Here, I have split the High Peaks into categories based on who is credited with naming each mountain. While some of the these names applied by locals may have existed previously, the year reflects when the mountain first appeared in historical records: when it was officially named orally, first applied to the peak, or first appeared in print.
OLD MOUNTAIN PHELPS (6)
- Haystack (1849)
- Skylight (1857) [named with Perkins]
- Basin (1857) [named with Perkins]
- Gothics (1857) [named with Perkins]
- Saddleback (1857) [named with Perkins]
- Dial (1869)
COLVIN (10)
- Redfield (1872)
- Street (1872)
- Cliff (1872)
- Wright (1873)
- Upper Wolf Jaw (1875)
- Lower Wolf Jaw (1875)
- Algonquin (1880)
- Iroquois (1880)
- Phelps (1886)
- Seymour (1904)
EMMONS (3)
- Marcy (1837)
- Dix (1837)
- Seward (1837)
REDFIELD (2)
- Colden (1836)
- Santanoni (1838)
STATE BOARD OF GEOGRAPHIC NAMES
- Donaldson (1924)
U.S. BOARD OF GEOGRAPHIC NAMES (4)
- Emmons (1924)
- Hough (1937)
- Marshall (1972)
- Grace (2014)
MARSHALL BROTHERS (2)
- South Dix (1921)
- Couchsachraga (1924)
O.W. GRAY
- Tabletop (1876)
PROFESSOR J. A. LINTNER
- Gray (1869)
B. J. LOSSING
- Giant of the Valley (1859)
BILL LAVERTY
- Rocky Peak (1880)
ALMON THOMAS
- Armstrong (1869)
DR. TWICHELL
- Allen (1869)
OTIS ESTES
- Big Slide (1856)
MRS. MCCOMB
- Esther (1839)
WESTON FAMILY
- Cascade (1878)
REVEREND THEODORE L. CUYLER
- Colvin (1873)
ANTHONY S. HOPKINS
- Blake (1925)
DR. W. W. ELY
- Nye (1873)
UNKNOWN/LOCAL COMMUNITIES
- Whiteface (1813)
- Nippletop (early 1830s)
- Macomb (1842)
- Sawteeth (1850s)
- Porter (1875)
- Panther (1904)
Interestingly enough, all individuals credited with naming more than one peak- Emmons, Colvin, Redfield, Phelps, and the Marshalls- have a High Peak named after them. I think this really speaks to the importance of these six men in Adirondack Mountain history. All of them played an instrumental role by completing the first surveys, ascents, and maps of these forty-six mountains, so it only seems fitting that their legacy will live on in this way.
Looking at the chronology of the names, each of these men dominated the naming of the peaks during a different time period. Redfield and Emmons are credited with five of the early names, between 1836 and 1838- which makes sense since the duo participated on the first ascent of Mount Marcy in 1837. While Redfield’s names paid tribute to a relatively unimportant hiker (Colden) and a Native-American inspired name (Santanoni), Emmons clearly had an affinity for New York state governors- probably since they were the ones helping fund his research in the Adirondacks (Marcy, Dix, and Seward).
Old Mountain Phelps dominated the period between 1849 and 1869 during the peak of his career as an Adirondack guide. Phelps chose names that emphasized local traditions and the beauty of the mountains. He named four of these six peaks on the same day in 1857, as he stood on the summit of Mount Marcy with artist Frederick S. Perkins. Five of these peaks- Haystack, Skylight, Basin, Gothics, and Saddleback- were named for physical features of the peaks. The sixth name, Dial, was a local name previously applied to Nippletop that Phelps fought against “outsider” Alfred B. Street to have moved to its present-day mountain so that both names could coexist.
Colvin granted ten High Peaks their names between 1872 and 1904, largely as a result of his 1872 survey of the High Peaks. As Colvin completed the first known ascents of several peaks and drew up maps of the region, he came across several prominent, unnamed mountains. Because these peaks needed to be labeled in his records, he generated a diverse set of names for them. He named two after New York state governors (Wright and Seymour), three after physical features (Cliff, Upper Wolf Jaw, and Lower Wolf Jaw), two after Native American tribes (Algonquin and Iroquois), and three after important men in Adirondack Mountain history (Redfield, Street, and Phelps). With the exception of maybe Wright, I think this mixed assortment of names effectively pays tribute to several important figures, while also acknowledging the early Native American ownership of the region and physical beauty of the mountains.
The Marshall brothers named three peaks between 1921 and 1924, as they progressed in their goal to become the first to summit all Adirondack mountains above 4,000 feet in elevation. Since East Dix has officially been changed to Grace Peak, they now only claim ownership of two names. This number will likely be reduced to one in the near future when South Dix officially becomes Carson. While the Marshall brothers really only chose these names as placeholders, their third name, Couchsachraga, is a permanent one. Through this name, a Native American word meaning “dismal wilderness” and one of the first names applied to the Adirondack region as a whole, pays homage to the indigenous people and early history of the Adirondacks.
Following the reign of the Marshall brothers, the U.S. Board of Geographic Names (BGN) has dominated the naming of these peaks for the remainder of the Adirondack Mountain history. Founded in 1890, this federal body is tasked with maintaining uniform geographic name usage. Intensified by western expansion and the Civil War, countless inconsistencies and contradictions plagued surveyors, mapmakers, and scientists across the United States, so this organization helped officially standardize names and clear up a lot of confusion. The BGN solidified the status of Emmons, Hough, Marshall, and Grace as High Peak names, from 1924 to as recently as 2014. This board will ultimately determine the fate of South Dix by deciding if its name can be officially changed to Carson.
U.S. Board on Geographic Names, U.S. Department of the Interior, www.usgs.gov/core-science-systems/ngp/board-on-geographic-names.