gannett.] PLACE NAMES IN THE UNITED STATES. 23 ( J 
Pasco; county in Florida, named for Senator Pasco. 
Pascoag; village in Providence County, Rhode Island. An Indian word meaning 
"dividing place," and so named because it is situated at the forks of the Black- 
stone River. 
Paso Robles; city in San Luis Obispo County, California. A Spanish phrase mean- 
ing "pass of the oak trees." 
Pasquotank; county in North Carolina, An Indian word meaning "divided tidal 
river," and given this county because a river forms one of its boundaries. 
Passaconaway; mountain in New Hampshire, named for a sachem of the Merri- 
mack tribe of Indians. 
Passadumkeag-; town in Penobscot County, Maine, situated at the mouth of a river 
of the same name, by reason of which it was given this Indian name, which 
means "falls running over a gravel bed." 
Passaic; county, city in same county, and river in New Jersey; derived either from 
the Indian word, passaic or jwssajeek, "valley," or from the Indian equivalent 
of "peace." 
Passamaquoddy; bay on the coast of Maine. An Indian word meaning "pollock 
ground," or "pollock-plenty place." 
Pass Christian; town in Harrison County, Mississippi. Received its name from 
Nicholas Christian, a Norwegian navigator, who discovered a channel or pass 
between Cat Island and the mainland. 
Passumpsic; river and village in Caledonia County, Vermont, An Indian word 
meaning "much clear water." 
Pastoro; mountain in Arizona, so named because of its high mountain pastures. 
Patagumkis ; tributary of the Penobscot River in Maine. An Indian word meaning 
"sandy-ground cove." 
Patapsco; river in Maryland. An Indian word meaning "black water." 
Patata; town in Los Angeles County, California. A Spanish word meaning 
' ' potato. ' ' 
Patchogue; village in Suffolk County, New York. An Indian word meaning 
"turning place." 
Paterson; city in Passaic County, New Jersey, named for William Paterson, an 
early governor. 
Patkaskaden; tributary of James River. An Indian word meaning "tortoise" 
or "turtle." 
Patoka; township and village in Marion County, Illinois, named for a local Indian 
chief. 
Patrick; county in Virginia, named for the orator, Patrick Henry. 
Pattaquonk; hill in Middlesex County, Connecticut. An Indian name meaning 
"round place" or "round hill." 
Patterson; town in Putnam County, New York, named for a family of early settlers. 
Paulding-; county in Georgia, town in Jasper County, Mississippi, and county, and 
town in same county, in Ohio, named for John Paulding, who assisted in the 
capture of Major Andre. 
Pauquepaug; brook in Litchfield County, Connecticut. The name is derived from 
the Indian word papke-paug, meaning "pure- water pond." 
Pautuck; river, and village in Suffolk County, New Y r ork. An Indian word mean- 
ing "fall." 
Pawling; town in Dutchess County, New Y 7 ork. The name is derived from 
Paulding. 
Pawnee; creek in Colorado, so named by the Indians because a party of 200 Paw- 
nee Indians were here surrounded by a greatly outnumbering force of Sioux, 
who, when they found they could not capture the Pawnees, proceeded to 
starve them out; but the Pawnees refused to surrender to escape even this 
death, and every man perished by starvation. 
