1

Docket 389 
(38 Names) 
Released June 1, 2005 
For initial consideration at the  
June 9, 2005 meeting 

 
 

UNITED STATES  

BOARD ON GEOGRAPHIC NAMES 

WASHINGTON, D.C. 

 

 

This docket presents names proposed for geographic features in the United States.  The names are offered to (1) 

identify previously unnamed features, (2) provide official recognition to names in current local usage, (3) resolve conflicts in 
name spellings, applications, and local usage, or (4) change existing names.  Any organization, agency, or person may indicate 
to the U.S. Board on Geographic Names (BGN) their support or opposition to any name proposed herein by submitting written 
evidence documenting their position. 
 
 

The names herein are official for use in Federal publications and on maps upon approval by the BGN.  Only one name 

is official per feature; however, a shortened version of an official name may be authorized, and these are identified by 
underlining.  The use or omission of non-underlined words is optional. 
 
 

Variant names and spellings discovered in researching a name are listed following the word “Not.”  These may include 

names and spellings that formerly were official, historical names known to have been previously associated with the feature, 
names that conflict with current policies of the Board, misspellings, and names misapplied to the subject of the proposal. 
 
 

If a populated place is incorporated under the laws of its State, it is specified as such in parentheses after the feature 

designation.  Populated places without such designations are not incorporated. 
 
 

The information following each name indicates the submitting agency or person, the most recent base series map* for 

locating the feature, the reason for the proposal, and other pertinent background facts needed to assist the BGN in its decision 
process.  Each paragraph also includes a link to the Topozone website showing the location of the feature; please note that 
many of the URL’s are two lines.  A copy of this docket has also been posted to the Board’s website at 
<http://geonames.usgs.gov/bgn.html> 
 
 

The horizontal datum used for geographic coordinates in all Domestic Geographic Names publications is primarily the 

North American Datum of 1927.  The horizontal datum of some geographic coordinates added since 1991 is the North 
American Datum of 1983.  The USGS Geographic Names Office will, when feasible, convert all coordinate values to the North 
American Datum of 1983.  When the conversion occurs, the largest coordinate shifts will be in Alaska and Hawaii where 
latitude will shift as much as 366 meters (1,200 feet) and longitude by up to 290 meters (950 feet).  In the conterminous United 
States, the maximum changes will be approximately 50 meters (165 feet) in latitude and 105 meters (345) in longitude. 
 
 

Comments on the name proposals may be sent to:  Roger L. Payne, Executive Secretary, U.S. Board on Geographic 

Names, 523 National Center, Reston, VA  20192-0523.  Telephone:  (703) 648-4544.  Fax:  (703) 648-4549.  E-mail:  
BGNEXEC@usgs.gov. 
 

THE NAMES IN THIS DOCKET MAY BE USED ONLY AFTER 

APPROVAL BY THE BGN 

 

*Standard map series published by the U.S. Geological Survey, USDA Forest Service, or Office of Coast Survey. 

 

 
 
 
 

 

 

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ALASKA 

 

Resolute Cove

: bay, 0.6 km (0.4 mi) wide; in Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge, on the E side of 

Day Harbor, 4.8 km (3 mi) NE of Anchor Cove; named for the resolute spirit of the individuals who have 
settled there; Kenai Peninsula Borough, Alaska; Secs 1&2, T2S, R2E, Seward Mer.; 60°01’53”N, 
149°02’41”W; USGS map – Seward A-6 1:63,360. 

http://www.topozone.com/map.asp?lat=60.0313888888889&lon=-149.044722222222&u=2

 

Proposal:  to make official a new name in recent local use 
Map:  USGS Seward A-6 1:63,360 
Proponent:  Thomas Stanfield; Seward, AK 
Administrative area:  Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge 
Previous BGN Action:  None 
Names associated with feature: 

GNIS:  No record 
Local Usage:  Resolute Cove (proponent and area residents) 
Published:  None found 

Case Summary:  This proposal was submitted by the Alaska Historical Commission, which serves as the 
State Geographic Names Authority, on behalf of a resident of Seward, who wishes to make official the 
name Resolute Cove for a small bay located at the north end of Day Harbor.  The proponent reports that he 
moved to the area in the early 1970’s, after which he learned that in order to survive the daily challenges of 
living in such a remote area, the local people must have a resolute character.  He claims the proposed name 
has come into local use over the past few years.  The Historical Commission, as part of its research, 
contacted several local historical societies and the government of Kenai Peninsula Borough, as well as the 
Chugach Heritage Foundation and the Qutekcak Native Tribe, both of which represent the area’s Alaska 
Native communities.  Of these, only the Resurrection Bay Historical Society responded, with a letter in 
support of the name.  Citing the apparent lack of objection, the Alaska Historical Commission has 
recommended approval of the proposal.  The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Forest Service 
have both also expressed support for the name.  There are no other geographic features in Alaska known to 
be named “Resolute.” 

 

Ch’akajabena Lake

: lake, 28 sq. mi.; in the Alaska Range between the Chigmit Mountains and the 

Tordrillo Mountains, 77 km (48 mi) WNW of Tyonek; the name is of Dena’ina origin, meaning “tail 
extends-out lake”; Kenai Peninsula Borough, Alaska; T13N, Rgs 17-20W, Seward Mer.; 61°12’35”N, 
152°32’38”W; USGS map – Tyonek A-7 1:63,360 (central point); Not: Chakachamna Lake (BGN 1930). 

http://www.topozone.com/map.asp?z=5&n=6786163.00056641&e=524391&datum=nad83&u=6

 

Proposal:  name change to recognize the feature’s native name 
Map:  USGS Tyonek A-7 1:63,360 (central point) 
Proponent:  Alaska Historical Commission 
Administrative area:  None 
Previous BGN Action:  Chakachamna Lake (BGN 1930) 
Names associated with feature: 

GNIS:  Chakachamna Lake (ID 02004380/FID 1412737) 
Local Usage:  Chakachamna Lake (Alaska hiking, tourism websites) 
Published:  Chakachamna Lake (USGS 1958/85; BLM, 2004; NPS, 2004; Federal Aviation 
Administration, 1996; Alaska Department of Natural Resources, 2001; 

Dictionary of Alaska 

Place Names

, 1967; 

Columbia Gazetteer

, 2000; American Whitewater website, 2003)  

Case Summary:  This proposal, to change officially the name of Chakachamna Lake to Ch’akajabena Lake, 
was submitted by the Alaska Historical Commission in an effort to restore the Dena’ina spelling of the 
name.  It was initiated in response to another proposal that the U.S. Board has received to apply the new 
name Chakachamna Mountain (Docket 387) to an unnamed summit that overlooks the lake.  In the course 

 

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of researching the history of the name, the Historical Commission determined that there was support among 
the area’s native population for approving a new name for the summit, provided the original Dena’ina name 
was considered.  The Historical Commission agreed and suggested the lake should be renamed to be 
consistent.   
 
The proposed name was reportedly discovered in 1927 by R.H. Sargent of the USGS, and was “obtained 
from Chilligan, and old Tyonek Indian.”  However, the Anglicized form, Chakachamna Lake, was made 
official by a decision of the BGN in 1930.  The proponent of the name Chakachamna Mountain on Docket 
387 has agreed to amend his proposal to recognize the native name.   
 
The name Chakachamna Lake is widely published on Federal and State maps and documents, particularly 
because the feature is the largest of Alaska’s 750 glacial-dammed bodies of water (it is 28 square miles in 
size).  In seeking input on the naming of the summit, the Historical Commission received letters of support 
from the Superintendent of Lake Clark National Park and Preserve (the feature lies just outside the Park 
boundary), Dr. James Kari, the Native Village of Tyonek, the Alaska Native Language Center, and the 
Alaska Department of Fish and Game.  Several respondents indicated a preference for the Dena’ina form of 
the name.  Only the Park Superintendent responded to the Commission’s second request for comments on 
the lake renaming, but citing a lack of objection from any other interested party, the Historical Commission 
recommended approval of the change from Chakachamna Lake to Ch’akajabena Lake.   
 

Little Willys Pond

: lake, 2 acres; located in the City of Houston, 3.8 km (2.4 mi) W of Zero Lake, 5.6 km 

(3.6 mi) SE of Nancy Lake; named for William Roy Cross (June - October 1992); Matanuska-Susitna 
Borough, Alaska; Sec 18, T18N, R3W, Seward Mer.; 61°39’18”N, 149°52’34”W; USGS map – Anchorage 
C-8 NW 1:24,000. 

http://www.topozone.com/map.asp?z=6&n=6838916&e=347690&size=s&u=2&layer=DRG25

 

Proposal:  to make official a commemorative name in local use 
Map:  USGS Anchorage C-8 NW 1:24,000 
Proponent:  William and Renee Cross; Houston, AK 
Administrative area:  None 
Previous BGN Action:  None 
Names associated with feature: 

GNIS:  No record 
Local Usage:  Little Willys Pond (family members) 
Published:  None found 

Case Summary:  This proposal was submitted by the Alaska Historical Commission, which serves as the 
State Geographic Names Authority, on behalf of a couple living in the city of Houston.  The two-acre lake 
is located on property owned by the couple, and they report that they have started to refer to it as Little 
Willys Pond, in honor of their grandson William Roy Cross who died in October 1992 at the age of four 
months.  The proponents included with their application a photograph of a sign they have placed at the 
lakeside showing the proposed name.  The Alaska Historical Commission solicited input from Cook Inlet 
Region, Incorporated; Alexander Creek, Incorporated; the government of Matanuska-Susitna Borough; 
Matanuska-Susitna/Valdez-Copper Basin Area State Parks; and the Houston Chamber of Commerce, but no 
response was received, which is presumed to indicate a lack of an opinion on the issue.  The Mayor of the 
City of Houston submitted a letter of support for the name.  However, the Historical Commission does not 
recommend approval, in the belief that the proposed name does not satisfy the criteria of the 
Commemorative Naming Policy.  The members expressed sympathy for the family and suggested they 
“continue to use the name informally.” 

 
 

 

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CALIFORNIA 

 

Elkington Creek

: stream, 1.7 km (1.2 mi) long; heads at The Cove, 0.8 km (0.5 mi) E of Mount Veeder at 

38°22’40”N, 122°26’19”W, flows NE to enter the unnamed stream that flows through Wing Canyon 1 km 
(0.6 mi) upstream of Dry Creek; named for James E. Elkington (1829-1898), who homesteaded on property 
along the stream in 1874 and who operated a sawmill and summer resort there; Napa County, California; 
Secs 9&8, T6N, R5W, Mount Diablo Mer.; 38°23’14”N, 122°25’19”W; USGS map – Rutherford 1:24,000. 
Mouth:

http://www.topozone.com/map.asp?z=10&n=4248927&e=550482&s=50&size=l&u=6&datum=nad

83&layer=DRG25

 

Source:

http://www.topozone.com/map.asp?z=10&n=4247885.00010837&e=549024.000000003&datum=n

ad83&u=6

 

Proposal:  to make official a commemorative name found on a historical document 
Map:  USGS Rutherford 1:24,000 
Proponent:  Cecelia Elkington-Setty; Napa, CA 
Administrative area:  None 
Previous BGN Action:  None 
Names associated with feature: 

GNIS:  No record 
Local Usage:  None found 
Published:  Elkington Creek (

Napa Reporter

, 1879)  

Case Summary:  This proposal was submitted by a resident of Napa, to make official the name Elkington 
Creek for a 1.7 km (1.2 mi) long stream in Napa County, approximately 16 km (10 mi) northwest of Napa.  
The proponent reports that the stream became known informally as Elkington Creek during the latter half of 
the nineteenth century after her great-grandfather James Edward Elkington (1829-1898) settled there in 
1866 and homesteaded on 160 acres in 1874.  The family eventually acquired 220 acres along the eastern 
slopes of Mount Veeder, where they ran a sawmill and also operated the Mount Veeder Summer Resort.  
Mr. Elkington also served as a trustee for the local school.  The proponent included with her application an 
excerpt from the 1879 

Napa Reporter

, in which was included a reference to a recently-held county board of 

supervisors’ meeting; the report included a description of local road district boundaries, one of which ran 
along “Elkington Creek.”  The Napa County Historical Society has submitted a letter endorsing this 
proposal. 
 

Miwok, Mount

: summit; elevation 1,171 m (3,849 ft); located in Mount Diablo State Park, 8 km (5 mi) SSE of 

Clayton, 13 km (8 mi) E of Walnut Creek; the name is derived from that the Miwok Indians who have inhabited 
the area for many years; Contra Costa County, California; Sec 31, T1N, R1E, Sec 36, T1N, R1W, Sec 1, T1S, 
R1W and Sec 6, T1S, R1E, Mount Diablo Mer.; 37°52’54”N, 121°54’46”W; Map – Clayton 1:24,000; Not: Cerro 
Alto De Los Bolbones, Monte Del Diablo, Monte Diablo, Monte Diavolo, Mount Diabolo, Mount Diablo, ‘Oj-
ompil-e, Sierra De Los Bolbones, Sukku Jaman, Supemenenu, Tuyshtak. 

http://www.topozone.com/map.asp?z=10&n=4193237.08209892%20&e=595513.864464331&u=6&datum=nad83

 

Proposal:  to change a name considered by some to be derogatory 
Topographic Map: Clayton 1:24,000 
Proponent:  Bruce Bagnoli; San Rafael, CA 
Administrative area:  Mount Diablo State Park 
Previous BGN Action:  None 
Names associated with feature: 

GNIS:  Mount Diablo (ID 06009027/FID 222343) 
Local Usage:  Mount Diablo (local residents; California State Parks Department; Save Mount 
Diablo; Mount Diablo Astronomical Society; Mount Diablo Pilots Association; Mount Diablo 
Surveyors Historical Society, Mount Diablo Audubon Society) 

 

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Published:  Mount Diablo (USGS 1896, 1898/12/22/47, 1953, 1962, 1982, 1991; California State 
Highway map, 2004; Mount Diablo State Park maps and brochures; Contra Costa County map, 
1992; Writers’ Guide Series, 1939; Gudde, 1998; Marinacci, 1997; Benchmark Maps, 2004; Colton 
map, 1856; Mitchell map, 1865, 1866, 1881; Asher & Adams, 1874; Century Atlas, 1897) 

Case Summary:  This proposal is to change officially the name of Mount Diablo, a 1,171 m (3,849 ft) high 
summit in Contra Costa County, to Mount Miwok.  The proponent, a resident of San Rafael, submitted the 
proposal in response to another request that the Board has received, to change the name of the summit to Mount 
Kawukum (Docket 388).  The proponent of the name Mount Miwok agrees with the original proponent that the 
existing name is derogatory.  However, he disputes the validity and linguistic origin of the word “Kawukum” and 
has suggested the alternative name instead.  The Miwok Indians and their present-day descendants have been 
long-time inhabitants of the California coast, as well as the San Francisco Bay area and some of the central 
valleys.  The proponent suggests the Miwok would have been familiar with Mount Diablo and that they 
considered the summit to be sacred ground. 
 

Ohlone, Mount

: summit; elevation 1,171 m (3,849 ft); located in Mount Diablo State Park, 8 km (5 mi) SSE of 

Clayton, 13 km (8 mi) E of Walnut Creek; the name is derived from that of the Ohlone Indians who inhabited the 
area for many years; Contra Costa County, California; Sec 31, T1N, R1E, Sec 36, T1N, R1W, Sec 1, T1S, R1W 
and Sec 6, T1S, R1E, Mount Diablo Mer.; 37°52’54”N, 121°54’46”W; Map – Clayton 1:24,000; Not: Cerro Alto 
De Los Bolbones, Monte Del Diablo, Monte Diablo, Monte Diavolo, Mount Diabolo, Mount Diablo, ‘Oj-ompil-e, 
Sierra De Los Bolbones, Sukku Jaman, Supemenenu, Tuyshtak. 

http://www.topozone.com/map.asp?z=10&n=4193237.08209892%20&e=595513.864464331&u=6&datum=nad83

 

Proposal:  to change a name considered by some to be derogatory 
Topographic Map: Clayton 1:24,000 
Proponent:  Sharon R. Skolnick; San Rafael, CA 
Administrative area:  Mount Diablo State Park 
Previous BGN Action:  None 
Names associated with feature: 

GNIS:  Mount Diablo (ID 06009027/FID 222343) 
Local Usage:  Mount Diablo (local residents; California State Parks Department; Save Mount 
Diablo; Mount Diablo Astronomical Society; Mount Diablo Pilots Association; Mount Diablo 
Surveyors Historical Society, Mount Diablo Audubon Society) 
Published:  Mount Diablo (USGS 1896, 1898/12/22/47, 1953, 1962, 1982, 1991; California State 
Highway map, 2004; Mount Diablo State Park maps and brochures; Contra Costa County map, 
1992; Writers’ Guide Series, 1939; Gudde, 1998; Marinacci, 1997; Benchmark Maps, 2004; Colton 
map, 1856; Mitchell map, 1865, 1866, 1881; Asher & Adams, 1874; Century Atlas, 1897) 

Case Summary:  This proposal is to change officially the name of Mount Diablo in Contra Costa County to Mount 
Ohlone.  The proponent, a resident of San Rafael, submitted the proposal in response to another request that the 
Board has received to change the name of the summit to Mount Kawukum (Docket 388).  She also assisted in 
preparing the application form for the second proposal that the Board received, to rename the summit Mount 
Miwok (q.v.).  The proponent of the name Mount Ohlone agrees with the original proponent that the existing 
name is derogatory.  However, she suggests the name “Kawukum” is not appropriate and wishes instead to honor 
the Ohlone Indians, who once inhabited the coast and valleys of California, including the area surrounding Mount 
Diablo. 
 

Sutter City

: populated place (unincorporated); elevation 21 m (68 ft); located 11 km (7 mi) W of Yuba 

City, at the SE edge of Sutter Buttes; named for John Augustus Sutter, an early settler and agriculturalist; 
Sutter County, California; Secs 9,10&16, T15N, R2E, Mount Diablo Mer.; 39°09’36”N, 121°45’06”W; 
USGS map – Sutter Buttes 1:24,000 (central point); Not: South Butte, Sutter. 

http://www.topozone.com/map.asp?z=10&n=4335065.65136102%20&e=607855.727826899&u=2&datum
=nad27

 

Proposal:  to change the name of a community to eliminate confusion 

 

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Map:  USGS Sutter Buttes 1:24,000 (central point) 
Proponent:  Norman D. Haynes; Sutter, CA 
Administrative area:  None 
Previous BGN Action:  None 
Names associated with feature: 

GNIS:  Sutter (ID 06065756/FID 255919) 
Local Usage:  Sutter (local residents) 
Published:  South Butte (USGS 1888), Sutter (USGS 1911, 1912, 1936, 1943, 1947, 1952, 
1973, 1993; California State highway map, 2004; Sutter County highway map, 1992; U.S. 
Postal Guide, 1896, 1898, 1902; Benchmark Maps, 1998; Automobile Club of Southern 
California, 1994; Gudde, 1969; Century Atlas, 1897), Sutter City (USGS 1891, 1894, 
1895/1909; 

U.S. Postal Guide,

 1892, 1895; Sutter County Supervisors, 2003) 

Case Summary:  This proposal is to change officially the name of the community of Sutter in north-central 
Sutter County to Sutter City.  The proponent, a resident of the community, suggests that there always been 
confusion between the names of the unincorporated community and the county, and that “there are 
numerous references to “Sutter,” meaning the County, when they really meant the Town.”   He reports that 
in 1887, a plat for the new community was filed under the name Sutter City, and a search of the Internet has 
yielded several references to that name in the county’s historical and genealogical records.  The earliest 
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) topographic map of the area, published in 1888, labeled the community 
South Butte, but subsequent editions published between 1891 and 1911 labeled it Sutter City.  After 1912, 
all USGS maps used the name Sutter.  It appears that none of these changes were the result of BGN action.  
U.S. Postal Guides show a similar trend; those published between 1892 and 1895 list Sutter City, but from 
1896 on, the name is simply Sutter.  The official name for county and State use remains Sutter, yet the 
minutes of a 2003 Sutter County Board of Supervisors’ meeting referred to property “at Sutter City.”   
Edwin Gudde, in his 1969 

California Place Names

, states that the community was named originally South 

Butte, but “during the boom of the 1880’s, it was renamed Sutter City, then to avoid confusion with Sutter 
Creek [a community in Amador County], the post office dropped the “City”.” 
 

COLORADO 

 

Kiamia, Mount

: summit, elevation 3,439 m (11,282 ft); in San Isabel National Forest, in the Sawatch 

Range, 6.4 km (4 mi) S of Mount Ouray, 24 km (15 mi) SW of Salida; named in honor of the Nation’s 
“Killed in Action” and “Missing In Action”; Saguache County, Colorado; Secs 32&33, T48N, R7E, Sixth 
Principal Mer.; 38°22’00”N, 106°12’18”W; USGS map – Bonanza 1:24,000. 

http://www.topozone.com/map.asp?z=13&n=4246996.00010962&e=394717.999999406&u=2

 

Proposal:  new name for an unnamed feature 
Map:  USGS Bonanza 1:24,000 
Proponent:  Bruce Salisbury; Aztec, NM 
Administrative area:  San Isabel National Forest 
Previous BGN Action:  None 
Names associated with feature: 

GNIS:  No record 
Local Usage:  None found 
Published:  None found 

Case Summary:  This proposal is to name an unnamed summit in the Sawatch Range in north-central 
Saguache County, Mount Kiamia.  The name is intended to honor the nation’s “Killed in Action” and 
“Missing in Action” who have served in all of America’s wars.  The proponent, a resident of Aztec, New 
Mexico, submitted a similar proposal in 2003 (BGN Docket 384), but in that case, the request was to 
rename Sheep Mountain, located on the boundary between Dolores County and San Miguel County.   After 

 

7

learning there was considerable opposition to changing a long-standing name, the BGN voted in July 2004 
not to approve that proposal.   
 
The proponent has asked that the BGN once again consider naming a feature for the KIA’s and MIA’s, and 
this time has selected an unnamed summit in Saguache County.   The feature in question has an elevation of 
3,439 m (11,282 ft), and lies within the San Isabel National Forest.  Seven e-mail messages indicating 
support for this proposal have been received from friends and colleagues of the proponent.  The Saguache 
County Commissioners have also expressed support for the proposal. 

 

FLORIDA 

 

Haynes Creek

: stream, 9.5 km (5.9 mi) long; heads on the W shore of Lake Eustis at 28°53’24”N, 

81°49’45”W, flows NW through the community of Lisbon to the E shore of Lake Griffin; named for 
Captain Melton Haynes (d. 1883), statesman, civil engineer, surveyor, citrus industry pioneer and Civil War 
cavalry officer; Lake County, Florida; Secs 12,1&2, T19S, R25E and Secs 35-32&29, T18S, R25E, 
Tallahassee Mer.; 28°51’09”N, 81°45’29”W; USGS map – Leesburg East 1:24,000 (mouth of feature); Not: 
Haines Creek. 
Mouth:

http://www.topozone.com/map.asp?z=17&n=3191909.57277723%20&e=426078.998808879&u=6

&datum=nad83

 

Source:

http://www.topozone.com/map.asp?z=17&n=3196126&e=419251&s=100&size=l&u=6&datum=na

d83&layer=DRG100

 

Proposal:  spelling change to recognize a family name 
Map:  USGS Leesburg East 1:24,000 (mouth of feature) 
Proponent:  Robert A. Grenier; Tavares, FL 
Administrative area:  None 
Previous BGN Action:  None 
Names associated with feature: 

GNIS:  Haines Creek (ID 12007593/FID 305779) 
Local Usage:  Haynes Creek (local residents) 
Published:  Haines Creek (USGS 1965/1980, 1979), Haynes Creek (EPA, 2002; 

History of 

Lake County

, 1929; 

Lake County: A Pictorial History

, 1994) 

Case Summary:  This proposal was submitted by the President of the Lake County Historical Society to 
change officially the spelling of the name Haines Creek to Haynes Creek.  The stream is approximately 9.5 
km (5.9 mi) long and connects Lake Griffin and Lake Eustis.  The existing name has appeared on U.S. 
Geological Survey topographic maps since 1965, but all evidence suggests the stream was named for 
Captain Melton Haynes (d. 1883), widely regarding as one of Lake County’s most prominent early citizens.  
Haynes’ biography describes him as “a statesmen, civil engineer, surveyor, distinguished citizen, citrus 
industry pioneer, and Civil War cavalry officer, who commanded the 5th Battalion, Company H, attached to 
the command of Florida's famous “Swamp Fox”, Captain J.J. Dickison.”   
 
Shortly after his arrival in the area in 1845, Capt. Haynes homesteaded on property along the stream in 
question, and the house he constructed in 1871 is still standing.  He was commissioned as a militia captain 
in 1849, and in 1854, was elected to serve in the Florida House of Representatives.  Following his Civil 
War service, Haynes became a State Senator.  According to the proponent, “his many business adventures 
included citrus groves, a general store, post office, dredging, real estate, surveying for the county, and a 
large shipping depot at Lake Griffin and Haynes Creek.”  He also introduced the “sweet orange” to the 
region.  When Capt. Haynes died in 1883, his funeral was reported to be the largest ever seen in South 
Florida.   
 

 

8

The proponent included with his proposal letters of support for the change from Haines Creek to Haynes 
Creek from the Lake County Board of Commissioners; the Lake County Water Authority; the mayors of the 
cities of Tavares, Leesburg, Eustis, and Mount Dora; Florida Senator Carey Baker; the Superintendent of 
Lake County Schools; the Lake County Sheriff; the Lake County Department of Growth Management; the 
Lake County Historical Museum; Historic Mount Dora; the Leesburg Heritage Museum; the Rotary Club of 
Tavares; the Rotary Club of Leesburg; the Leesburg Heritage Society; the Tavares Historical Museum; 
Leesburg Lodge No. 58 and Umatilla Lodge No. 65 (Capt. Haynes served as the first master of both lodges 
when they opened in 1868 and 1873, respectively); and numerous descendants of Melton Haynes.  Several 
other local genealogical and historical organizations in the area submitted petitions in support of the change.  
The name Haynes Creek was listed in an EPA listing of Lake County waterbodies, and was also mentioned 
in two histories of Lake County published in 1929 and 1994.  Another volume, 

About Some Lakes and 

More in Lake County

 (Sime, 1995), included a reference to Haines Creek, but suggested the name was 

derived from that of Melton Haynes.  The Florida Board on Geographic Names, citing the overwhelming 
historical evidence and local support, recommends approval of the change to Haynes Creek.  
 

Little Lake X

: reservoir, 19 acres; located 5.6 km (3.5 mi) ENE of Maytown, along the E side of Interstate 

95; named in association with a lake named informally “Lake X” in Osceola County; Volusia County, 
Florida; Sec 34, T19S, R34E, Tallahassee Mer.; 28°49’46”N, 80°54’30”W; USGS map – Maytown 
1:24,000. 

http://www.topozone.com/map.asp?z=17&n=3189098&e=508943&s=50&size=l&u=6&datum=nad83&lay
er=DRG25

 

Proposal:  new name for an unnamed feature 
Map:  Maytown 1:24,000 
Proponent:  C.R. Powell; New Smyrna Beach, FL 
Administrative area:  None 
Previous BGN Action:  None 
Names associated with feature: 

GNIS:  No record 
Local Usage:  None found 
Published:  None found 

Case Summary:  This proposal was submitted by a resident of New Smyrna Beach, who wishes to name an 
unnamed body of water on his property in southern Volusia County, Little Lake X.  The feature is 
rectangular in shape and approximately 19 acres in size.  It is located along the east side of Interstate 95, 
approximately 5.6 km (3.5 mi) east-northeast of Maytown and 26 km (16 mi) south of New Smyrna Beach.  
The body of water was created in 1965 and used for fill during the construction of Interstate 95.  The 
proponent reports that he chose the name Little Lake X because there is another, larger lake in Osceola 
County that is named officially Lake Conlin, but which since the 1950’s has been known informally as 
“Lake X.”  The larger lake has long been the site of secret testing of Mercury outboard motors, and because 
the proponent races model boats on the smaller lake, he believes the new name would be “a fitting way to 
commemorate the larger lake.”  A search of the Internet indicates that Lake Conlin (“Lake X”) was recently 
abandoned by the Mercury Marine Company in favor of a new location elsewhere in Florida, yet the 
informal name is still known locally.  The two lakes are 70 km (43 mi) apart.  Lake X is recorded in GNIS 
as a variant name for Lake Conlin and the database also includes a listing for Lake X Airport located 
alongside the lake.  The Florida Board on Geographic Names has indicated that since the feature lies on 
private property, it has no objection to the proposal provided there is no local opposition. 
 

Mother Lake

: lake, 23 acres; in the City of Winter Park, just W of Lake Bell, (1,400 ft) NE of the 

intersection of Interstate 4 and Lee Road; the lake is the “mother” that gave rise to the construction of 
Interstate 4; Orange County, Florida; Sec 2, T 22S, R29E and Sec 35, T21S, R29E, Tallahassee Mer.; 
28°36’38”N, 81°22’59”W; USGS map – Orlando West 1:24,000. 

http://www.topozone.com/map.asp?z=17&n=3164730.00003408&e=462546&u=2

 

 

9

Proposal:  new name for an unnamed feature 
Map:  USGS Orlando West 1:24,000 
Proponent:  Robert Stephens; Winter Park, FL 
Administrative area:  None 
Previous BGN Action:  None 
Names associated with feature: 

GNIS:  No record 
Local Usage:  None found 
Published:  None found 

Case Summary:  This proposal is to apply the new name Mother Lake to an unnamed 23-acre lake located 
in northern Orange County, and partially within the corporate boundaries of the City of Winter Park.  The 
proponent, a local resident, suggests the feature, described as a “borrow pit lake,” needs to be named for 
safety reasons, particularly after local homeowners cleared away much of its surrounding overgrowth and 
now it is often confused with the adjacent Lake Bell.  The name Mother Lake was selected because the 
former borrow pit “gave birth to” the spring-fed lake and also “gave rise to” the construction of nearby 
Interstate 4.  There are no other geographic features in Orange County known to be named “Mother.”   
There are two other lakes in the nation named Mother Lake, one in Minnesota and one in Nebraska. 
 

GEORGIA 

 

Hollifield Branch

: stream, 0.6 km (0.4 mi) long; in Chattahoochee National Forest, heads 1 km (0.6 mi) SSE of 

Turkey Mountain at 34°52’05”N, 83°29’48”W, flows SE to enter Timpson Creek 8 km (5 mi) W of Clayton; named 
for Talmadge Hollifield (1912-1981), a lifetime area resident who operated a store at the mouth of the stream; 
Rabun County, Georgia; 34°51’50”N, 83°29’31”W; Map – Tiger 1:24,000. 
Mouth:

http://www.topozone.com/map.asp?z=17&n=3860785&e=272209&s=100&size=l&u=6&datum=nad83&lay

er=DRG25

 

Source:

http://www.topozone.com/map.asp?z=17&n=3861257&e=271782&s=50&size=l&u=6&datum=nad83&laye

r=DRG25

 

Proposal:  to make official a commemorative name in local use 
Map:  USGS Tiger 1:24,000 
Proponent:  Eston J. Melton, Jr.; Clayton, GA 
Administrative area: Chattahoochee National Forest 
Previous BGN Action:  None 
Names associated with feature: 

GNIS:  No record 
Local Usage:  None found 
Published:  None found 

Case Summary: This proposal was submitted by the Rabun County 911 Mapping Director to make official the name 
Hollifield Branch for an unnamed tributary of Timpson Creek.  It was submitted in response to another proposal that 
the Board has received to name the stream Black Bear Creek (Docket 388).  The County Commissioners were asked 
to comment on the latter name, which was proposed by a local resident who owns a store named Black Bear Creek 
Antiques near the mouth of the stream.  He reports that black bears are occasionally seen in the area.  According to 
the county’s historical and geographical database and its 911 maps, the stream is already named Hollifield Branch.  
A local resident reports that she is the daughter of Talmadge Hollifield (1912-1981), a member of a family that has 
lived in the area for several generations.  The building currently occupied by Black Bear Creek Antiques was 
formerly the Hollifield Store and is listed as a historical structure.  Several members of the Rabun County Historical 
Society have confirmed the Hollifields’ longtime association with the stream and recommend approval of Hollifield 
Branch.  The County Commissioners also endorse that name. 

 

 

10

Pride Branch

: stream, 13.5 km (8.4 mi) long; heads 6 km (3.8 mi) N of Dixie at 30°50’06”N, 83°38’59”W, 

flows SE then S to enter Piscola Creek 5 km (3.1 mi) SW of Quitman; the name represents the pride of the 
local people; Brooks County, Georgia; 30°44’48”N, 83°35’39”W; USGS map – Baden 1:24,000 (mouth of 
feature); Not: Negro Branch, The Sinks.  
Mouth:

http://www.topozone.com/map.asp?z=17&n=3404231.22425892%20&e=251636.987576417&u=2

&datum=nad27

 

Source:

http://www.topozone.com/map.asp?z=17&n=3414133&e=246603&s=50&size=l&u=2&layer=DRG25

 

Proposal:  name change to remove a name considered by some to be derogatory 
Map:  USGS Baden 1:24,000 (mouth of feature) 
Proponent:  Glenda Cofield; Quitman, GA 
Administrative area:  None 
Previous BGN Action:  None 
Names associated with feature: 

GNIS:  Negro Branch (ID 13015441/FID 319238) 
Local Usage:  Negro Branch (local residents) 
Published:  Negro Branch (USGS 1961, 1974, 1981; Brooks County highway map, 1987) 

Case Summary:  This proposal was submitted by the County Administrator for Brooks County.  The name 
Negro Branch has appeared on U.S. Geological Survey topographic maps since 1961, and is on the official 
county highway map, but the County Commissioners believe the name is offensive and are proposing the 
name Pride Branch instead.  The origin of the existing name has not been determined, while the 
replacement name was selected as the winning entry in a contest conducted at a local school.  The name 
was submitted by a sixth grader at Brooks County Middle School.  The County Administrator reports that 
some local residents refer to the stream as The Sinks because it occasionally runs dry.  The Georgia General 
Assembly passed House Resolution 408 in support of the county’s efforts to change Negro Branch to Pride 
Branch.  The Georgia State Board on Geographic Names also recommends approval of the proposal. 
 

HAWAII 

 

The Maze

: area, 8 km (5 mi) by 13 km (8 mi); in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Coral Reef Ecosystem 

Reserve, at the E end of the lagoon inside the reefs of Pearl and Hermes Atoll; descriptive name; Honolulu 
County, Hawaii; 27°51’00”N, 175°47’00”W; NOAA Chart 19461 1:40,000. 

Proposal:  to make official a new name in recent local use 
Map:  NOAA Chart 19461 1:40,000  
Proponent:  Thomas Jackson; Washington, DC 
Administrative area:  Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Coral Reef Ecosystem Reserve Previous BGN 
Action:  None 
Names associated with feature: 

GNIS:  No record 
Local Usage:  The Maze (NOAA crew) 
Published:  None found 

Case Summary:  This proposal is to make official the name The Maze for an area of coral heads located at 
the eastern end of the lagoon that lies within the reefs of Pearl and Hermes Atoll in the Northwestern 
Hawaiian Islands.  The atoll was discovered in 1822 and named for two English whaling ships that ran 
aground there; it is administered today by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) 
as part of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Coral Reef Ecosystem Reserve.  The proponent, a Marine 
Information Specialist with NOAA, reports that the proposed name has come into recent use and that it is 
descriptive.  The crew aboard the NOAA Ship 

Oscar E. Sette

, which recently visited the atoll, often referred 

to the area as “the maze.”  The area within the reef is “large and full of coral heads which makes navigation 
extremely hazardous.  The passages in/out of the lagoon are few making it easy for someone to get lost 

 

11

inside.”  The proponent further suggests, “[Making official] such a name would be a warning to those who 
are unfamiliar with the area.”   

 

MISSOURI 

 

Little Manitou Rock

: pillar, elevation 195 m (640 ft); in Katy Trail State Park, along the W side of 

Moniteau Creek, 1.3 km (0.8 mi) upstream of its junction with the Missouri River; the name is of 
Algonquian origin and refers to the human-like figures that once appeared in pictographs on the side of the 
feature; Cole County, Missouri; Sec 32, T46N, R13W, Fifth Principal Mer.; 38°42’03”N, 92°22’16”W; 
USGS map – Hartsburg 1:24,000. 

http://www.topozone.com/map.asp?latd=38&latm=42&lats=03&lond=92&lonm=22&lons=16&datum=NA
D27&u=2

 

Proposal:  to make official a name of historic significance 
Map:  USGS Hartsburg 1:24,000  
Proponent:  James Denny; Jefferson City, MO 
Administrative area:  Katy Trail State Park 
Previous BGN Action:  None 
Names associated with feature: 

GNIS:  No record 
Local Usage:  None found 
Published:  Little Manitou Rock (

Missouri Folklore Society Journal

, 1997) 

Case Summary:  The proposal to make official the name Little Manitou Rock was submitted by the 
Missouri Board on Geographic Names, on behalf of a historian with the Missouri Department of Natural 
Resources.  The proponent describes the feature as one of three distinctive rock pillars that lie along or close 
to the present-day shoreline of the Missouri River; the other two pillars are already named Sugar Loaf Rock 
and Bull Rock.  The pillar in question is located just north of the small community of Marion, and along the 
west side of Moniteau Creek, 1.4 km (0.9 mi) upstream of its junction with the Missouri River.   
 
The proponent has also submitted a proposal to apply the name Little Manitou Rocks (q.v.) to the three 
pillars collectively.  The word “Manitou” is of Algonquian origin and was frequently used to refer to 
human-like figures, some of which had antlers emerging from their heads; these figures appeared in 
pictographs that could once be seen on the prominent bluffs along the river’s edge.   
 
Moniteau Creek was known at the time of the Lewis and Clark Expedition as Little Manitou Creek, and in 
his journals, Clark referred to passing “a high clifts of Rocks on which was painted the Pickture of the 
Devil.”  In his field notes, he included several sketches of the figures and referred to the projecting rock as 
the Manitou.  There are several other historical references to the sighting of the pictographs, although since 
some of the descriptions are vague and the Missouri River has changed course in the subsequent 200 years, 
it is unclear whether these are the same features or further upstream (Major Stephen Long, in his 1819 
expedition up the Missouri River, noted that there were two distinctive areas of limestone bluffs, the Little 
Manitou Bluffs and the Big Manitou Bluffs).  Other reported sightings of the pictographs were made in 
1823 by Duke Paul of Wurttemberg and in 1839 by Charles Augustus Murray.  When the Missouri-Kansas-
Texas Railroad constructed a rail line along the river’s edge in the 1890’s, the pictographs and much of the 
pillar were destroyed.   
 
The Missouri State Board asked the Cole County Commissioners to comment on the proposal, but no 
response was received, which is presumed to indicate a lack of an opinion.  The State Board recommends 
approval of the proposed name. 

 

12

 

Little Manitou Rocks

: ridge, elevation 228 m (748 ft); 8 km (5 mi) long; in Katy Trail State Park, along 

the S and W side of the Missouri River extending from Moniteau Creek southeastward to Sugar Loaf Rock; 
the name “Manitou” is of Algonquian origin and refers to the human-like figures that once appeared in 
pictographs on bluffs along the river; Cole County, Missouri; Tps45&46N, R13W, Fifth Principal Mer.; 
38°40’19”N, 92°20’31”W; USGS map – Hartsburg 1:24,000. 

http://www.topozone.com/map.asp?lat=38.67194&lon=-92.34194

 

Proposal:  new name for an unnamed feature 
Map:  USGS Hartsburg 1:24,000  
Proponent:  James Denny; Jefferson City, MO 
Administrative area:  Katy Trail State Park 
Previous BGN Action:  None 
Names associated with feature: 

GNIS:  No record 
Local Usage:  None found 
Published:  Little Manitou Rocks (

Missouri Folklore Society Journal

, 1997) 

Case Summary:  The name Little Manitou Rocks was submitted by the Missouri Board on Geographic 
Names, on behalf of a historian with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.  The proponent reports 
that the name would apply collectively to an 8 km (5 mi) long series of prominent rocks that lie along the 
southern and western shore of the Missouri River, approximately 17 km (11 mi) northwest of Jefferson 
City.  The three most prominent rocks are named Sugar Loaf Rock and Bull Rock, and the third is proposed 
to be named Little Manitou Rock (q.v.).  The word “Manitou” is of Algonquian origin, and according to the 
proponent, there were at one time numerous pictographs of human-like figures (“manitou”) along the bluffs 
that lined the river’s edge.  This proposal was submitted initially as Little Manitou Rocks Region, but after 
discussion with the Board and its staff regarding the suitability of “Region” as a generic term for a natural 
feature, the proponent indicated he was willing to amend his proposal to simply Little Manitou Rocks.    
 
The Missouri State Board asked the Cole County Commissioners to comment on the proposal, but no 
response was received, which is presumed to indicate a lack of an opinion.  The State Board recommended 
approval of the original proposal for Little Manitou Rocks Region, but continues to evaluate the amended 
name. 

 

MONTANA 

 

Burned-over Ground Creek

: stream, 6.9 km (4.3 mi) long; in Flathead National Forest and Swan River State 

Forest; heads at 47°45’59”N, 113°47’51”W, flows NW to enter Swan River 4 km (2.5 mi) NE of Woodward 
Point; the name is from the Salish word 

N-pa-a N-shee-yet-kws

, meaning “burned-over ground”; Lake County, 

Montana; Secs 30&31, T24N, R17W, Sec 36, T24N, R18W, and Secs 6,7,8&5, T23N, R17W, Principal 
Meridian; 47°48’15”N, 113°50’15”W; USGS map – Cilly Creek 1:24,000; Not: Squaw Creek. 
Mouth:

http://www.topozone.com/map.asp?z=12&n=5298427.90990328%20&e=287535.989654429&u=6&datu

m=nad83

 

Source:

http://www.topozone.com/map.asp?z=12&n=5294113&e=290390&s=50&size=l&u=6&datum=nad83&la

yer=DRG25

 

Proposal:  to change a name considered by some to be derogatory 
Map:  USGS Cilly Creek 1:24,000 
Proponent:  Carol Juneau; Browning, MT 
Administrative area:  Flathead National Forest/Swan River State Forest 
Previous BGN Action:  None 
Names associated with feature: 

GNIS:  Squaw Creek (ID 30023794/ FID 791374) 

 

13

Local Usage:  None found 
Published:  Squaw Creek (USGS 1965, 1994; USFS 1982; Lake County highway map) 

Case Summary:  This proposal was submitted by the Chair of the Montana House Bill 412 Advisory Committee 
to rename Squaw Creek in Lake County.  The existing name, which has appeared on U.S. Geological Survey 
topographic maps since 1965, is considered by the Committee to be derogatory.  The proposed replacement name, 
Burned-over Ground Creek, is the English translation of the Salish name for the feature, 

N-pa-a N-shee-yet-kws

.    

 

Gold Creek

: stream, 9.3 km (5.8 mi) long; heads in Bitterroot National Forest 1 km (0.6 mi) E of Ward 

Mountain at 46°10’10”N, 114°16’19”W, flows E then NE to enter the Bitterroot River 6.4 km (4 mi) S of 
Hamilton; Ravalli County, Montana; Secs 24, 23, 26-30&19, T5N, R21W, Principal Meridian; 46°10’57”N, 
114°10’24”W; USGS map – Hamilton South 1:24,000 (mouth of feature); Not: Ward Creek. 
Mouth:

http://www.topozone.com/map.asp?z=11&n=5117992&e=718164&s=50&size=l&u=2&layer=DRG25 

 

Source:

http://www.topozone.com/map.asp?z=11&n=5116270&e=710600&s=50&size=l&u=2&layer=DRG25

 

Proposal:  to change a name and the application of that name to reflect historical usage 
Map:  USGS Hamilton South 1:24,000 (mouth of feature) 
Proponent:  Cheryl Rothlisberger; Hamilton, MT 
Administrative area:  Bitterroot National Forest 
Previous BGN Action:  None 
Names associated with feature: 

GNIS:  Ward Creek (ID 30026437/FID 792811) 
Local Usage:  Gold Creek (local residents) 
Published:  Gold Creek (USGS 1904/49), Gold (Ward) Creek (State Engineers Office, 1958), 
Ward Creek (USGS 1964, 1980, 1998; USFS 1981) 

Case Summary:  This proposal is to change the application of the name Gold Creek.  The name is applied 
currently to a 5.6 km (3.5 mi) long stream that heads within the Bitterroot National Forest and flows east 
then northeast to enter the Bitterroot River.  A tributary that enters Gold Creek from the south, 
approximately 1.7 km (1.2 mi) upstream from the Bitterroot River, is labeled Ward Creek.  However, the 
proponent reports that this tributary, along with the section of Gold Creek further downstream, is in fact 
Gold Creek.  As evidence, she cites the fact that the name Gold Creek was applied to the more southerly 
stream on early (1904 and 1949) U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) topographic maps, and this has been 
confirmed.  An 1888 water rights document also referred to Gold Creek as proposed.   
 
It is not known why the name Gold Creek was moved to the more northerly feature when the first large-
scale USGS map was published in 1964, but the State of Montana is now citing those newer maps in its 
water rights and land survey documents.  A State Engineer’s Office Water Resources Survey published in 
1958 labeled the southern stream Gold (Ward) Creek but did not apply a name to the more northerly stream.  
Neither stream is shown on the official Ravalli County highway map.  The proponent reports that the error 
has impacted her claim to water rights because any new claims refer to Ward Creek and not to Gold Creek, 
the name that still appears on her family’s property deeds.  She has asked that the name Gold Creek be 
restored to the longer stream, and that the northern branch be rendered “unnamed” or a suitable replacement 
be selected.  The origin of neither of the names has been determined, although the stream that is labeled 
currently Ward Creek heads just east of Ward Mountain and there was once a small community in the area 
named Ward.  The proponent suggests the name likely derives from that of George Ward, a prominent 
homesteader in the area.  One of the proponent’s neighbors has submitted a letter supporting her proposal; 
he also suggests that since the existing Gold Creek needs a name, perhaps the three tributaries should be 
labeled “North Fork of Gold Creek”, “Middle Fork of Gold Creek” and “South Fork of Gold Creek.”  The 
proponent has been asked to consider this option. 
 

Hirschy Mountain

: summit; elevation 3,171 m (10,404 ft); in Beaverhead National Forest, 7.3 km (4.5 mi) NNE 

of Homer Youngs Peak, 4.5 km (2.8 mi) S of Twin Lakes; named for Fred Hirschy (1884-1975), longtime area 
rancher who settled in the Big Hole Valley in 1894; Beaverhead County, Montana; Sec 28, T5S, R17W, Principal 

 

14

Meridian; 45

°

22’25”N, 113

°

42’21”W; USGS map - Homer Youngs Peak 1:24,000. 

http://www.topozone.com/map.asp?z=12&n=5027954&e=288062&size=s&u=6&datum=nad83&layer=DRG25

 

Proposal:  to change a name considered by some to be derogatory 
Map:  USGS Homer Youngs Peak 1:24,000 
Proponent:  Jack and Ann Hirschy; Jackson, MT 
Administrative area:  Beaverhead National Forest 
Previous BGN Action:  None 
Names associated with feature: 

GNIS:  Squaw Mountain (ID 30023827/FID 791387) 
Local Usage:  None found  
Published:  Squaw Mountain (USGS 1979) 

Case Summary:  This proposal is to change officially the name of Squaw Mountain in Beaverhead County to 
Hirschy Mountain.  It was submitted by two residents of Jackson, in response to another proposal that the BGN 
has already received to change the name to Sacajawea Mountain (Docket 384).  The U.S. Forest Service has 
indicated it does not support the latter proposal because there are already eleven features in Montana named 
“Sacajawea,” as well as two summits named collectively Sacajawea Peaks (BGN 2001) just 16 km (9 mi) away, 
in neighboring Lemhi County, Idaho.  The proposed name, Hirschy Mountain, would honor Fred Hirschy (1884-
1975), who came to the Big Hole Valley with his parents in 1894.  In 1910, he borrowed $200 to start his own 
cattle ranch, which he operated until his death in 1975.  Members of the Hirschy family still operate the ranch 
today.   
 

Maverick Reservoir

: reservoir; 38 m (125 ft) long; located in Custer National Forest, 5.3 km (3.3 mi) SE of 

Sykes Corner, along an unnamed tributary of Maverick Gulch; named for nearby Maverick Gulch; Carter County, 
Montana; 45

°

37’52”N, 104

°

15’12”W; Sec 25, T2S, R60E, Principal Meridian; USGS map - Belltower 1:24,000; 

Not: Squaw Reservoir.  

http://www.topozone.com/map.asp?lat=45.6311&lon=-104.2533

 

Proposal:  to change a name considered by some to be derogatory. 
Map:  USGS Belltower 1:24,000 
Proponent:  Carol Juneau; Browning, MT 
Administrative area:  Custer National Forest 
Previous BGN Action:  None 
Names associated with feature: 

GNIS:  Squaw Reservoir (ID 30034503/ FID 799497) 
Local Usage:  None found 
Published:  Squaw Reservoir (USGS 1993) 

Case Summary:  This proposal was submitted by the Chair of the Montana House Bill 412 Advisory Committee 
to rename Squaw Reservoir, a name considered by some to be derogatory.  The feature proposed to be renamed 
Maverick Reservoir first appeared on U.S. Geological Survey topographic maps in 1993; the origin of the name is 
not known.  In 2003, the Board received a proposal to rename this feature Buffalo Reservoir, but that name was 
rejected citing the existence of 110 other geographic features in Montana already named “Buffalo.”   The new 
replacement name was selected because the feature lies just to the west of Maverick Gulch. 
 

Rainwater Mountain

: summit, elevation 2,088 m (6,850 ft); in Flathead National Forest, at the NW end of the 

Flathead Range, 1.1 km (0.7 mi) W of the head of Kootenai Creek, 4 km (2.5 mi) SE of West Glacier; named for 
the Rainwater family that once lived at the base of the summit; Flathead County, Montana; Sec 5, T31N, R18W, 
Principal Meridian; 48°28’04”N, 113°56’03”W; USGS map – West Glacier 1:24,000; Not: Strawberry Mountain. 

http://www.topozone.com/map.asp?z=12&n=5372247.00038029&e=283112.999679827&u=2

 

Proposal:  to make official a commemorative name reported to be in local use 
Map:  USGS West Glacier 1:24,000 
Proponent:  Sue Lawrence; West Glacier, MT 
Administrative area:  Flathead National Forest 

 

15

Previous BGN Action:  None 
Names associated with feature: 

GNIS:  No record 
Local Usage:  Rainwater Mountain (area residents), Strawberry Mountain (area residents) 
Published:  None found 

Case Summary:  This proposal is to make official the name Rainwater Mountain for an unnamed summit in 
central Flathead County.  The summit has an elevation of 2,088 m (6,850 ft), and lies within Flathead National 
Forest, at the northwest end of the Flathead Range, and approximately 4 km (2.5 mi) southeast of the community 
of West Glacier.  According to the proponent, whose family has lived in West Glacier for almost 100 years, many 
longtime area residents refer to the summit as Rainwater Mountain because two generations of a family named 
Rainwater lived at its base until approximately 50 years ago.  She adds that more recent residents and visitors 
sometimes call the summit Strawberry Mountain “because of its shape,” but as the proponent points out, there is 
another summit with that name just 29 km (18 mi) to the south and also within Flathead County.  She suggests 
that the summit needs an official name because it is a prominent landmark in the scenic corridor to West Glacier, 
and to have it named officially Rainwater Mountain would eliminate the confusion caused by having two 
“unofficial” names. 
 

Skl-ow-kin Creek

: stream, 1.3 km (0.8 mi) long; located on land administered by the Bureau of Land 

Management; heads at 44°55’13”N, 112°33’26”W, flows S to enter West Fork Long Creek; the name is Salish for 
“Beaverhead”; Beaverhead County, Montana; Sec 3, T11S, R8W and Sec 35, T10S, R8W, Principal Meridian; 
44°54’33”N, 112°33’24”W; USGS map – Beech Creek 1:24,000; Not: Squaw Creek. 
Mouth:

http://www.topozone.com/map.asp?z=12&n=4974030.60943154%20&e=377072.210091466&u=6&datu

m=nad83 

Source:

http://www.topozone.com/map.asp?z=12&n=5294113&e=290390&s=50&size=l&u=6&datum=nad83&la

yer=DRG25

 

Proposal:  to change a name considered by some to be derogatory. 
Map:  USGS Beech Creek 1:24,000 
Proponent:  Carol Juneau; Browning, MT 
Administrative area:  Bureau of Land Management 
Previous BGN Action:  None 
Names associated with feature: 

GNIS:  Squaw Creek (ID 30023794/FID 777121) 
Local Usage:  None found 
Published:  Squaw Creek (USGS 1965) 

Case Summary:  This proposal was submitted by the Chair of the Montana House Bill 412 Advisory Committee, 
to rename Squaw Creek in Beaverhead County.  The existing name, which has appeared on U.S. Geological 
Survey topographic maps since 1965, is considered by some to be derogatory.  The proposed replacement name, 
Skl-ow-kin Creek, is the Salish name for “Beaverhead.”    
 

OHIO

 

 

Possum Creek

: stream, 0.5 km (0.3 mi) long; heads in Hanover Township at 40°38’03”N, 82°20’09”W, flows 

NW into Worthington Township to enter the S shore of Pleasant Hill Lake; Richland County and Ashland 
County, Ohio; Sec 1, T21N, R17W and Sec 6, T19N, R16W; 40°38’14”N, 82°20’25”W; USGS map – Perrysville 
1:24,000. 
Mouth:

http://www.topozone.com/map.asp?z=17&n=4499349.00011428&e=386666.999998721&datum=nad83&

u=6

 

Source:

http://www.topozone.com/map.asp?z=17&n=4499011&e=387030&s=50&size=l&u=6&datum=nad83&la

yer=DRG25

 

Proposal:  to make official a new name in recent local use 

 

16

Map:  USGS Perrysville 1:24,000 
Proponent:  Nancy Hue’ Taylor; Perrysville, OH 
Administrative area:  None 
Previous BGN Action:  None 
Names associated with feature: 

GNIS:  No record 
Local Usage:  Possum Creek (proponent) 
Published:  None found 

Case Summary:  The new name Possum Creek is proposed for a 0.5 km (0.3 mi) long stream that heads in 
Hanover Township in Ashland County, then flows into the south side of Pleasant Hill Lake in Worthington 
Township in Richland County.  The proponent reports that the name “Possum” is used for a local road and a 
greenhouse, and her woodworking business is also named Possum Creek Studios.   

 

OREGON 

 

Clay Creek

: stream, 6 km (3.7 mi) long; heads just inside Rogue River National Forest on the E side of 

Lamb Saddle at 42°09’18”N, 122°42’03”W, flows NE then N through the City of Ashland, along the W 
side of Clay Street to enter Bear Creek; Jackson County, Oregon; Secs 44,45,14,23,22,27&28, T39S, R1E, 
Willamette Mer.; 42°11’47”N, 122°40’42”W; USGS map – Ashland 1:24,000. 
Mouth:

http://www.topozone.com/map.asp?z=10&n=4671623&e=526566&s=50&size=l&u=6&datum=nad

83&layer=DRG25

 

Source:

http://www.topozone.com/map.asp?z=10&n=4667028&e=524724&s=50&size=l&u=6&datum=nad

83&layer=DRG25

 

Proposal:  to make official a name in local use 
Map:  USGS Ashland 1:24,000 
Proponent:  Richard Best; Ashland, OR 
Administrative area:  Rogue River National Forest 
Previous BGN Action:  None 
Names associated with feature: 

GNIS:  Hamilton Creek (ID 41043912/FID 1134722) 
Local Usage:  Clay Creek (area residents; City of Ashland) 
Published:  Clay Creek (Ashland Woodlands and Trails Association, 2004; 

Ashland Daily 

Tidings

, 2003) 

Case Summary:  This proposal is to make official the name Clay Creek for a 6 km (3.7 mi) long tributary of 
Bear Creek.  Although U.S. Geological Survey topographic maps have labeled this stream Hamilton Creek 
since 1983, the proponent, a GIS technician with the City of Ashland, reports that it is in fact Clay Creek 
because it flows alongside Clay Street.  He suggests the name Hamilton Creek (q.v.) should be moved to 
another stream 0.5 km (0.3 mi) further to the east.  A map included in the Fall 2004 newsletter of the 
Ashland Woodlands and Trails Association labels the two streams as proposed, and an article in the 

Ashland Daily Tidings

 in 2003 describes Clay Creek and suggests the location is as the proponent claims.  

The origin of the names “Hamilton” and “Clay” has not been determined. 
 

Hamilton Creek

: stream, 3.5 km (2.1 mi) long; located in the City of Ashland, heads at 42°09’28”N, 

122°40’50”W, flows N along the E side of Tolman Creek Road to enter Bear Creek just E of Interstate 5; 
Jackson County, Oregon; Secs 11,14&23, T23S, R1E, Willamette Mer.; 42°11’43”N, 122°40’17”W; USGS 
map – Ashland 1:24,000. 
Mouth:

http://www.topozone.com/map.asp?latd=42&latm=11&lats=43&lond=122&lonm=40&lons=17&dat

um=NAD27&u=2

 

Source:

http://www.topozone.com/map.asp?z=10&n=4667136&e=526396&s=50&size=l&u=2&layer=DRG25

 

Proposal:  to change the application of a name to recognize local usage 

 

17

Map:  USGS Ashland 1:24,000 
Proponent:  Richard Best; Ashland, OR 
Administrative area:  None 
Previous BGN Action:  None 
Names associated with feature: 

GNIS:  No record 
Local Usage:  Hamilton Creek (area residents; City of Ashland) 
Published:  Hamilton Creek (Ashland Woodlands and Trails Association newsletter, 2004) 

Case Summary:  This proposal is to change the application of the name Hamilton Creek.  The proponent, a 
GIS technician with the City of Ashland, reports that the name is applied to the wrong stream on U.S. 
Geological Survey (USGS) maps and should be moved 0.5 km (0.3 mi) further to the east.  He adds that 
because the name has been applied incorrectly on USGS maps since 1983, it has also been mislabeled on 
many other Federal and State maps, although reportedly the names are correct on Ashland City and FEMA 
floodplain maps.  He also states that the stream that is labeled Hamilton Creek is in fact Clay Creek (q.v.).  
A map included in the Fall 2004 newsletter of the Ashland Woodlands and Trails Association labels both 
streams as proposed.  No information has yet been uncovered regarding the origin of the names “Hamilton” 
and “Clay.” 

 

PENNSYLVANIA 

 

Callihan Creek

: stream, 3.3 km (2.1 mi) long; in West St. Clair Township, heads on the E slope of the Allegheny 

Mountains, 10 km (6 mi) NE of Central City at 40°09’46”N, 78°41’46”W, flows E along Leonard Road to enter 
Ryot Run 2.1 km (1.3 mi) NW of the community of Ryot; named for Thomas Callihan, who settled in the area in 
the late 18

th

 century; Bedford County, Pennsylvania; 40°09’22”N, 78°39’37”W; USGS map – Ogletown 1:24,000. 

Mouth:

http://www.topozone.com/map.asp?z=17&n=4447508&e=699287&s=50&size=l&u=2&layer=DRG25

 

Source:

http://www.topozone.com/map.asp?z=17&n=4448147.99999291&e=696209.000055246&u=2

 

Proposal:  new commemorative name for an unnamed feature 
Map:  USGS Ogletown 1:24,000 
Proponent:  Jennie Marie Ickes; Alum Bank, PA 
Administrative area:  None 
Previous BGN Action:  None 
Names associated with feature: 

GNIS:  No record 
Local Usage:  None found 
Published:  None found 

Case Summary:  The new commemorative name Callihan Creek was submitted by a resident of Alum Bank who 
reports that she is a member of the eighth generation of Callihans to live in the area.  Her ancestor, Thomas 
Callihan, was a native of Ireland who settled and farmed along the stream in the 1770’s.  Today, four of the nine 
permanent residents living in the valley are direct descendants of Thomas Callihan.  The proponent has 
determined that neither the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation nor the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 
have a name for this stream in their records. 

 

UTAH 

 

Explorer Arch

: arch; elevation 1,884 m (6,180 ft), 49 m (160 ft) by 43 m (140 ft); located in Canyonlands 

National Park, in The Needles, 1 km (0.6 mi) E of Druid Arch; San Juan County, Utah; Sec 15, T31S, 
R19E, Salt Lake Mer.; 38º05’13”N, 109º49’14”W; USGS map – Druid Arch 1:24,000; Not: Three Sentinels 
Arch.

 

http://www.topozone.com/map.asp?latd=38&latm=05&lats=13&lond=-

109&lonm=49&lons=14&datum=NAD83&u=6

 

Proposal:  to make official a name in local use 

 

18

Map:  USGS Druid Arch 1:24,000 
Proponent:  Gary Nelson; Salt Lake City, UT 
Administrative area:  Canyonlands National Park 
Previous BGN Action:  None 
Names associated with feature: 

GNIS:  No record 
Local Usage:  Explorer Arch (National Park Service), Three Sentinels Arch (proponent) 
Published:  Three Sentinels Arch (

The Journal of Natural Arch Discoveries

, 2001) 

Case Summary:  This proposal is to make official the name Explorer Arch for an arch located in 
Canyonlands National Park, 1 km (0.6 mi) east of Druid Arch, and within the area known as The Needles.  
The proponent, a resident of Salt Lake City, reports that in January 2001, he and his colleagues located and 
photographed the arch, which is approximately 49 m (160 ft) high and 43 m (140 ft) wide, with an archway 
hole 9 m (30 ft) high and 18 m (60 ft) wide.  He had originally visited the feature in the 1960’s, but was not 
aware of any name for it.  Following the 2001 visit, the proponent contacted the National Park’s district 
office, the Utah Geological Survey, and the Natural Arch and Bridge Society, all of which confirmed the 
arch was unnamed.  He then submitted his findings to the editor of 

The Journal of Natural Arch 

Discoveries

, which is published in connection with The World Arch Data Base.  A subsequent edition of the 

journal included a description of the arch, referring to it as Three Sentinels Arch (there are three sandstone 
columns (“sentinels”) that stand in front of the arch).  The latter name was then submitted to the BGN by 
this proponent (Docket 385), but after learning that the National Park Service (NPS) and the Utah State 
Geographic Names Committee did not endorse the name, he withdrew his proposal.  Both the NPS and 
State Committee had indicated there was evidence that the feature was already known locally as Explorer 
Arch, so the proponent submitted that name instead.  The Park Superintendent did not provide any evidence 
that the latter name appears on any official Park documents, nor is there any reference to that name on the 
Internet.  The NPS has since stated it does not support the proposal for Explorer Arch, because that area of 
the Park has been designated proposed wilderness.   
 

Morning Glory Canyon

: valley, 1.1 km (0.7 mi) long; in an area administered by the Bureau of Land 

Management, heads at the N end of Spanish Valley at 38°35’25”N, 109°30’19”W, trends NW to join Negro 
Bill Canyon 3.7 km (2.3 mi) NE of Moab; named for Morning Glory Arch, located within the valley; Grand 
County, Utah; Secs 29&32, T25S, R22E, Salt Lake Mer.; 38°35’51”N, 109°30’45”W; USGS map – Moab 
1:24,000. 
Mouth:

http://www.topozone.com/map.asp?z=12&n=4272943&e=629531&s=50&size=l&u=2&layer=DRG25

 

Source:

http://www.topozone.com/map.asp?z=12&n=4272176&e=630166&s=50&size=l&u=2&layer=DRG25

 

Proposal:  new name for an unnamed feature 
Map:  USGS Moab 1:24,000 
Proponent:  Les Gemar; Greenacres, WA 
Administrative area:  Negro Bill Canyon Wilderness Study Area (BLM) 
Previous BGN Action:  None 
Names associated with feature: 

GNIS:  No record 
Local Usage:  None found 
Published:  None found 

Case Summary:  This proposal is to apply the new name Morning Glory Canyon to an unnamed valley in 
Grand County, 3.7 km (2.3 mi) northeast of Moab, and partially within the BLM’s Negro Bill Canyon 
Wilderness Study Area.  The proponent, a resident of Greenacres, Washington, reports that he and a 
companion were hiking in the valley recently when they had a discussion about whether or not it was part of 
Negro Bill Canyon.  Because of this confusion, the proponent suggested that the valley needed to be named.  
He believes the name Morning Glory Canyon is appropriate because a prominent arch named Morning 
Glory Arch, reported to be the sixth largest natural bridge in the United States, lies within the valley.  With 
the exception of the arch, there are no other geographic features in Grand County named “Morning Glory.” 

 

19

 

WASHINGTON 

 

Tonys Creek

: stream, 2.1 km (1.3 mi) long; in Wenatchee National Forest/Alpine Lakes Wilderness, heads 

on the W slope of the Wenatchee Mountains 1.3 km (0.8 mi) SSE of Paddy-Go-Easy Pass, at 47°32’02”N, 
121°03’18”W, flows SW to enter Cle Elum River at Tucquala Lake; named for Anton “Tony” Brozovich 
(1919-1966), local miner, railroad worker, conservationist, and Forest Service employee; Kittitas County, 
Washington; Secs 34,35&26, T24N, R14E, Willamette Mer.; 47°31’28”N, 121°04’36”W; USGS map – The 
Cradle 1:24,000. 
Mouth:

http://www.topozone.com/map.asp?z=10&n=5265235&e=644786&s=50&size=l&u=6&datum=nad

83&layer=DRG25

 

Source:

http://www.topozone.com/map.asp?z=10&n=5266337&e=646396&s=50&size=l&u=6&datum=nad

83&layer=DRG25

 

Proposal:  new commemorative name for an unnamed feature 
Map:  The Cradle 1:24,000 
Proponent:  Gilbert Rushton; Ellensburg, WA 
Administrative area:  Wenatchee National Forest/Alpine Lakes Wilderness 
Previous BGN Action:  None 
Names associated with feature: 

GNIS:  No record 
Local Usage:  None found 
Published:  None found 

Case Summary:  This is the first of two proposals submitted by a resident of Ellensburg, who would like to 
name two unnamed streams in the Wenatchee National Forest/Alpine Lakes Wilderness for two longtime 
area residents who were employed by the U.S. Forest Service.  Anton “Tony” Brozovich (1919-1966), for 
whom Tonys Creek is proposed to be named, spent his early years working for the Civilian Conservation 
Corps, and was also a sawmill employee, a miner, and a railroad worker.  A petition signed by 48 area 
residents in support of the name was included with the proposal.   
 

Trapper Clark Creek

: stream, 1.6 km (1 mi) long; in Wenatchee National Forest/Alpine Lakes 

Wilderness, heads on the W slope of the Wenatchee Mountains 1.3 km (0.8 mi) W of Paddy-Go-Easy Pass, 
at 47°32’42”N, 121°04’35”W, flows SW to enter Cle Elum River at the N end of Tucquala Lake; named for 
William “Trapper” Clark (1881-1961), local trapper and Forest Service employee; Kittitas County, 
Washington; Secs 28&27, T24N, R14E, Willamette Mer.; 47°32’01”N, 121°05’19”W; USGS map – The 
Cradle 1:24,000. 
Mouth:

http://www.topozone.com/map.asp?z=10&n=5266241&e=643861&s=50&size=l&u=6&datum=nad

83&layer=DRG25

 

Source:

http://www.topozone.com/map.asp?z=10&n=5267511&e=644745&s=50&size=l&u=6&datum=nad

83&layer=DRG25

 

Proposal:  new commemorative name for an unnamed feature 
Map:  The Cradle 1:24,000 
Proponent:  Gilbert Rushton; Ellensburg, WA 
Administrative area:  Wenatchee National Forest/Alpine Lakes Wilderness 
Previous BGN Action:  None 
Names associated with feature: 

GNIS:  No record 
Local Usage:  None found 
Published:  None found 

Case Summary:  This new commemorative name was suggested by a resident of Ellensburg, who wishes to 
honor William “Trapper” Clark (1881-1961), a resident of Michigan who settled in the Tucquala Lake area 

 

20

in 1925, living and trapping there for the rest of his life.  He was also employed by the U.S. Forest Service.  
The stream proposed to be named Trapper Clark Creek is a 1.6 km (1 mi) long tributary of the Cle Elum 
River, and lies within the Wenatchee National Forest/Alpine Lakes Wilderness.  The proposal included a 
petition signed by 48 area residents in support of the name. 
 

Tulutson Glacier

: glacier, 1,067 m (3,500 ft) wide; in Gifford Pinchot National Forest, within the crater of 

Mount Saint Helens; the name is of Cowlitz origin, meaning “ice”; Skamania County, Washington; Secs 
9,10&4, T8N, R5E, Willamette Mer.; 49°11’50”N, 122°11’25”W; Map – Mount Saint Helens 1:24,000. 

http://www.topozone.com/map.asp?z=10&n=5116240.0001604&e=562531.000000042&datum=nad83&u=6

 

Proposal:  new name for an unnamed feature 
Map:  USGS Mount Saint Helens 1:24,000 
Proponent:  Dave Burlingame, Cowlitz Tribe; Longview, WA 
Administrative area:  Gifford Pinchot National Forest 
Previous BGN Action:  None 
Names associated with feature: 

GNIS:  No record 
Local Usage:  None found 
Published:  None found 

Case Summary:  The new name Tulutson Glacier is proposed for the new glacier that has been forming in 
recent years within the crater on Mount Saint Helens.  The glacier began to grow following the volcano’s 
1980 eruption, and according to various websites, is now approximately 1,067 m (3,500 ft) wide.  It lies 
between the south side of the lava dome and the crater wall, with some parts reported to be up to 183 m 
(600 ft) in depth.  The glacier is believed to contain about 120 million cubic meters of snow, ice, and rock.  
The recent (late 2004) volcanic activity at Mount Saint Helens has caused parts of the glacier to be uplifted, 
with some layers nearly vertical.  After the local media published a story on the glacier and the need for it to 
be named, the Washington State Board on Geographic Names received fourteen suggestions.  Of these, the 
State Board voted to recommend approval of Tulutson Glacier, which had been submitted by a 
representative of the Cowlitz Indian Tribe.  According to the Cowlitz Tribal Council, the name will 
“reinforce the presence of the Cowlitz people with an appropriate, non-controversial name.”  “Tulutson” is 
reportedly the Cowlitz word for “ice.”  The Skamania County Board of Commissioners has recommended 
approval of this name.  Subsequent to approving this proposal, the State Board was advised of another 
proposal, submitted directly to the U.S. Board, to name the glacier Kraffts Glacier (Docket 388).  The State 
Board has stated that it wishes to reaffirm its support for Tulutson Glacier.  There has been some recent 
debate within the U.S. Forest Service as to whether the glacier is splitting into two distinct lobes and 
therefore should possibly be identified as “East” and “West.” 
 

WEST VIRGINIA 

 

Clower Run

: stream, 1.3 km (0.8 mi) long; heads at 39°07’41”N, 79°25’29”W, flows NW to enter the 

Blackwater River 2.4 km (1.5 mi) E of Davis; named for Christopher M. Clower (d. 1998), U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service biologist and conservationist; Tucker County, West Virginia; 39°08’03”N, 79°26’10”W; 
USGS map – Davis 1:24,000. 
Mouth: 

http://www.topozone.com/map.asp?lat=39.1341666666667&lon=-79.4361111111111&u=2

 

Source:

http://www.topozone.com/map.asp?z=17&n=4331966&e=636166&s=50&size=l&u=2&layer=DRG

25

 

Proposal:  a new commemorative name for an unnamed feature 
Map:  USGS Davis 1:24,000 
Proponent:  James W. Rawson; Davis, WV 
Administrative area:  None 
Previous BGN Action:  None 

 

21

Names associated with feature: 

GNIS:  No record 
Local Usage:  None found 
Published:  None found 

Case Summary:  This new commemorative name was submitted by the Science Coordinator and Land 
Manager for the Canaan Valley Institute, “a nonprofit, non-advocacy organization committed to helping 
communities…address environmental or economic problems…in the support of sustainable communities 
throughout the Mid-Atlantic Highlands.”  The proposed new name would honor Christopher M. Clower, 
who for 25 years prior to his death in 1998 was “a tireless conservationist who was instrumental in the 
establishment of the Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge and the Canaan Valley Institute,” along with 
many other protection and enhancement projects.  The stream proposed to be named Clower Run is located 
just outside the Canaan Valley NWR and on property administered by the Institute.  Mr. Clower was a 
biologist for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and became supervisor of its West Virginia Field Office in 
1980.  In 1991, he was named “Conservationist of the Year” by the West Virginia Wildlife Federation and 
he was also the recipient of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Bronze Medal “for outstanding 
accomplishments in effecting resource protection.”  Mr. Clower’s biography is posted at the Canaan Valley 
Institute’s website: 

http://www.canaanvi.org/canaanvi_web/about.aspx?id=285&SearchType=OR&terms=Clower

. 

 

WISCONSIN 

 

Bergeson Lake

: lake, 35 acres; in the Town of Spirit, 1.4 km (0.9 mi) N of Stone Lake, 35 km (22 mi) SSE of 

Phillips; named for Henning, Arthur, and Bennie Bergeson, who settled on property surrounding the lake in the 
early 20

th

 century; Price County, Wisconsin; Sec 19, T34N, R3E, Fourth Principal Mer.; 45°25’15”N, 

90°09’52”W; USGS map – Timms Hill 1:24,000. 

http://www.topozone.com/map.asp?z=15&n=5033599&e=721870&s=50&size=l&u=6&datum=nad83&layer=D
RG25

 

Proposal:  new commemorative name for an unnamed feature 
Map:  USGS Timms Hill 1:24,000 
Proponent:  John Bergeson; Lino Lakes, MN 
Administrative area:  None 
Previous BGN Action:  None 
Names associated with feature: 

GNIS:  No record 
Local Usage:  None found 
Published:  None found 

Case Summary:  This proposal was submitted by the Wisconsin Geographic Names Council (WGNC) on behalf 
of a resident of Lino Lakes, Minnesota, who would like to name an unnamed lake in southeastern Price County, 
Bergeson Lake.  The lake in question is approximately 35 acres in size and lies within the Town of Spirit.  The 
proposed name would honor the proponent’s ancestors, Henning, Arthur, and Bennie Bergeson, who settled on 
property surrounding the lake in the early twentieth century.  The WGNC approved the name conditional on 
receiving evidence of local government support. 

 
Colin Island

: island, 5 acres; in the Town of Conover, within Upper Buckatabon Lake, 13 km (8 mi) NNW of the 

community of Eagle River; named for Colin Campbell, whose family has owned the island for many years; Vilas 
County, Wisconsin; Secs 22&23, T41N, R9E, Fourth Principal Mer.; 46°00’59”N, 89°20’50”W; USGS map - 
Stormy Lake 1:24,000.

 

http://www.topozone.com/map.asp?z=16&n=5098324.78600982%20&e=318303.362860061&u=2&datum=nad27

 

Proposal:  to make official a commemorative name in local use 
Map:  USGS Stormy Lake 1:24,000 

 

22

Proponent:  R. Craig Campbell; Scottsdale, AZ 
Administrative area:  None 
Previous BGN Action:  None 
Names associated with feature: 

GNIS:  No record 
Local Usage:  Colin Island (proponent and family) 
Published:  None found 

Case Summary:  This proposal is to make official the name Colin Island for a five-acre island located in the 
middle of Upper Buckatabon Lake in Vilas County.  The proponent, a resident of Scottsdale, Arizona, reports that 
his family purchased the island in the 1960’s.  Just two years later, his brother Colin was killed in an automobile 
accident, and soon after, the family began to refer to the island as Colin’s Island.  The Town of Conover passed a 
resolution in support of this proposal.  The Wisconsin Geographic Names Council suggested that the possessive 
form of the name would not be permitted according to State naming guidelines, so the proposal was amended to 
Colin Island.  The WGNC then approved the name. 

 
Laxey Creek

: stream, 13.4 km (8.4 mi) long; in the Town of Linden, heads 4.8 km (3 mi) W of Dodgeville at 

42°58’31”N, 90°11’35”W, flows SSW to enter the East Petaconica River 2.4 km (1.5 mi) S of the community of 
Linden; the name is derived from the town on the Isle of Man from where many of the area’s early settlers came; 
Iowa County, Wisconsin; Secs 21,15,10&3, T5N, R2E and Secs 34,35,26,25&24, T6N, R2E, Fourth Principal 
Mer.; 42°53’44”N, 90°15’46”W; USGS map – Linden 1:24,000 (mouth of feature); Not: Pedler Creek. 
Mouth:

http://www.topozone.com/map.asp?z=15&n=4752851.29184284%20&e=723479.988763562&u=6&datu

m=nad83

 

Source:

http://www.topozone.com/map.asp?z=15&n=4761683&e=728891&s=50&size=l&u=2&layer=DRG25

 

Proposal:  to change a name to recognize local and historical usage 
Map:  USGS Linden 1:24,000 (mouth of feature) 
Proponent:  Ruth Jungbluth; Dodgeville, WI 
Administrative area:  None 
Previous BGN Action:  Pedler Creek (BGN 1976) 
Names associated with feature: 

GNIS:  Pedler Creek (ID 55012649/FID 1571145) 
Local Usage:  Laxey Creek (local residents) 
Published:  Laxey Creek (Isle of Man Family History Society Journal, 1984) 

Case Summary:  This proposal was submitted by the Wisconsin Geographic Names Council (WGNC) on behalf 
of a representative of the Linden Community Historical Society.  The proposal is to change officially the name of 
Pedler Creek (BGN 1976) to Laxey Creek.  The stream is 13 km (8 mi) long and flows through the Town of 
Linden to enter the East Pecatonica River.  This proposal was submitted to and approved by the WGNC in 1991, 
but was never forwarded to the BGN for consideration.  The proponent provided evidence that the stream was 
known historically as Laxey Creek, and noted that it flows past Laxey Cemetery.  There are also several 
references to the name in a published history of Linden, although they do not provide a precise location.  Laxey is 
the name of a town on the Isle of Man from which many of the area’s first settlers came.   
 
The name Pedler Creek has appeared on U.S. Geological Survey topographic maps since 1952, and in 1976, at the 
request of the WGNC, the Board was asked to clarify the correct location of the source of the stream.  The 1976 
case file does not include any information regarding the origin of the name or its spelling, which according to all 
available evidence should be “Peddler.”   The WGNC suggests “Pedler” is a typographical error.  Several early 
histories of Iowa County refer to an Irish peddler who accidentally discovered lead in the area in 1827.  The Town 
of Linden was organized in 1849 and for the next six years was known officially as “Peddler’s Creek.”  The U.S. 
Postal Service reportedly disallowed that name for the new post office, so “Linden” was made official instead.  
The proponent has suggested that the name Peddler Creek (q.v.) should be applied to the next large tributary 
further upstream on the East Pecatonica River, and a separate proposal has been submitted for that name. 

 

 

23

Melander Hill

: summit, elevation 329 m (1,080 ft); in the Town of Clifton, N of the Kinnickinnic River, 

4.8 km (3 mi) W of the community of River Falls; named for Albert Emil Melander (b. 1873) and his wife 
Jennie, who owned land in the area in the early 20

th

 century; Pierce County, Wisconsin; Sec 4, T27N, 

R19W, Fourth Principal Mer.; 44°51’22”N, 92°41’47”W; USGS map – River Falls West 1:24,000. 

http://www.topozone.com/map.asp?lat=44.8561111111111&lon=-92.6963888888889&u=2

 

Proposal:  to make official a commemorative name in local use 
Map:  USGS River Falls West 1:24,000 
Proponent:  Brendon Melander; American Falls, ID 
Administrative area:  None 
Previous BGN Action:  None 
Names associated with feature: 

GNIS:  No record 
Local Usage:  None found 
Published:  None found 

Case Summary:  This proposal is to make official the name Melander Hill for an unnamed summit in the 
Town of Clifton in the northwestern corner of Pierce County.  The proponent claims the name has been in 
local use for one hundred years, ever since Albert Emil Melander and his wife Jennie acquired property and 
built a house on the western slope of the hill.  A search of the Internet indicated that Mr. Melander was born 
in neighboring Washington County, Minnesota, in 1873.  A 1998 newspaper article on the historical and 
“lost towns” of Pierce County mentioned “Melander Hill,” although the reference seems to suggest this was 
a community name, rather than the name of a summit.  The government of the Town of Clifton has 
submitted a letter of support for this proposal. 
 

Peddler Creek

: stream, 6.2 km (3.9 mi) long; in the Town of Linden, heads 1.4 km (0.9 mi) S of Edmund at 

42°57’15”N, 90°15’35”W, flows S and SSW to enter the East Petaconica River 1.1 km (0.7 mi) S of Linden; the 
name was given to the stream because an Irish peddler discovered lead there in the 1820’s; Iowa County, 
Wisconsin; Secs 16,17,9&4, T5N, R2E and Sec 33, T6N, R2E, Fourth Principal Mer.; 42°54’15”N, 90°16’07”W; 
USGS map – Linden 1:24,000; Peddlar Creek, Peddler’s Creek. 
Mouth:

http://www.topozone.com/map.asp?z=15&n=4753591&e=723000&s=50&size=l&u=2&layer=DRG25

 

Source:

http://www.topozone.com/map.asp?z=15&n=4759163&e=723541&s=50&size=l&u=2&layer=DRG25

 

Proposal:  to change the application of a name to recognize local and historical use 
Map:  USGS Linden 1:24,000 
Proponent:  Ruth Jungbluth; Dodgeville, WI 
Administrative area:  None 
Previous BGN Action:  None 
Names associated with feature: 

GNIS:  No record 
Local Usage:  Peddlers Creek (local residents) 
Published:  Peddler’s Creek (Isle of Man Family History Society Journal, 1984) 

Case Summary:  This proposal was submitted by the Wisconsin Geographic Names Council (WGNC), on behalf 
of a representative of the Linden Community Historical Society.  The proponent wishes to make official the name 
Peddler Creek for an unnamed 6.2 km (3.9 mi) long tributary of the East Pecatonica River.  The request was 
submitted to and approved by the WGNC in 1991, but was not forwarded to the BGN.  The name Pedler Creek 
(BGN 1976) is applied currently to another tributary just downstream, but the proponent reports that this is in fact 
Laxey Creek (q.v.).  Several early histories of Iowa County refer to an Irish peddler who accidentally discovered 
lead in the vicinity of the stream in 1827.  The Town of Linden was organized in 1849, and was originally named 
“Peddler’s Creek”, a name it retained until 1855.  Peddlers Creek Cemetery is also located at the mouth of the 
stream proposed to be named Peddler Creek. 
 

Sylvan Lake

: lake, 23 acres; located in the Town of Pine Lake, 8 km (5 mi) N of Rhinelander; named for the 

Sylvan birch trees that surround the lake; Oneida County, Wisconsin; Secs 5&6, T37N, R9E, Fourth Principal Mer.; 

 

24

45°43’29”N, 89°24’07”W; USGS map – Rhinelander 1:24,000; Not: Netties Lake. 

http://www.topozone.com/map.asp?z=16&n=5066263.92138037%20&e=313082.837102246&u=6&datum=nad83

 

Proposal:  name change to recognize local use 
Map:  USGS Rhinelander 1:24,000 
Proponent:  Larry Senn & Cynthia Senn Johnson; Sunset Beach, CA 
Administrative area:  None 
Previous BGN Action:  None 
Names associated with feature: 

GNIS:  Netties Lake (ID 55011534/FID 1570193) 
Local Usage:  Netties Lake (local realty company; NorthwoodsWisconsin.com), Sylvan Lake 
(proponent’s family, local landowners) 
Published:  Netties Lake (USGS 1940, 1966, 1982, 1989; WI Dept of Forestry, 2000; Oneida 
County highway map, 1973) 

Case Summary:  This proposal was submitted by the Wisconsin Geographic Names Council (WGNC) on behalf 
of a resident of Sunset Beach, California, who reports that his family has owned property adjacent to the lake in 
question for over seventy years.  During that time, they have always referred to the lake as Sylvan Lake because 
of the numerous Sylvan birch trees that surround it.  The current name, Netties Lake, has appeared on Federal 
maps since 1940, and is also shown on a Wisconsin Department of Forestry map from 2000 and on the 1973 
Oneida County highway map.  The origin of the existing name has not been determined.  The Pine Lake Town 
Board and the Oneida County Board of Supervisors both passed resolutions in support of the proposed change to 
Sylvan Lake, noting that the proponent’s family owns much of the surrounding property and that all other 
neighboring landowners support the change.  The WGNC expressed some concerns regarding changing an 
existing name, but voted to approve the proposal citing overwhelming local and governmental support.