The origin of the name Stone Arabia is said to derive from the joking
reference of the early Palatine German settlers to the "stone turnips" (die
steine Ruebe - the 'ue' is a 'u-umlaut') that were planted there by the Good
Lord to welcome them to the Mohawk Valley. A related vegetable entered the
English language as Kohlrabi (cabbage turnip).

Many of those settlers later joined Sir John Johnson's regiments and ended
up as United Empire Loyalists in that part of eastern Ontario (Canada) just
north of New York State around Cornwall where they live to this day. They
left the "stone turnips" behind since they knew there would be a good crop
of new ones in British North America.



        David G Anderson  <[log in to unmask]>
               Glengarry Historical Society - 1784
          Williamstown, Ontario, Canada   K0C 2J0
               613 347-3006
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