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 RiverQuestion of the MonthOctober 2009Compiled by Jennifer Robertson, M.Ed.RiverQuest Education SpecialistQuestion:What are the meanings and origins of our three rivers’ names? Answer:Allegheny means “stream or river of the Alligewi.” Monongahela means “high banks, breaking off and falling down at places.” Ohio means “beautiful river.” The Allegheny River was long considered the main river and the Ohio River simply a continuation of it. The Monongahela River was seen as a tributary of the Allegheny/Ohio. Therefore, names for the Allegheny and Ohio Rivers were often interchangeable. According to Dr. George P. Donehoo, former Secretary of the Pennsylvania Historical Commission, the Allegheny River was named after the Alligewi (or Talligewi) tribe that once lived in the Ohio River basin. They were most likely ancestors of the Cherokee. “Ohio” comes from the Seneca tribe, part of the Iroquois nation, and means “beautiful river.” The French translated this to “La Belle Riviere” or “the beautiful river.” Monongahela derives from “Menaungehilla” which means “high banks, breaking off and falling down at places.” Native Americans (which tribe or nation is unclear) named it this due to the clay deposits along the banks of the river that would wash away causing the banks to fall in and make the water muddy.
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