November in Town Name History
What happened in November, year after year, in the stories behind 31 American place names. Every line comes from the "Key dates" of one of our articles, and each article lists its sources. Dates are the ones the sources give.
November 1
- 1841Saint Paul, MN: Father Galtier blesses a log chapel to Saint Paul and wishes the settlement the same name.
November 2
- 1858Fremont, NE: The territorial legislature passes an act incorporating the town, by the 1925 study's date.
- 1889North Dakota: President Harrison signs both Dakotas' admission papers, shuffled so nobody knows which was first.
- 1889South Dakota: In July the convention changes the name to South Dakota, and on November 2 both Dakotas become states.
November 3
- 2020Providence, RI: Voters cut "and Providence Plantations" from the state's official name.
- 2020Rhode Island: Voters remove "and Providence Plantations" from the official name.
November 4
- 1795Dayton, OH: Four proprietors lay out the town and name it for Jonathan Dayton.
- 1879Broken Bow, NE: The post office opens, according to the city's history.
November 5
- 1791Knoxville, TN: The first Knoxville Gazette comes out, printed in Rogersville.
- 1852Minneapolis, MN: Charles Hoag's article proposing "Minneapolis" runs in the St. Anthony Express.
November 6
- 1775Hagerstown, MD: Jonathan Hager is killed at a sawmill.
- 1888Gering, NE: A vote creates Scotts Bluff County, with Gering as its seat.
- 1888Kimball, NE: A vote creates Kimball County, also named for Thomas L. Kimball.
November 7
- 1629New Hampshire: Captain John Mason's grant says he "intends to name" the land New-Hampshire.
- 1950Truth or Consequences, NM: After a court throws out the first vote, residents vote again, 1,262 to 732.
November 8
- 1805Montpelier, VT: A law makes Montpelier the permanent seat of state government.
- 1889Montana: Montana becomes a state by presidential proclamation.
November 11
- 1889Washington: Washington becomes the 42nd state.
November 12
- 1852Minneapolis, MN: Editor George D. Bowman praises the name in the next issue.
- 1872Red Cloud, NE: Garber plats the town.
November 13
- 1851Seattle, WA: The settlers' party lands at Alki Point.
November 14
- 1838Chattanooga, TN: The post office's name is changed to Chattanooga. That fall, the last Cherokees are removed west.
November 16
- 1739Wilmington, DE: The charter comes, and the name becomes Wilmington instead of Willingtown.
- 1941Gene Autry, OK: Berwyn officially becomes Gene Autry at a ceremony honoring the singing cowboy.
November 17
- 1858Denver, CO: In William McGaa's cabin, a new party organizes the Denver City Town Company on the St. Charles land.
November 21
- 1794Honolulu, HI: Captain Brown sails into the harbor, which he had named "Fair Haven."
November 22
- 1858Denver, CO: The company's minute book says the town site was "Called Denver City."
- 1883Gene Autry, OK: Lou becomes Dresden.
November 23
- 1793Danville, VA: An act creates a town named Danville by Winn's Falls on the Dan.
November 25
- 1811Huntsville, AL: The legislature renames the town Huntsville, for its first settler.
November 26
- 1758Pittsburgh, PA: After taking the fort, General John Forbes dates a letter "Fort Duquesne, or now Pitts-Bourg."
November 28
- 1821Jackson, MS: The law says the town shall be called Jackson, in honor of Andrew Jackson.