Copyright Notice: This content is from the North Carolina Gazetteer, edited by William S. Powell and Michael Hill. Copyright © 2010 by the University of North Carolina Press. Used by permission of the publisher. For personal use and not for further distribution. Please submit permission requests for other use directly to the publisher.

This content is from the North Carolina Gazetteer, edited by William S. Powell and Michael Hill. Copyright © 2010 by the University of North Carolina Press. Used by permission of the publisher. For personal use and not for further distribution. Please submit permission requests for other use directly to the publisher.

Some place names included in The North Carolina Gazetteer contain terms that are considered offensive.

Preface to the 2nd edition
Preface to the 1st edition
Acknowledgments

"The North Carolina Gazetteer is a geographical dictionary in which an attempt has been made to list all of the geographic features of the state in one alphabet. It is current, and it is historical as well. Many features and places that no longer exist are included; many towns and counties for which plans were made but which never materialized are also included. Some names appearing on old maps may have been imaginary, but many of them also appear in this gazetteer.

Each entry is located according to the county in which it is found. I have not felt obliged to keep entries uniform. The altitude of a place, the date of incorporation of a city or town, may appear in the beginning of one entry and at the end of another. Some entries may appear more complete than others. I have included whatever information I could find. If there is no comment on the origin or meaning of a name, it is because the information was not available. In some cases, however, resort to an unabridged dictionary may suggest the meaning of many names."

--From The North Carolina Gazetteer, 1st edition, preface by William S. Powell

Alphabetical Glossary Filter

"
3
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z
Reset
Place Description
Santeetlah

community in central Graham County on Santeetlah Lake. The former post office there, 1906-30, was called Millsaps.
Santeetlah Creek

rises in W Graham County and flows E into Santeetlah Lake. Name said to have meant "blue waters" in Cherokee, but Mooney's glossary says the Indians did not recognize or understand the name, insisting it was given to the creek by white men. They called the creek Nayuhi geyuni (sandplace stream), and Little Santeetlah Creek was known by them as Tsundaniltiyi
Santeetlah Gap

W central Graham County approx. ¾ mi. W of Funnel Top.
Santeetlah Lake

central Graham County, was formed in 1928 by a dam on Cheoah River. Covers 2,580 acres, with a shoreline of 105 mi. Max. depth 240 ft. Alt. 1,940. Used for power, fishing, and boating.
Santeetlah Wildlife Management Area

in W Graham County. 37,168 acres, operated by the state of North Carolina on U.S. Forest Service lands. Principal wildlife: bear, boar, deer, raccoon, and trout.
Sapling Mountain

N Madison County between Shelton Laurel Creek and Spillcorn Creek.
Sapona

community in SW Davidson County served by post office, 1885-1903.
Sapona River

See Yadkin River.
Sapony Creek

rises in W Nash County and flows SE into Tar River. Probably named for a stopping place of the Saponi Indians as they moved from the Yadkin River area in the W soon after 1701 to join the Tuscarora in the E.
Sapphire

community in SW Transylvania County S of Horsepasture River. Named because sapphires are found in the vicinity or for the vivid blue of the sky and water.