Shawmut
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Shawmut is a term believed to be derived from the Algonquin word Mashauwomuk referring to the region of present day Boston, Massachusetts. It appears in print very early in the history of New England; records from 1630 note that William Blaxton was "dwelling on the other side of Charles River, alone, at a place by the Indians called Shawmutt."[1]
The meaning of Shawmut is uncertain. Most explanations refer to either the salt water surrounding the peninsula, from which come explanations like "canoe landing place" or "place to ferry across", or to the springs of fresh water found within, a major inducement for the settlement of the Massachusetts Bay Colony at that site.
This word appears in several names, not all of which can be traced with certainty to the Mashauwomuk place name.
- Shawmut Peninsula is the promontory on which Boston is built. Due to land reclamation efforts throughout the 1800s, the peninsula is now over twice its original size.
- Shawmut Bank was established in Boston in 1836 and its logo, the stylized bust of Chief Obbatinewat, became widely recognizable in Greater Boston over the next century and a half. The name and logo were retired in 1995 as a result of the merger of Shawmut National Corporation and Fleet Financial Group.[2]
- Shawmut Capitol Partners, an independent, stand-alone venture capital firm formed in 1998 by a the former Chairman of Fleet Financial Group, now holds the rights to the Shawmut name and the logo of Chief Obbatinewat.[3]
- Shawmut Line was the popular name for the service operated by the Pittsburg, Shawmut and Northern Railroad and its successor, the Pittsburg and Shawmut Railroad. These companies have a complicated history but the name have come about due to financial backing from the Shawmut Bank in Boston.
- Shawmut Dam on the Kennebec River on Maine was built by the Shawmut Manufacturing Company in 1914. As there are abandoned railroad tracks nearby, the Shawmut Manufacturing Company may be a link between Shawmut Bank and the other railroad-related uses of the Shawmut name.[4]
- Shawmut, Montana is a small community by near Harlowton. It takes its name from a train station, which, in turn, may have taken its name from the surname of a local rancher or may be connected to the railroad interests mentioned above.[5]
- Shawmut Design and Construction is a $600 million general contracting and construction management firm with headquarters in Boston and offices in Providence, Rhode Island and New York City. Founded in 1982, this company seem to be named for the Shawmut Peninsula rather than having a connection to the other companies that have had Shawmut in their name.[6]
[edit] References
- ^ Forsford, Eben Norton, The Indian names of Boston, and their meaning
University Press, 1886. - ^ Shawmut Capitol Partners
- ^ Shawmut Capitol Partners
- ^ Shawmut Dam
- ^ Travel Montana
- ^ Shawmut Design and Construction
