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Story
May 9, 1917
Crossville Chronicle
Crossville, Cumberland County, Tennessee
What is this article about?
In 1836, settlers in what became Beloit, Wisconsin, coined the name 'Beloit' from a French phrase for 'handsome ground' during a meeting, choosing it for its pleasant, original sound similar to Detroit, replacing the initial 'New Albany.'
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How Beloit Received Its Name.
The significance of the name of a city is commonly not difficult to discover. Beloit, Wis., than which no city has a pleasanter name, affords the rare example of a city name manufactured to order, and having no linguistic or other significance. According to the recollections of one of the founders of the town, which have recently been presented to the Wisconsin Historical society, the first settler in 1836 named the place "New Albany." A few months later a meeting of the settlers was held to select a better name for the future city. Several having been proposed and rejected, it was finally agreed "to place the alphabet in a hat and see if we could not get a combination of letters that would give us a name that would be a new one." While engaged in this, one of the settlers trying to sound a French word meaning "handsome ground" uttered the sound "bellotte." Another settler immediately modified this to "Beloit," which was considered "like Detroit in sound and pretty and original." So the newly coined name was adopted, and by it "New Albany" has ever since been known.---Wisconsin History Bulletin
The significance of the name of a city is commonly not difficult to discover. Beloit, Wis., than which no city has a pleasanter name, affords the rare example of a city name manufactured to order, and having no linguistic or other significance. According to the recollections of one of the founders of the town, which have recently been presented to the Wisconsin Historical society, the first settler in 1836 named the place "New Albany." A few months later a meeting of the settlers was held to select a better name for the future city. Several having been proposed and rejected, it was finally agreed "to place the alphabet in a hat and see if we could not get a combination of letters that would give us a name that would be a new one." While engaged in this, one of the settlers trying to sound a French word meaning "handsome ground" uttered the sound "bellotte." Another settler immediately modified this to "Beloit," which was considered "like Detroit in sound and pretty and original." So the newly coined name was adopted, and by it "New Albany" has ever since been known.---Wisconsin History Bulletin
What sub-type of article is it?
Curiosity
Historical Event
What keywords are associated?
Beloit Naming
City Origin
Settler Meeting
Coined Name
Wisconsin History
Where did it happen?
Beloit, Wis.
Story Details
Location
Beloit, Wis.
Event Date
1836
Story Details
The first settler named the place 'New Albany' in 1836. At a meeting, settlers proposed and rejected names, then drew letters from a hat and modified a French phrase meaning 'handsome ground' to 'Beloit,' adopted for its pleasant, original sound like Detroit.