Tosneoc: From Indian Village to Elm City

Elm TreePhoto bySebastian PichleronUnsplash

Originally named after a local Indian Village named Tosneoc, meaning "tarry not or halting place" (J. Robert Boykin, III. 2003), the local town of Elm City, NC was chartered by the state legislature as Toisnot in 1873 and recently celebrated its 150th year anniversary in 2023. Not only is the pronunciatiation of its original name Toisnot (toss-not) interesting, but how the name was derived is interesting as well. See below what author J.T. Watson in his book entitled The History of Toisnot-Elm City, has to say about it:

"Tradition tells us that when the Indians inhabited this section that they were crossing this swamp at or near where the railroad crosses it, that they came to a shady ledge and decided to rest, that while sitting there an Indian Squaw espied a huge snake lying on a boulder near-by, sprang to her feet and exclaimed "Toss not, meaning in their language to "Tarry not." From that day to this the stream has been known as ''Toisnot Swamp." It is spelled T -0-I-S-N-0-T and pronounced Toss- Not."

According to a "Native Heritage Project" by Posted on June 24, 2012 by Roberta Estes, the Skaroreh Katenuaka,Tosneoc Village, Elm City, NC, is amongst other Tuscarora Tribes that have not received federal recognition but has "continuous ancestry dating back prior to the Tuscarora War and European Contact" (June 24, 2012). https://nativeheritageproject.com/2012/06/24/tuscarora-populations/