Two peaks in California are in the spotlight over their names. The first peak, Ballard Mountain, was previously named Negrohead Mountain in the Santa Monica Mountains near Agoura in Southern California. In a ceremony last Saturday (February 20), the 2,031 feet (619 meters) tall mountain's name was changed to honor John Ballard, a former slave who lived on the mountain in the late nineteenth century. The name change was approved by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names.
The second mountain in the news is Mt. Diablo, in the East Bay region outside of San Francisco. Diablo is Spanish for devil and some complain that the name is offensive. Two suggested new names for Mt. Diablo include Mt. Reagan and Mt. John Muir; both were rejected earlier this week by the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors.
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My father retired from the USGS, where he specialized in geographic names. It was always interesting, indeed, sometimes amusing, when he would relate what petitions they had received to have local landmarks renamed. I’m not sure of the criteria involved to issue an official name change, but his job was fascinating to me.