NIPIGON : THE NAME AS AN ARTIFACT

We are going to consider the word NIPIGON to be an artifact as it was made up by man for the use of man. We are rather fortunate that people who write histories use the current name of our town, river and lake. If they didn't... take a look at what they could use when referring to us.

• 1660 Father Francois Du Creox used Lac Alembegyeci
• 1678 -79 Jolliet put Alimibegong on the map
• 1680 the French word was Alimibeg
• 1682 Franquelin used Alemenigon
• 1682-97 Hennepin called it Lake St. Joseph
• 1684 Duluth came close with the word Alemipigon
• 1685 Jaillot added a few letters and came up with Alemenipigon
• 1688 Franquelin changed his word to Alepimigon
• 1688 an unknown namer came up with Alemipiogaki
• 1690 La Hontan called it the Lemipissaki River
• 1690 La Hontan used Nemipigon likely for the lake
• 1696 Jaillot stuck with his Alemenipigon
• 1700 Guillaume de l'Isle used Alemipigon
• 1703 Guillaume de l'Isle used Jaillot's word Alemenipigon
• 1703 La Hontan came up with his old  name Nemipigon
• 1703 La Hontan changed the river to St. Laurens River
• 1722 Guillaume de l'Isle uses Nepigon
• 1729 A conge uses the name Nepigon with a French e. A conge is like a fur trade licence.
• 1746 d'Anville reuses Alemipigon and Alemipissaki
• 1756 Mitchell uses Nepigon
• 1756 The French call it Ste Anne
• 1777 Gefferys is the first to use Nipigon but he also keeps the Alempissaki name
• 1778 John Long, writes of his travels on the Nipegon River
• 1778 Carver calls it Alemenipigon
• 1817 Someone uses Ste. Anne
• 1824 James Wyld calls it Lake Ste. Anne
• 1827 Someone else uses Lake Ste. Anne
• 1854 Arrowsmith uses Ste. Anne
• 1872 Berton uses Nepigon
• other ways persisted with assorted ee's and i interchanged until
• 1909 Nipigon is declared THE spelling