Ceresota - What's in a Name?

We recently enjoyed Mill City Museum's "Engineering the Falls: Walking Tour by History Player William de la Barre" (like all their tours, it was marvelous).  Of the many interesting facts and quips our guide provided, one was regarding the name "Ceresota".  He explained the name is a combination of "Ceres" (in ancient Roman religion, Ceres was a goddess of agriculture, grain crops, fertility and motherly relationships) and "sota" for the last two syllables of our state.

As part of our ongoing series, Signs of Mill City, we previously posted a picture of the prominent Ceresota mural.