Cartographic examination of French toponymic spatial patterns in the Mississippi River Basin

Abstract

Place-names, or toponyms, represent both location and symbolic meaning. In this chapter, we examine how mapping the spatial distribution of toponyms across landscapes can reveal otherwise hidden cultural patterns. This study uses spatialstatistical methods to visualize general spatial patterns of French place-names in the Mississippi River Basin and describes a qualitative historical and cultural analysis of sociopolitical patterns at the more local scale of Minnesota. The resulting maps enable us to better understand how and why French toponymic power changed over time and provide useful insights to the region's geography and history.