Hi Scott,
The word Etowah comes from the Muskogee/Creek word
italwa meaning "town."
Do a Google search on Etowah and you'll find several places with it's name. Some that I found are
listed here:
Etowah -- U.S. County in Alabama
Etowah, AR -- U.S. town in Arkansas
Etowah, NC -- U.S. town in North Carolina
Etowah, OK -- U.S. town in Oklahoma
Etowah, TN -- U.S. city in Tennessee
Also an article on the Etowah Mounds in Georgia here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Etowah_Indian_Mounds
I'm not sure how or where Etowah, Arkansas got it's name, but there is one small indian mound there, although it's badly eroded from farming activities. Northeast Arkansas has quite a bit of ancient indian background. If I ever get down to your neck of the woods, I'll like to see the Etowah Mounds and the River. Regards, Roger