Charles Hoag (June 29, 1808 – 1888) was a New England

classical scholar Classics or classical studies is the study of classical antiquity. In the Western world, classics traditionally refers to the study of Classical Greek and Roman literature and their related original languages, Ancient Greek and Latin. Classics ...

, the first schoolmaster of the city of

Minneapolis Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origin ...

, and second Treasurer of

Hennepin County Hennepin County ( ) is a county in the U.S. state of Minnesota. Its county seat is Minneapolis, the state's most populous city. The county is named in honor of the 17th-century explorer Father Louis Hennepin. The county extends from Minneapo ...

. He is also known to have played a part in the naming of Minneapolis. After starting farming, he served as President of the Agricultural and Horticultural Societies of Minnesota.

Early life, education and career

Hoag was born in

Sandwich, New Hampshire Sandwich is a town in Carroll County, New Hampshire, United States. Its population was 1,466 at the 2020 census. Sandwich includes the villages of Center Sandwich and North Sandwich. Part of the White Mountain National Forest is in the north, ...

, and was educated in the public schools of the time. He also attended Wolfboro Academy and

Moses Brown School Moses Brown School is an independent Quaker school located in Providence, Rhode Island, offering pre-kindergarten through secondary school classes. It was founded in 1784 by Moses Brown, a Quaker abolitionist, and is one of the oldest prepara ...

Providence, Rhode Island Providence is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. One of the oldest cities in New England, it was founded in 1636 by Roger Williams, a Reformed Baptist theologian and religious exile from the Massachusetts ...

. By the time he was 16, Hoag had started work as a teacher, which he would continue to practice for the next 27 years. He also served as the principal of a

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Since ...

Grammar School for 13 years. He married and had a family, including two daughters.

Move to Minnesota

Attracted by the promise of land, Hoag moved to

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over t ...

in 1852, where he taught in Saint Anthony for two terms. Upon his arrival in the state, he claimed of land at the future site of Minneapolis. As time went by, he became more involved in public affairs, and was appointed as the second treasurer of Hennepin County. He joined the fraternal society of the Odd Fellows, serving one term as Grand Master of the Minnesota Grand Lodge. Based on his long experience in education, Hoag served as Hennepin County

Superintendent Superintendent may refer to: *Superintendent (police), Superintendent of Police (SP), or Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), a police rank *Prison warden or Superintendent, a prison administrator *Superintendent (ecclesiastical), a church exec ...

of Schools from 1870 to 1874. Hoag also served as President of the Agricultural and Horticultural Societies of Minnesota. He had purchased a farm in 1857, which he called Diamond Lake Farm. Charles Hoag is said to have played a central role in the naming of the city of Minneapolis. In 1852 the Hennepin County commissioners selected Albion as the name for the city. Not liking it, Hoag, along with George Bowman, editor of the ''St. Anthony Express,'' decided to come up with an alternative name. That night, Hoag was thinking about Indianapolis. Having been trying to form a word from Indian suffixes, he decided to combine the Greek "polis", meaning city, with part of

Minnehaha Minnehaha is a Native American woman documented in Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's 1855 epic poem ''The Song of Hiawatha''. She is the lover of the titular protagonist Hiawatha and comes to a tragic end. The name, often said to mean "laughing wat ...

. This was and is mistakenly thought to be

Dakota Dakota may refer to: * Dakota people, a sub-tribe of the Sioux ** Dakota language, their language Dakota may also refer to: Places United States * Dakota, Georgia, an unincorporated community * Dakota, Illinois, a town * Dakota, Minnesota, ...

for "laughing water," but it translates more accurately as "curling water" or "waterfall" (see

Minnehaha Falls Minnehaha Park is a city park in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States, and home to Minnehaha Falls and the lower reaches of Minnehaha Creek. Officially named Minnehaha Regional Park, it is part of the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board sy ...

). The next morning Hoag published an article with Bowman's help proposing the name Minnehapolis, explaining that the “h” was silent. Writing in the ''Express,'' he said: "I am aware that other names have been proposed such as Lowell, Brooklyn and Addiesville, but until some one icis decided upon, we intend to call ourselves Minnehapolis." In a town meeting on December 1852 John Stevens accepted the name without the "h". Charles Hoag moved to Diamond Lake Farm and lived there until his death in 1888. Lake Addie and

Lake Marion A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much larg ...

, both in

McLeod County, Minnesota McLeod County is a county in the U.S. state of Minnesota. At the 2020 census, the population was 36,771. Its county seat is Glencoe. McLeod County comprises the Hutchinson, MN Micropolitan Statistical Area and is part of the Minneapolis-St. ...

were named for Hoag's daughters.

References

External links

Minnesota Historical Society
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Hoag, Charles 1808 births 1888 deaths American classical scholars School superintendents in Minnesota People from Sandwich, New Hampshire County treasurers in the United States Farmers from Minnesota Brewster Academy alumni Schoolteachers from Minnesota 19th-century American educators Schoolteachers from Pennsylvania American school principals Educators from Philadelphia Moses Brown School alumni County officials in Minnesota