Aboriginal Place Names of New York
by William Martin Beauchamp
Published ©1907
New York State Education Dept.

Submitted by K. Torp

PUTNAM COUNTY
This county has no Iroquois names, but some others have been introduced. All told, the Indian names are few in number.

Ca-no-pus hill and lake, according to W. J. Blake, have their name from an Indian chief. Others say it was the name of a tribe in Westchester. The name has several local applications in the town of Putnam Valley.

Cro-ton river and lake, in the west part of Patterson, have their name usually derived from kenotin, a wind.
Through a confusion of terms, Mr Tooker gave the Mohawk name of Kanendakerie to Anthony's Nose. It belongs to the Nose in Montgomery county.

Kil-lal-e-my was an early name for the south part of the county.

Lake Ki-she-wa-na is in the town of Southeast.

Ma-cook-pack is on Sauthier's map, and may be compared with Copake farther north. It is said to have been the name of an Indian tribe, which is not likely, and has been changed to Mahopac in the town of Carmel.
The name of Lake Mahopac was derived by Ruttenber from ma, large water, and aki, land, making it large inland lake. This is not satisfactory, and some think the name had the same origin as that of Copake lake in Columbia county. Mahodac is a variant form.

Ma-re-gond appears on Sauthier's map in Dutchess county, but is now in Putnam.

Lake Mo-he'-gan bears the name of a noted Indian people, which means a wolf. Hence the French called them Loups.

Lake Mo-hen'-sick was formerly Crum pond. It may be a corruption of a word signifying a place of assembly.

Mount Nimham, not far off in the town of Kent, was called after a chief who fought for the Americans in the Revolution. His home was here and the Indians in the vicinity were on the same side.

Os-ka-wa'-na, so called from an Indian, is now Lake Conopus and was formerly Horton's pond. Oskewans was one of those who sold land to Van Cortlandt in 1683.

Os-ce-o'-la, usually defined as black drink, is a pond between Lake Mohegan and Lake Mahopac, and is named from the Seminole chief.

Pa-ka-ke-ing creek was near the Matapan fall in 1680. The name is from pahque, it is clear, and the locative terminal.

Sag-a-more lake, an Algonquin title for a principal chief, derived from a verb signifying to prevail over or have the mastery.

Sim-e-wog hills, perhaps a place where they shook hands. Tonetta lake does not seem of Indian origin, though such a word might be formed from tanohketeau, referring to a cultivated place.

Wic-co-pee or Wickopee pond, in the town of Southeast, is said to have been named from a small Indian tribe. The reference may be to a house by the water.