ALT looking to change name of Westport mountain

WESTPORT | Nestled within the town is a mountain, where colorful blooms of round-lobed hepatica, purple trillium, bloodroot, and other wildflowers grow at its base. A favorite springtime destination, there's only one downside to this summit, and that's its name — Coon Mountain. "Over the years, we've heard from many people, including members of the Westport community, who have concerns about the name of the mountain that is central to this preserve because it is also widely recognized as a derogatory term," said Connie Prickett, director of communications for the Adirondack Land Trust (ALT), which owns and manages the 378-acre nature preserve where the mountain is located. "It is important to our organization that everyone who visits this preserve feels welcome." Originating in the early 19th century during the era of American slavery, the term "coon" was heavily popularized by "Zip Coon," a blackface minstrel character from the 1830s. According to a 2022 blog by Calvin Reyes, both that caricature and Jim Crow "were both used to depict African Americans as lazy, dim-witted people and enforce racial stereotypes." Members of the ALT sifted through historical maps, census data, newspapers, books, and other records, as well as reached out to neighbors, scholars, and historians, to determine the exact origin of the name. The ALT found that the first known instances of the mountain's current name appearing in print date back to the late 1800s, and the earliest historic record that offers a brief explanation of why the mountain was named comes from Caroline H. Royce's "Bessboro: A History of Westport, Essex County, NY" from 1902, where she wrote the following: "Its name is descriptive even now, as it is not uncommon for a raccoon to be killed within its shadow." "We did not find definitive evidence of the mountain name's origin, but we do know that the current name is having a negative impact," Prickett said. And that's why the ALT is looking to change its name from "Coon Mountain" to "Bloom Mountain." "We selected 'Bloom Mountain' because of its connections to the human and natural history of Westport and Wadhams." This new name was chosen not only because of the wildflowers that draw people to the preserve, but also in recognition of the skilled laborers known as "bloomers" who would transform spongy masses of semi-pure iron (aka, "blooms") into a solid, workable metal through repeated heating and hammering at the foot of the mountain in the 1800s. The ALT plans to submit the name request change to the United States Board on Geographic Names by year's end, said Prickett. "As landowners and community members, we are committed to a name change that celebrates nature, reflects local history, and welcomes everyone to enjoy the preserve and visit surrounding communities."

Signup for our newsletter

ALT looking to change name of Westport mountain

COMPANY

CUSTOMER SUPPORT

SUBMISSION FORMS

BEYOND THE NEWS