9. Tappan Zee’s Name Has Dutch and Native American Roots

 Map c.1635. Tappans lived primarily on the west side of the Hudson River in what has become Bergen County, New Jersey and Rockland County, New York. Image via Wikimedia Commons. 

While the full name of the original brigde is Governor Malcolm Wilson–Tappan Zee Bridge, it is more colloquially known as just the Tappan Zee Bridge. The origin of the name combines the name of a Native American tribe from the area called Tappan, and the Dutch word zee meaning “sea.”

New York State Governor Malcolm Wilson’s name was added to the bridge in 1994. However, with the completion of the new bridge almost upon us, by a new state law, it has been renamed to the Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge after Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s father. Katharine Wilson Conroy, Malcolm Wilson’s daughter opposed the renaming, recalling fond childhood memories and her father’s personal connection to it. She explained how proud and excited her father was about the Tappan Zee and how changing it would be just be very emotional.

The new name will officially be dropping the Tappan Zee title, but getting people to call it otherwise might be a little difficult.