{"id":268,"date":"2025-01-21T10:35:48","date_gmt":"2025-01-21T15:35:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/disturbedgeographer.com\/?p=268"},"modified":"2025-01-21T14:04:08","modified_gmt":"2025-01-21T19:04:08","slug":"from-denali-to-marcy-mountains-shaped-by-politics-and-tragedy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/disturbedgeographer.com\/?p=268","title":{"rendered":"From Denali to Marcy: Mountains Shaped by Politics and Tragedy"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The recent announcement by former President Donald Trump to rename Denali back to Mount McKinley has rekindled debates about historical identity and legacy. Both Denali and Mount Marcy, as the highest peaks in their respective regions, hold deep ties to pivotal moments in American history. Denali represents a struggle over cultural and political recognition, while Mount Marcy is forever linked to Theodore Roosevelt\u2019s ascent to the presidency after McKinley\u2019s tragic death. Together, they reflect the intersection of nature, history, and national identity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The History of Denali: From Indigenous Names to McKinley<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Long before gold prospectors set foot in Alaska, the towering mountain now called Denali was known by indigenous Athabaskan people as \u201cDenali,\u201d meaning \u201cThe High One.\u201d This name reflected both its towering stature as North America\u2019s highest peak and its spiritual significance to native peoples.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 1896, William A. Dickey, a prospector and journalist, stumbled upon the mountain while prospecting. At the time, he estimated the mountain\u2019s height at 20,000 feet, an impressive figure that captivated public attention. To honor then-presidential candidate William McKinley, Dickey named the mountain \u201cMount McKinley.\u201d McKinley\u2019s support of the gold standard made him a hero among gold miners, and the name quickly gained traction in public discourse. By 1917, it was officially recognized by the U.S. federal government.<\/p>\n\n\n

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President William McKinley<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

William McKinley, the 25th President of the United States, was a Civil War veteran and a staunch supporter of the gold standard during a time of economic uncertainty. His presidency oversaw the Spanish-American War, a major victory for the United States, and the beginning of America\u2019s rise as a global power.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Journey Back to Denali<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The first significant push to restore the mountain\u2019s original name came in 1975 when the Alaska Legislature requested that the federal government officially rename it \u201cDenali.\u201d Although the name gained official recognition within Alaska, it wasn\u2019t until August 28, 2015, that the name was changed federally by Secretarial Order No. 3337. This decision, made by the Obama administration\u2019s Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell, acknowledged the mountain\u2019s indigenous heritage and aligned with Alaska\u2019s long-standing preference.<\/p>\n\n\n

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1890 USGS map with the first known depiction of Mt. McKinley<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Trump\u2019s recent remarks have sparked discussions about whether the name should revert to Mount McKinley, honoring the 25th U.S. president\u2019s legacy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Renaming Through the Board on Geographic Names (BGN)<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The U.S. Board on Geographic Names (BGN) is typically responsible for decisions regarding the official names of geographic features. Despite the federal government’s official adoption of “Mount McKinley” in 1917, Alaskans continued to advocate for the original name. In 1975, the State of Alaska petitioned the U.S. Board on Geographic Names to officially change the name to “Denali,” but these efforts were blocked by Ohio congressional delegates for decades. A name change petition often involves historical research, public input, and consideration of local usage. However, the president has the power to bypass this process through an executive order, as seen in 2015 when the federal name of Denali was changed without the need for a formal BGN process. Trump\u2019s potential renaming efforts could follow a similar path, though it would undoubtedly face public scrutiny and resistance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Source: Board on Geographic Names<\/a>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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McKinley\u2019s Tragic End and Roosevelt\u2019s Midnight Ride<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The story of William McKinley\u2019s presidency is marked by tragedy. On September 6, 1901, McKinley was shot by anarchist Leon Czolgosz while attending the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, New York. Though he initially appeared to recover, he succumbed to gangrene on September 14, 1901. His assassination catapulted Theodore Roosevelt into the presidency.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Leon Czolgosz, an anarchist, assassinated President McKinley on September 6, 1901, citing him as an ‘enemy of the people.’ He was executed in the electric chair on October 29, 1901.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

At the time of McKinley\u2019s decline, Roosevelt was on a family camping trip in the Adirondacks, climbing Mount Marcy, New York\u2019s tallest peak. This part of the story holds personal significance for me, as I was born in Buffalo and have climbed Mount Marcy myself, making Roosevelt\u2019s famous midnight ride particularly vivid in my imagination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On September 13, 1901, Roosevelt was descending the mountain when a park ranger brought urgent news: McKinley\u2019s condition had worsened significantly, and his death seemed imminent. Roosevelt quickly began a grueling journey to reach Buffalo.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Mount Marcy, known as Tewawe’\u00e9stha<\/em> in Mohawk and Wah-um-de-neg<\/em> (‘always white’) in the Missisquoi Abenaki Tribe, stands as both a natural wonder and a historical landmark. Renamed in 1837 by Ebenezer Emmons, it honors Governor William L. Marcy, who commissioned the environmental survey that unveiled its grandeur.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Roosevelt\u2019s trek from Mount Marcy is now legendary. He descended through rugged terrain to reach the Tahawus Club and began a 40-mile midnight ride by horse-drawn carriage to North Creek, a remote train station. The journey, conducted in near-total darkness, took hours along treacherous, unpaved roads. The urgency of the situation made every moment critical, and the harsh conditions of the Adirondacks only added to the challenge.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Upon reaching North Creek in the early morning hours of September 14, Roosevelt was informed that McKinley had passed away. From there, he boarded a train to Buffalo, where he was sworn in as the 26th President of the United States. The dramatic nature of Roosevelt\u2019s ride underscored the sudden and tumultuous transition of power.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Source: Adirondack Hub<\/a>)<\/p>\n\n\n

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The Roosevelt-Marcy Trail commemorates this historic journey, marking the path Roosevelt took during those fateful hours. Today, it serves as a reminder of both the unpredictability of history and the resilience of those who shape it. These two mountains remind us that geographic names are more than just labels\u2014they hold the power to preserve history, honor legacies, and reflect the values of the people who cherish them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The recent announcement by former President Donald Trump to rename Denali back to Mount McKinley has rekindled debates about historical identity and legacy. Both Denali and Mount Marcy, as the highest peaks in their respective regions, hold deep ties to pivotal moments in American history. Denali represents a struggle over cultural and political recognition, while … Continue reading From Denali to Marcy: Mountains Shaped by Politics and Tragedy<\/span> →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10,9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-268","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-geography","category-united-states"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/disturbedgeographer.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/268","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/disturbedgeographer.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/disturbedgeographer.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/disturbedgeographer.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/disturbedgeographer.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=268"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/disturbedgeographer.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/268\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":288,"href":"https:\/\/disturbedgeographer.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/268\/revisions\/288"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/disturbedgeographer.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=268"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/disturbedgeographer.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=268"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/disturbedgeographer.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=268"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}