I think we should go back to what the old miners used to call it, before people got upset and said it had to be changed to Squaw _Peak_! ShadowAce wrote: > Not that it really matters I guess but it is still Squaw Peak > according to the USGS GNIS database as well. So that might explain why > mapping software still labels it as such? > > I believe it might have to do with the fact that it was never > officially renamed (on a federal level). The renaming was a local > thing done in Arizona but not fully supported or signed off on the > federal level. After the local naming was allowed by the Arizona Board > of Geographic and Historic names, the federal Board on Geographic > names was not in agreement.. > > Ah heck, here is the June 2007 report on Name submissions that covers > all this... > > Officially it is Squaw Peak. So Garmin will name it as such .. > > http://geonames.usgs.gov/docs/dockets/ReviewList395.pdf > Swilling Peak: summit; elevation 795 m (2,608 ft); in the City of > Phoenix, within Phoenix Mountains Park > and Recreation Area; named for John "Jack" Swilling (1830-1878), one > of the original founders of the city of > Phoenix; Maricopa County, Arizona; Sec 2, T2N, R3E, Gila and Salt > River Mer.; 33°32'50"N, 112°01'15"W; > USGS map - Sunnyslope 1:24,000; Not: Piestewa Peak, Squaw Peak. > http://www.topozone.com/map.asp?lat=33.54726&lon=- > > 112.0207&datum=nad83&u=5&layer=DRG&size=l&s=50 > > Proposal: to eliminate a name considered by some to be derogatory > > Map: USGS Sunnyslope 1:24,000 > > Proponent: Al Bates; Prescott, AZ > > Administrative area: Phoenix Mountains Park and Recreation Area > > Previous BGN Action: None > > Names associated with feature: > > GNIS: Squaw Peak (FID 11741) > > Local Usage: Piestewa Peak (local residents; Arizona Board on > Geographic and Historic Names; > City of Phoenix; Phoenix Mountains Park and Recreation Department), > Squaw Peak (local > residents) > > Published: Piestewa Peak (City of Phoenix; Phoenix Mountains Park and > Recreation > Department; local hiking guides; IndianCountry.com; Navajo Times, > 2007), Squaw Peak (USGS > 1954, 1978, 1988) > > Case Summary: The new name Swilling Peak is proposed as a replacement > name for Squaw Peak, a > prominent summit within the City of Phoenix. With an elevation of 795 > m (2,608 ft), the summit is the > second highest point in the Phoenix Mountains and it has been > designated a Phoenix Point of Pride. The > current name has appeared on Federal maps since at least at least the > 1950's, but is considered by many to be > derogatory. There have been several previous efforts to change the > summit's name, but none were successful. > In April 2003, the Arizona Board on Geographic and Historic Names > considered and approved a request by > the Governor of Arizona to rename it to Piestewa Peak, in honor of > Pfc. Lori Piestewa, a resident of Arizona > and a member of the Hopi Nation, who had died one month earlier during > the conflict in Iraq. In researching > this proposal, the AZBGHN determined that the change to Piestewa Peak > had the support of the Inter-Tribal > Council of Arizona. However, the BGN was not permitted to consider the > request at the Federal level, citing > the restrictions of the Commemorative Naming Policy that does not > allow a commemorative name for a > natural feature until the intended honoree has been deceased at least > five years. The proposal is being held > until March 2008, the five-year anniversary of Ms. Piestewa's death. > > Although the AZBGHN's renaming of Squaw Peak to Piestewa Peak has the > support of many area residents > and the new name is now shown on many local and State maps and > products, there are a large number of > other residents of Phoenix who do not endorse it, either because they > do not believe the longstanding name > Squaw Peak is derogatory, or because they object to the way in which > the 2003 proposal was handled by the > State. > > Citing these objections, this new proposal, to rename the summit to > Swilling Peak, was submitted by a local > historian. An online account of Swilling's life, authored by the > proponent, provides the following: "Born in > North Carolina, he moved to the New Mexico and Arizona Territories > around the 1850's, pursuing > prospecting and mining for newly discovered gold. By 1860, with the > onset of the Civil War, he joined the > Arizona Guards. Rather than report for disciplinary action, he and > several others deserted from the CSA. He > arrived in Phoenix from Prescott, Arizona, with friend and colleague > Darrell Duppa in 1867. In his travels as > a rider and scout for the Union, he had been fascinated with the > ancient Hohokam ruins and artifacts, > especially the extensive network of canals the ancient Indians had dug > to irrigate their fields. His concept was > that the old canals could be re-built for modern farmers, and that the > soil of the valley could support highly > productive farms. Within a very short time, the Swilling and Duppa > team had water flowing in a canal. By > January 1, 1868, Swilling's home area, where up to fifty more pioneer > homes had been built by this time, was > known as Pumpkinville - so named for the impressive growth of pumpkins > Jack had earlier planted along the > canals. Darrell Duppa suggested the name Phoenix--for much like the > mythical Phoenix rising from its ashes, > a new civilization would soon rise from the ashes of an old. Swilling > died in jail of natural causes while > awaiting trial for a stagecoach robbery he did not commit." > > There are two other geographic features in Arizona already named for > John Swilling. Swilling Butte in > Coconino County was the subject of a 1932 BGN decision, while Swilling > Gulch in Yavapai County was a > name found in local use and presumably so named because of its > proximity to Swilling's ranch. The two > features are located 299 km (186 mi) and 61 km (38 mi), respectively, > from the summit in question. > > > Basically prepare to climb Swilling Peak because it looks like that > is what the name might become. > > > On 8/30/07, * Guy Aldrich* > wrote: > > I'm surprised Garmin is still calling it Squaw Peak. > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > ____________________________________________________________ > Az-Geocaching mailing list listserv@azgeocaching.com > To edit your setting, subscribe or unsubscribe visit: > http://listserv.azgeocaching.com/mailman/listinfo/az-geocaching > > Arizona's Geocaching Resource > http://www.azgeocaching.com >