Name or Place of Source: Onondaga County, New York. Legend has it that the father of Hiawatha, the hero of Longfellow's poem, met and vanquished a large bear. Exhausted and in dire need of water, the warrior sought out a spring in the area known to his tribe. Giving thanks to the god of water for his drink, he named the spring Mishemokwa meaning great bear, in honor of his victory.
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