WPC Ecologist Robert Coxe has put together a new six-part Wednesday series explaining how western Pennsylvania places received their names. Today, Robert enlightens us about Punxsutawney. Today the town is known for its world famous groundhog. But once upon a time, the hamlet in Jefferson County was associated with another species altogether... What's in a Name? -- Punxsutawney
The site of Punxsutawney was once the home of an Native American village on the Shamokin Path.Its name is derived from the Native American word for “town of the sandflies,” although they spelled it “Punksuduteney.” The sand flies supposedly came from an ancient Indian sorcerer who attacked travelers from the east. He was later killed and burned. According to legend, his ashes became sandflies or “ponksad,” which harassed the Native Americans (Weimer 1997). Another name, “Ponksutenink,” has been attributed to the early Native American village (at the current site of Punxsutawney) and means “town of the ponkis (sandflies) (McKnight 1917) and refers to the legend above. An alternate origin of the name is proposed in the History of Jefferson County, Pa. Here, author Kate Scott says that the town was named for “Pukeesheno,” who was the father of the Shawnee Indian Chief Tecumseh. His name may have perhaps come from the above legend as well. Today the town is famous for its annual Groundhog Day celebration. The origin of this celebration is described below.
According to the History of Punxsutawney webpage, the “Creation” story of the Delaware Indians states that their ancestors, the Lenni Lenape (also known as the “mound builders”), began as animals in “mother earth” and then emerged as human beings. These animals were Oijik (Wejak) or Wojak which to us is “woodchuck” and came to be known as the grandfather of the earliest inhabitants of the area (the Delaware). The early European settlers adapted their European Candlemas legend to incorporate the grandfather of the Delaware, Wojak, or better known today as Punxsutawney Phil.
Shown in today's photo is Ben Wright, of WPC's Watershed Assistance Center, standing by the Groundhog Statue in Punxsutawney, Pa. More information on visiting Punxsutawney, Pa can be found at www.punxsutawney.com.
McKnight, William James. 1917. Jefferson County, Pa.: Her Pioneers and People 1800-1915. Vol. I (Chicago:
J.H. Beers and Co.) 516 pp.
Scott, Kate M. 1888. History of Jefferson County, Pa.: with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of
its prominent men and pioneers. (Syracuse, NY: D. Mason and Co. Publishers) 748 pp.
Weimer, Marc. 1997. History of Punxsutawney. Url: http://users.penn.com/~mweimer/history.html.
Help WPC achieve its mission.
E-mail Today's WPC Daily to a Friend!
Sign Up for WPC Daily
|
