Renaming Landmarks

2rocky

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It is a complicated issue. where do you draw the line on when it is worthwhile or necessary? Some of the following instances stand out to me could go either way...


When the Concessioners in Yosemite lost the bid they sued to prevent the new one from using the names THEY had bestowed on the places in the park.

https://www.latimes.com/california/...ea.&text=The historic wood sign at Camp Curry.

Nine US army bases to be renamed...

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/u-s-bases-confederate-leaders-new-names/

High school named after Sir Francis Drake renamed after beloved Teacher....

 
I guess I don't really mind it. It seems to be mostly virtue signaling, however. It doesn't really help the historically oppressed. If we really wanted to help these communities wouldn't we invest in them somehow and try to build them up instead of simply renaming things? I say "we" as in the powers that be. I don't know, maybe as a straight white male I am missing something.
 
I can think of several spots in the Gila that were renamed and am glad they were. Most folks here don't know the original names.
N---head Butte is one. I have a topo with those names on it,one of the 1st.
The original names were given by the 1st settlers & homesteaders, the Buffalo Soldiers. They were promised this land if they cleared out the Apache. They did.
The Calvalry took the credit and 20 years later most of the land was stolen, by white ranchers.
 
It’s complicated. I gave my opinion in a similar thread a while back. Long answer is it depends.

 
The problem I have is that when the landmarks were named, they weren't meant to be offensive. The perception of it being offensive came later because one group or another just decided it was offensive. We had a mountain around here called "N----- Ben Mountain" The "N" word is considered so offensive that if I were to write it out or speak it aloud, even in a factual context such as this, I risk being banned from decent society or worse yet possibly banned from "Hunt Talk." But that was no doubt the name old Ben was known by and his fellow settlers apparently felt pretty highly of him since they named a mountain after him. So, changing the name actually dishonors a historical figure. The name was changed to "Negro Ben Mountain" which is only a little less offensive and nobody by that name ever lived around here. "Ben's Mountain" would make more sense, at least you would still be honoring Ben. They may have since changed the name again, I don't know.

Then there is "Dead Indian Road" Now "Dead Indian Memorial Road" The original name was created because some early settlers found two deceased Native Americans along a creek. The creek was then named Dead Indian Creek but it had nothing to do with the saying "the only good Indian is a dead Indian." Which is now used as an excuse to call the name offensive. The road was then named after the creek it follows. Now there is a push to change the name again because it's still "Dead Indian" Every time they change the name, everybody that lives on that road has to change their address so another change would justifiably piss off a few folks. I don't believe they ever changed the name of the creek and I know they haven't changed the name of the Dead Indian Plateau and to this day, if you ask any of us old timers how to get to Howard Prairie lake, we will tell you to drive up Dead Indian Road and nobody is confused by that answer.

Who knows what words will or will not be offensive ten years from now? The word Quear was an offensive word for a gay person just a short while ago. Now it seems to be the go-to accepted term. But you know what, it doesn't really affect my live one way or another, if they want to keep changing names.
 
The problem I have is that when the landmarks were named, they weren't meant to be offensive.
I used to hike some around a mountain named Phoebe Tip. When viewed at a certain angle, the peak had a unique shape, at least, for a mountain. Rumor has it that it was originally named something else and, while they kept “Phoebe,” they changed the second part to “Tip.” I am guessing the original name was meant to be offensive…😀
 
We have a Breast butte. When viewed from the north there is no doubt as to how it got the name. So far, I haven't heard of anyone complaining about it.
 
Whore house meadows, on Steens mountain renamed naughty girl meadow didn't work.
 
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