This week on A Northwoods Moment in History , local historian Gary Entz tells us how the town of St. Germain got its name. The town of St. Germain in Vilas County today is a popular tourist destination, and many people go there to see the statue of Chief St. Germaine. St. Germain, however, is French. So where did the name come from? In the early 17 th century, Samuel de Champlain, governor of New France, sent explorers into the Great Lakes looking for a water route to the Pacific Ocean. They