The Yellowstone National Park: Historical and DescriptiveChittenden, Hiram Martin
History
The Yellowstone National Park: Historical and Descriptive
Chittenden, Hiram Martin
Yellowstone National Park
For reasons that can hardly be made to appear satisfactory, the United
States Geological Survey, in 1883, or soon after, rejected both these
names and adopted in their place Absaroka, "the Indian name of the
Crow nation" (Hague). Of course this action can have no pretense of
justification from the standpoint of the "rigid law of priority."
There are very few instances in American geography of a similar
disregard for the rights of previous explorers. Unfortunately, not
even the argument of appropriateness can be urged in its defense.
These mountains, except that portion north of the Park, were never
properly Crow territory, and the name is thus distinctly an
importation. Its future use is now unhappily assured, on account of
its formal adoption (for reasons wholly inadequate, it is true,) by
the United States Board on Geographical Names. Against the influence
of the government, with its extensive series of publications, even
though committed to the perpetuation of an error, it is idle to
contend; but it is greatly to be deplored that a feature of the Park
scenery of such commanding prominence should not bear a name at least
remotely suggestive of some natural or historical association.
_Amethyst Mountain_ (9,423)--F: 11--1872--U. S. G. S.--Characteristic.
_Antler Peak_ (10,200)--E: 4--1885--U. S. G. S.--Characteristic.
_Atkins Peak_ (10,900)--N: 14--1885--U. S. G. S.--For John D. C.
Atkins, Indian Commissioner, 1885-1888.
_Avalanche Peak_ (10,500)--L: 13--1885--U. S. G. S.--Characteristic.
_Bannock Peak_ (10,400)--D: 4--1885--U. S. G. S.--From the name of a
tribe of Indians who inhabited the country to the south-west of the
Park, and were finally settled on a reservation in southern Idaho.
What is known as the Great Bannock Trail, passed along the valley of
Indian Creek, some distance south of this mountain. The spelling here
given is that which custom seems finally to have settled upon; but
Bannack would more nearly express the original pronunciation. The
various spellings, some sixteen in number, come from the original
_Panai'hti_, or _Bannai'hti_, meaning southern people.
_Barlow Peak_ (9,500)--Q: 10--1895--U. S. G. S.--For Captain (now
Colonel) J. W. Barlow, Corps of Engineers, U. S. A., leader of the
military expedition which entered the Park region in 1871. His name
was first applied to the upper course of the Snake River, but was
recently transferred to a neighboring mountain peak.
[Illustration: COLONEL J. W. BARLOW.]
_Baronett Peak_ (10,300)--C: 13--1878--U. S. G. S.--For C. J.
Baronett, "Yellowstone Jack," a famous scout and guide, closely
connected with the history of the National Park, and builder of the
first bridge across the Yellowstone River.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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