1000 California Place Names: The Story Behind the Naming of Mountains, Rivers, Lakes, Capes, Bays, Counties and Cities

Where did California get its name? Or for that matter where did a thousand and one cities and counties, peaks and valleys, rivers and bays get their names? As succinctly as possible this little book gives the why, how, when, and where of the names on the land of California, from Abalone to Zaca. It tells how to pronounce Ojai, La Jolla, Hueneme, and many other names of Spanish or Indian origin. It tells of the Indians, the explorers, the early settlers, the Franciscan padres, and the surveyors who bestowed names upon the geographical features of the State, or whose names were themselves given to the features, and it tells the reader how many of the names were transferred by the pioneers from their home tovvns in the East. This is a useful little book that should travel with you as you follow the main highways and trails. You will find that it will enrich your appreciation of the California scene. This new edition of 1,000 California Place Names presents a small fraction of the more than 150,000 geographical names in California. It is a careful selection of important and interesting names based on the comprehensive dictionary California Place Names now in its third revised and enlarged edition.