Tohope Ke-liga is the name of one of the most beautiful lakes in Florida, its Indian significance meaning “fort site.” All around the lake are the old hunting grounds of the Indians and memorable points in Seminole war fame. To-day the Okeechobee drainage canal connects it with the lakes south, plantations surrounding its shores; the thriving city of Kissimmee is situated on its north side and all trace of the Seminole has vanished. The only memorials he has left are his words firmly embedded in the history of his conquerors. Kissimmee river is said to have taken its name from a romantic episode. A young Spanish grandee in a moment of impulse snatched a kiss from a Seminole girl, and the frightened maiden’s childlike plaint to her mother established the name of the river on whose banks the kiss was stolen—Kiss-him-mee.
The romance attached to our beautiful Kissimmee river gives it especial interest and we give it only as a traditional meaning. The present Indians cannot give the English rendition, saying, “Indian long, long time ago named the river,” which is corroborated by the Bureau of Ethnology, Smithsonian Institution, as follows:
In reply to your letter I regret to say that it is impossible to give you the meaning of “Kissimmee.” Several of our ethnologists think the word dates back to the Ais Caloosa, or some other tribe antedating the Seminoles, in which case the meaning will never be known.
Very respectfully yours,
W. H. Holmes,
Chief.
So many of the euphonious words abounding in Florida belong to the ancient tribes and were picked up by the Seminoles.
An interesting bit of information was gotten after much care and questioning from Chief Tallahassee as to the meaning of his name—Tallahassee being only a nickname, or white man’s name for him—his Indian name being Fo-so-wa-los-te-nock-ee, meaning chief of the Bird gens or tribe.
The origin of the name of Florida’s State capital dates back to the days that are but traditions to the Seminole.
As the Seminole interprets, “Long, long time ago,” many Indians and houses were on the site where the city of Tallahassee now stands.