Curiously Named Locales: Matagorda, Texas

Photo credit: Matagorda Tourism

    I have a shower curtain with a map on it. Featuring most of North America, it focuses on lines formed by river channels instead of states. It's always worth investigating as I sit on my throne, doing what even the king must do for himself. One odd place name that caught my eye is Matagorda, Texas. My rudimentary knowledge of Spanish led me to a strange translation. Is this island/county really "Kill the Fat Girl"? A little research indicates that some confusion exists between the Texas State Historical Association, which translates the name as "thick brush", and the Matagorda Chamber of Commerce, which prefers "fat kill".

    According to Wikipedia,  the county is named for the canebrakes that once grew along the coast (matagorda is a Spanish word meaning "thick bush"). The Texas State Historical Association mentions that the county is crossed by the formerly flood-prone SE-bound Colorado River. 

    Per the Matagorda Chamber of Commerce, the city was named by Elias R Wightman, a surveyor who moved about 60 settlers into the area. The Chamber of Commerce mentions that the name, translated as "fat kill", refers to the abundant game and seafood, or possibly a "fat mott" which they define as a fat clump of trees. 

Sources:
Texas State Historical Association

Matagorda Chamber of Commerce

Wikipedia: Matagorda County, Texas