| For centuries,
Chillicothe has been a major commerce center. The word
"Chillicothe" is derived from the ancient Shawnee Indian words
meaning "Principal Place." It was the name for one of their
clans. The main chief of the Shawnee could only come from the Chillicothe
clan. When a village was called Chillicothe, it meant that it was home to
the principal chief. It was the capital city of the Shawnees until the
death of that chief. Then, the capitol would move to the home village of
the next main chief. That village would then become Chillicothe.
Per our 1886 county history (p. 1047), "Big Town Where We Live... Our Big Home" is the correct meaning for the word Chillicothe. |