jannett.] PLACE NAMES IN THE UNITED STATES. l(), r ) 
Deschutes; river, and village in Sherman County, in Oregon. From the earl) 
French name riviere des chutes, meaning "river of the falls." 
Desha; county in Arkansas, named for Captain Ben Desha, a prominent citizen of 
the State. 
De Smet; town in Kootenai County, Idaho, and village in kin-shun ( omit v. South 
Dakota, named for Peter John De Smet, a Jesuit missionary. 
Des Moines; river, county, and city in Polk County, in Iowa. This name is thoughl 
to have been derived from the Indian word mikonang, meaning "toad." This 
name was applied by the Indians in the form of Ht<>in</<>it<i y which the French 
shortened into moin, calling the river "riviere des moins." Finally, the name 
became associated with the Trappist monks, and the river by a spurious 
etymology was called u la riviere des moines," "the river of the monks." 
De Soto; village in Sumter County, Georgia; county in Florida; township and vil- 
lage in Jackson County, Illinois; parish in Louisiana; county in Mississippi; and 
twelve other places, named for Hernando de Soto, the discoverer of the Missis- 
sippi River, 
DesPlaines; river and village in Cook County, Illinois. Derived from the presence 
of a species of maple called by the French "plaine." 
Destruction; island on the northwest coast of North America, so named because of 
the massacre of a boat crew upon this coast. 
Detour; village in Chippewa County, Michigan, so named from its position, it being 
necessary to make a detour in order to reach it. 
Detroit; township and town in Pike County, Illinois, named from Detroit, Michigan. 
Detroit; river, and city in Wayne County, in Michigan. A French word, meaning 
"strait," or "narrow passage," given to the river by the early French explorers 
because it is a short, narrow river connecting Lake St. Clair with Lake Frie. 
Deuel; county in Nebraska, named for Harry P. Deuel, superintendent of the Union 
Pacific Railroad. 
Deuel; county in South Dakota, named for Jacob Deuel, a legislator in 1862. 
Devils; lake in Sauk County, Wisconsin, so named because it is situated in a deep 
chasm with no visible inlet or outlet. 
Devils Lake; village in Sauk County, Wisconsin, named from the lake. 
Devine; town in Medina County, Texas, named for Hon. Thomas J. Devine, an old 
resident of San Antonio. 
Devoe; creek in Arkan«as, so called from the name given by the early French, 
de veau, "of calf." 
Dewey; county in Oklahoma, named for Admiral George Dewey. A number of 
towns also bear his name. 
Dewey; county in South Dakota, named for William P. Dewey, surveyor-general 
in 1873. 
Dewitt; county, and village in same county, in Illinois, township and city in Clinton 
County, Iowa, and town in Carroll County, Missouri, named for De Witt Clinton, 
former governor of New York. 
Dewitt; town in Onondaga County, New York, named for Moses De Witt, an early 
settler. 
Dewitt; county in Texas, named for Green De Witt, a colonizer who settled fam- 
ilies at Gonzales in 1827. 
Dexter; city in Cowley County, Kansas, named for a trotting horse of Roberl Bon- 
ner, of New York. 
Dexter; town in Penobscot County, Maine, named for Judge Samuel Dexter, candi 
date for governor of Massachusetts in 1816. 
Dexter; village in Washtenaw County, Michigan, named lor Samuel W. Dexter, who 
settled there in 1829. 
