encamped here on his
Quebec expedition and erected a flagstaff.
Flambeau; river and lakes in Wisconsin, so called
because of the practice of using torches to catch fish
at night.
Flambeau; town in Gates County, Wisconsin, named from
the river of the same name.
Flathush; part of Brooklyn, New York, so named from
woods that grew on flat country.
Flathead; lake, county, and river in Montana, named from
an Indian tribe. The name originated with the early
settlers who called several different tribes of Indians
by this name on account of their custom of flattening
the heads of infants by fastening a piece of board or a
pad of grass upon the forehead. After this had been worn
several months it caused a flat appearance of the head.
Flatonia; city in Fayette County, Texas, named for F. W.
Flato, a first settler.
Flattery; promontory in Washington, so named by Captain
Cook, "in token of an improvement in our projects."
Flavel; summer resort in Clatsop County, Oregon, named
for a prominent resident of Astoria.
Flemings; town in Cayuga County, New York, named for
Gen. George Fleming, an old resident.
Fleming; county in Kentucky;
Flemingsburg; town in Fleming County. Named for Col.
John Fleming, an early settler in the State.
Flint; river in Georgia; a translation of the Indian
word thronatuska, also lonoto, "flint."
Flint; city in Genesee County and river in Michigan;
called by the Indians, pawon-nuk-ening, "river of the
flint."
Flirt; lake in Florida, named for a Government schooner.
Flora; city in Clay County, Illinois, named for Flora
Whittleby, daughter of the founder.
Flora; town in Madison County, Mississippi, named by W.
B. Jones for his wife.
Floral Park; village in Nassau County, New York, so
named because of the abundance of flowers.
Florence; city in Lauderdale County, Alabama, village in
Hampshire County, Massachusetts, and town in Oneida
County, New York, named from the city in Italy.
Florence; city in Marion County, Kansas, named for Miss
Florence Crawford, of Topeka.
Florence; town in Ravalli County, Montana, named for
Florence Abbott Hammond, wife of A. B. Hammond, of
Missoula.
Florence; village in Douglas County, Nebraska, named for
Miss Florence Kilbourn.
Florence; county, and township and town in same county,
in South Carolina, named for the daughter of Gen. W. W.
Hardlee.
Florence; county in Wisconsin, named for the Florence
Mining Company.
Flores; creek in Idaho, named from the flowers on its
banks.
Florida; State of the Union, named by Ponce de Leon, the
florid or flowery land. He chose this name for two
reasons: First, because the country presented a pleasant
aspect; and, second, because he landed on the festival
which the Spaniards call Pascua de Flores, or Pascua
Florida, "Feast of flowers," which corresponds to Palm
Sunday. The second reason is generally considered to
have more weight.
Florissant; town in El Paso County, Colorado, named by
Judge James Castello from his old home in Missouri.
Florissant; city in St. Louis County, Missouri, named
from the flowery valley in which it is situated.
Flowing Well; town in San Diego County, California,
named from the artesian wells used for irrigating
purposes.
Floyd; county in Georgia, named for Gen. John Floyd, at
one time member of Congress from that State.
Floyd; county in Indiana, said by some authorities to
have been named for Col. John Floyd, while others claim
that it was named for Davis Floyd.
Floyd; county, town in same county, and river in Iowa,
named for Sergt. Charles Floyd, of the Lewis and Clarke
exploring party.
Floyd; county in Kentucky, named for Col. John Floyd, an
officer of the Revolution.
Floyd; town in Oneida County, New York, named for
William Floyd, a signer of the Declaration of
Independence.
Floyd; county in Texas, named for Dolfin Floyd, who fell
at the Alamo.
Floyd; county, and town in same county in Virginia,
named for Gov. John Floyd.
Floyds; creek in Adair County, Missouri, named for an
early settler who came from Kentucky.
Flushing; town in Queens County, New York, now a part of
New York City, called by the early Dutch settlers, "Vlissengen,"
of which the present name is a corruption. Some
authorities claim that the early settlers came from
Flushing, Holland.
Fluvanna; county in Virginia, named from a river which
was named for Queen Anne, of England.
Fly; stream, and swamp of 12,000 acres, in Fulton
County, New York. From vlaie, meaning a "channel of
water," a name given by the Dutch settlers, from the
fact that the region is land at certain seasons and
water at other times. The name was corrupted by the
Scotch, Dutch, and Irish settlers to the present form.
US Place Names
Source: The Origin of Certain
Place Names the United States, Second Edition, Henry
Gannett, Washington, Government Printing Office, 1906.
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