Friday, September 11, 2009

Poll Results: Pick your River

The Mt. Washington Brain Trust & Pipe Club has voted!  


Which River would you put YOUR houseboat on?
14% voted for the Allegheny;
14% voted for the Ohio;
and an overwhelming 71% voted for the muddy banks of the Monongahela!

It is no surprise that one would like to dock their aquatic living arrangements on the Allegheny.  Allegheny is commonly translated from the Native American Lenape as meaning "fine river."  Though others assert that Allegheny actually derives from a legendary tribe that the Lenape spoke of called the Allegewi that lived along its shores.  Apparenly the whole region of tributaries that flow into the Allegheny river was known as Alligewinenk, meaning "a land into which they came from distant parts."  It is believed that this is the river where Tom Hardy docked his houseboat, in the vicinity of Herr's Island, nowadays commonly referred to as Washington's Landing.  

The Ohio begins at the confluence of Pittsburgh's two other mighty rivers and eventually flows into the Mississippi.  Ohio comes from the Seneca word that means "large creek."  Unfortunately a state in our union also shares its name with this river.   I bet that's why it did not receive as many votes.

The clear favorite was the Monongahela river.  This muddy bottomed river is extraordinary.  It is navigable for its entire length, and is the longest navigable river in the world which flows North.  Monongahela comes from the Native American word "Mechmenawugihilla" (which is a really sweet word!) meaning "high bank, which is ever washed out and therefor collapses."  Due to this etymology it seems questionable if docking along its shores would be a wise move, though I often see barges docked there with no ill effect.  I'd put a house-boat there.

Thanks for voting everyone.  Stay tuned for the MWBT&PC coverage of the G20 world leaders in coming weeks as we hold an elimination tournament called the Battle for G1.

"Well Bob, he's either putting them in the Allegheny or the Monongahela... That narrows it down."
~Tom Hardy

By Lord Johnson

1 comment:

Lady said...

So where's my houseboat?