The Origin of Missouri
by George Bailey
The word _Missouri_ is derived from the Sioux Indians. While a definitive meaning has never been determined, it has frequently been argued that the word means "muddy water". Other authorities, however, including representatives of the Smithsonian Institution Bureau of American Ethnology, claim it means "town of large canoes", noting that the syllables from which the word is derived mean "wooden canoe people" or "he of the big canoe." Make sure to toss this tidbit around on your Branson Vacation to impress your family!