24 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts, and Letters. 
legend of the pukwudjinees to the mirage, a, phenomenon that 
can be observed frequently on this lake on summer days. 7 
It seems singular that of all the great lakes, the one most 
closely identified with Indian tradition and legend alone bears 
a name of European origin. 
The 1 name Milwaukee is regarded as of Pottawatomie origin. 
As many meanings have been ascribed to the word as there 
are modes of spelling—and these have been many. Mr. Henry 
W. Bleyer has compiled the following list: 
Melleoki—Father Hennepin, 1679. 
Millioki—Father Zenobe Membre, 1679. 
Meleki—Old French map of 1684. 
Milwarik—John Buisson de St. Cosine, Oct. 7, 1699. 
Mil wacky—Lieut. James Garrett, September, 1761. 
Milwakie—Col. Arent S. DePeyster, July 4, 1779. 
Millewackie—Samuel A. Storrow, September 1 29, 1817. 
Miiwahkiei—Dr. Jedediah Morse, in summer of 1820. 
Milwalky—Maj. Irwin to Col. McKenney, October 6, 1821. 
Milwaukiei—In headline of The Sentinel to Nov. 30, 1844. 
Milwaukee—Nov. 30, 1844, to present time. 
The most generally accepted version of the meaning of Mil¬ 
waukee is, that the original Indian word signified council 
place, and that here was neutral ground. Old residents, say 
that it is a fact that the Indians regarded the east side of the 
river as a, sort of gathering place, the chosen spot, for their coun¬ 
cils being the hill that used to occupy the place where the St. 
Charles hotel now stands. 
7 The German traveler Kohl saw a tall, bluish island, with which the 
mirage played in an infinity of ways. At times it “rose in the air to 
a spectral height, then sank and faded away; again, islands appeared 
hovering over one another in the air; islands appeared, turned upside 
down; and the white surf of the beach, translated aloft, seemed like 
the smoke of artillery blazing away from a fort.” 
Another traveler in Western Woods and Waters describes imagery so 
clearly defined as to be seeming reality. “It occurred just as the sun 
was setting. The sky was overcast with such a thick haze as precedes 
a storm; and the inverted images of twelve vessels—with the full out¬ 
lines of the rigging, as well as the sails and other parts—were most dis¬ 
tinctly visible on the darkened background.” Again, “a blue coast 
stretched along the horizon in front of us. Surprised, I referred to 
Bayfield’s accurate chart, and found, as I expected, no land so near in 
that direction. The pilot told me it was a mirage.” 
