I think you're just describing how the etymology of most named places works.

mispronounced place in europe

Americans can't pronounce Illinois

The Spanish names barely count because those were originally Mexican and had been named before USA was born.

Or the Spanish name from when the Spanish took the land a couple hundred years before.

In Oklahoma we just use the name of whatever tribe was forcibly relocated there. Although I know of one town that was named after a misspelling of an indian chief's name. The Apollo 14 CSM pilot lived there.

Yes, I visited Themdamninjuns last time I went through Illinois.

for the purposes of my joke, many people wouldn't have known - or cared to know - the names of the local tribes

I've never been through Illinois

and then we say a prayer thanking the tribe every sunday at church, don't forget that

Yeah, people from that city or place moved there and named their new home after their old home. There's a very Dutch area of Michigan with many immigrants from the Netherlands still there. Want to know a couple town names? Holland and Zeeland.

Well, Americans citizens were all immigrants, most were European

"Yeah, we're naming this river after you guys in honor of your stewardship of the environment. No, it's not going to catch on fire or anything like that. How could a river catch on fire?"

Along with Paris, Tennessee

TIL it’s an ancient Egyption capital.

So is nueva York named after York or new York?

True, but I think we may be the only country other than India to name a major city after another major city in the same country. Portland Oregon was named after Portland Maine

Springfield, yes

"Ink, AR" because when it was time to name the town a questionnaire was circulated to solicit suggestions, and the top of the form said "write in ink". Except not really goddammit.

Don't forget Ithaca

Well-travelled.

TBF, the French should pronounce their own language right if they want the rest of us to as well.

Yeah, like "Pointe au Roche", "Isle La Motte"