“Squaw Valley” name changes

 Palisades summit, formerly known as Squaw Peak

The 1960 Winter Olympic took place in “Squaw Valley,” a ski resort in California located northwest of Tahoe City in the Sierra Nevada range. Due to a controversy of the use of  the term “squaw” (a word that has been used as a derogatory slur against Native American women), location names including the noun “squaw” are now changed—not only in California but across the United States.

The new names mainly rely on the words “Olympic,” “Washeshu.” and “Palisades.” The term “Olympic,” keeps the memory of the historic California ski resort in connection with the 1960 Winter Olympic alive. “Washeshu” is the Washoe word for “the people,” which has been selected to honor the the new commitment to inclusion and diversity. The term “Palisades” means “line of bold cliffs” and the upper mountain terrain has multiple granite-wall locations, two of which are already named “The Palisades”—for example, see the Palisades summit.     

View of Palisades Tahoe from Palisades summit

You frequently will find old names in former publications and blog posts; like in my "Marmots at Squaw Valley High Camp" post from 2007. To look up the new name, I put together the following list of current and expected name changes:

• Squaw Valley: now Olympic Valley  
• Squaw Creek: now Washeshu Creek
• Squaw Peak: now Washeshu Peak
• Squaw Valley Ski Resort: now Palisades Tahoe
• The Village at Squaw Valley: now The Village at Palisades Tahoe
• Squaw Valley Lodge: now Palisades Tahoe Lodge
• Resort at Squaw Creek: will it become “The Death Star” as locals lovingly (or ironically) call the luxury resort? 

The name replacement is an ongoing process. You still can find trail markers—labeled with the former valley name—while hiking along the trails connecting historic spots, recreational sites and vista points of the majestic “Washeshu Land.”  

References & more

Evan Symon: Famed Squaw Valley Ski Resort Changes Name to 'Palisades Tahoe' Website: https://californiaglobe.com/articles/famed-squaw-valley-ski-resort-changes-name-to-palisades-tahoe/ .

The 1960 Winter Olympics Square Valley  Lodge: Palisades Tahoe Lodge. Website:  https://www.squawvalleylodge.com/ .

Palisades Tahoe Announces New Names For Squaw Peak & Squaw Creek. Unofficial Networks. Website: https://unofficialnetworks.com/2022/09/12/palisades-tahoe-squaw-peak-creek/.

The Name Change, Part Three: The Resort's New Name. Palisades Tahoe blog, Aug. 27, 2022. Website: https://blog.palisadestahoe.com/general/the-new-name/.

Olympic Valley, California.Wikipedia. Website: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olympic_Valley,_California.

The Resort at Squaw Creek Announces Name Change Top Priority. Unofficial Networks. Website: https://unofficialnetworks.com/2021/09/16/resort-at-squaw-creek-announce-upcoming-name-change/.

Squaw Valley Resort: Palisades Tahoe. Website: https://www.travelandleisure.com/travel-news/squaw-valley-renamed-palisades-tahoe.

All websites were accessed between Oct. 10 and Oct. 19, 2022.

Mangum Mill in Aurora named for W. Lester Mangum

Foundation structures of the Mangum Mill left at their original site

Aurora's Mangum Mill in Nevada—also referred to as the Aurora milling plant—is named for W. Lester Mangum. After ceasing its operation in 1918, most parts of the mill were moved to Goldfield, but the foundations stayed behind and can still be visited today at Aurora.

W. Lester Mangum was the general Manager of the Aurora Consolidated Mining Company [1,2]. The company was established in 1912. Ground for the Mangum Mill was broken June 20, 1913. On June 15, 1914,  the 500-ton mill—then the second largest mill in Nevada—started crushing rock. The rock was trammed from the mining site to the top of the mill, where the ore cars dumped their content [1]. 

The Mangum Mill was an all-slime cyaniding plant, designed by Morris P. Kirk of the engineering firm of Kirk & Leavell [1].  

References and further details

[1] Aurora Con. Mines Passes to Goldfield Con. Co. Page 62 in Mining and Engineering World, Volume 41, July 4 to December 26, 1914. Website:  https://books.google.com/books?id=zSBHAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA62&lpg=PA62&dq=w+lester+mangum+aurora+mill&source=bl&ots=3xsr6HGu-F&sig=ACfU3U31jlgz1otiSsjw4a_rSZo33bstcg&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjtipTnosT6AhXRD0QIHUdLBS4Q6AF6BAgfEAM#v=onepage&q=w%20lester%20mangum%20aurora%20mill&f=false [accessed on October 3, 2022].

[2]  Goldfield and Aurora. Page 20 in The Salt Lake Mining Review, Volume 16, April 15, 1914 to March 30, 1915. Website: https://books.google.com/books?id=h7tOAQAAMAAJ&pg=RA4-PA10&lpg=RA4-PA10&dq=w+lester+mangum+aurora+mill&source=bl&ots=sYmdrJstWD&sig=ACfU3U0ak4iOHHKFEJbL-KBAa1l4ZA6iWw&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjtipTnosT6AhXRD0QIHUdLBS4Q6AF6BAgeEAM#v=onepage&q=w%20lester%20mangum%20aurora%20mill&f=false [accessed on October 3, 2022].

Volume strength and its other terms for the concentration of hydrogen peroxide in mixtures with water

Volume strength is a dimensionless quantity defined to express the concentration of hydrogen peroxide in a water/hydrogen peroxide (H₂O/H₂O₂) system. Volume strength refers to the volume of oxygen gas liberated from a unit volume of a H₂O/H₂O₂ mixture [1-4]. 

Other terms for volume strength are volume strength ratio, volume percent and volume concentration. Although not commonly seen in the modern literature, these terms and associated values are still of interest while evaluating and comparing property data of H₂O/H₂O₂ compositions. In addition, they are instructive in handling & safety considerations by allowing to project the maximum amount of possible oxygen gas evolution from a given amount of  a H₂O/H₂O₂ mixture with known composition. 

References and further reading

[1] Drefahl, A. From H₂O₂ volume strength to mass fraction and vice versa. axeleratio.com, 2022. URL: http://www.axeleratio.com/chem/conc/H2O2_volume_strength.pdf.

[2] H2O2 Equivalent Values of Concentration. USP technologies™. URL: https://www.h2o2.com/technical-library/physical-chemical-properties/physical-properties/default.aspx?pid=13&name=Equivalent-Values-of-Concentration.   

[3] Hydrogen Peroxide Safety & Handling. Technical Data Sheet. Solvay Chemicals, Inc., 2019. URL: https://www.solvay.com/sites/g/files/srpend221/files/2019-10/H2O2%20Safety%20and%20Handling%20of%20Hydrogen%20Peroxide.pdf.

[4] Reichert, J.S. and Hull, H. G. Control of pH in Peroxide Solutions. Ind. Eng. Chem. Anal. Ed. 11 (6), 311-314, 1939. DOI: 10.1021/ac50134a005.

Named to honor Andrew Allen Veatch: Veatch's stickleaf (Mentzelia veatchiana)

Veatch's stickleaf on a dry slope near Reno, Nevada

Mentzelia veatchiana is a flowering-plant species in the Loasa family (Loasaceae). It is native to western North America. The species is common on dry slopes and flats in the Great Basin; for example, on south-facing slopes of the Peavine Mountain near Reno's Keystone trailheads.

Mentzelia veatchiana has two frequently used common names:

• Veatch's stickleaf (also written Veatch's stick-leaf)
• Veatch's blazingstar (also written Veatch's blazing star)
  

These two common names as well as the epithet of the scientific name refer to Andrew Allen Veatch (1832-1872). 

Steven Veatch writes in a blog post that Andrew's father, Dr. John Allen Veatch, headed for the Comstock Lode in Nevada to explore the new gold and silver mining district. There, Dr. Veatch practiced medicine and worked in geology. Steven Veatch continues [1]:

His son Andrew was superintendent of the reduction works of the Central Mill in the district. Andrew Veatch studied mining and became a prominent mining engineer. I'm not certain how Andrew died, only that he didn't outlive his father and was sadly buried in 1872, at the young age of 40, in California. Mentzelia veatchiana or Veatch's blazingstar, when discovered and described by scientists, was named to honor Andrew Veatch.

The boldface mark-up of the scientific and common name in the quoted text were made by myself. Less common common names for Mentzelia veatchiana are whitestem stickleaf, whitestem blazingstar and—I like this one—yellowcomet [2-5].

Mentzelia veatchchiana, native to western North America

 

References and more to explore 

[1] Veatch, Steven. Dr. John Allen Veatch: A Wayfaring Pioneer in Science and Politics. Colorada Earth Science blog, March 25, 2013. URL: http://coloradoearthscience.blogspot.com/2013/03/dr-john-allen-veatch-wayfaring-pioneer.html (accessed April 20, 2022).

[2] Drefahl, Axel.Veatch's stickleaf on dry slopes of Mt. Peavine, Nevada. Trailing Ahead blog, May 5, 2012. URL: https://trailingahead.blogspot.com/2012/05/veatchs-stickleaf-on-dry-slopes-of-mt.html (accessed April 20, 2022).

[3] Mentzelia veatchiana; Yellowcomet. CalPhoto Photo Database. URL: https://calphotos.berkeley.edu/cgi/img_query?enlarge=0000+0000+0403+0164  (accessed April 20, 2022).

[4] Mentzelia veatchiana; Whitestem stickleaf. CalPhoto Photo Database. URL: https://calphotos.berkeley.edu/cgi/img_query?enlarge=0000+0000+1203+0336 (accessed April 20, 2022).

[5] Mentzelia veatchiana. Veatch's blazingstar, Whitestem blazingstar, Whitestem stickleaf. U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. https://www.fws.gov/species/veatchs-blazingstar-mentzelia-veatchiana (accessed April 20, 2022).

 

Whom is Fort Warren on Georges Island named after?

View from the ramparts at Bastion C of Fort Warren on Georges Island

Fort Warren on Georges Island—now part of Boston Harbor Islands State Park—is named for Dr. Joseph Warren. Sources refer to him as a Revolutionary War hero. He was killed at the Battle of Bunker Hill. 

 

 

The main biographical data are:

1740 (or 1741?). Warren was born in Roxbury, Massachusetts.

1755-1759. He entered college as a fifteen-year-old and graduated with honors.  

1774. Warren was elected president of the Provincial Congress and chairman of the Committee of Public Safety.

1775. In April of this year, Warren sent Paul Revere and other riders to warn people of the British expedition against Concord. A few month later Warren was killed at the Battle of Bunker Hill.

Former Parade Ground and Sally Port

References and further reading

[1] Fort Warren (Georges Island). National Park Planner. URL: https://npplan.com/parks-by-state/massachusetts-national-parks/boston-harbor-islands-national-recreation-area-park-at-a-glance/boston-harbor-islands-national-recreation-area-georges-island/boston-harbor-islands-national-recreation-area-fort-warren-georges-island/ (accessed Aug. 1, 2021).

[2] Fort Warren. Google Arts & Culture. URL: https://artsandculture.google.com/entity/fort-warren/m074h0b?hl=en. (accessed Aug. 1, 2021).

[3] General Joseph Warren. Warren County Historical Society. URL: http://www.warrenhistory.org/People%20&%20Places%20Trunk/9General%20Joseph%20Warren.html (accessed Aug. 2, 2021).

[4] Joseph Warren. Massachusetts Genealogy Trails. URL: http://genealogytrails.com/mass/bio_jwarren.html (accessed Aug. 2, 2021).

 

The “Province Lands Fist”

Peninsulas are sometimes nicknamed based on their resemblance to anatomical shapes or other objects with a characteristic form. One of the best known examples include the “Italian boot” with its smaller peninsulas: the “toe,” the “heel” and the “spur.”

In New England, the “Province Lands Fist” is such a nicknamed peninsula—the very tip of Cape Cod. To discover this area, consider a round trip on the Province Lands Bicycle Trail Loop as a great introduction. Points of interest in the Province Lands are of course its capital—Provincetown (P-town), but also historic, recreational and natural-habitat sites including the Dune Shacks, Long Point Light, Wood End Light, Race Point Light, Race Point Beach, Herring Cove and Hatches Harbor. 

 

Inspiring exploration of the fist: a recreational map of Province Lands

The handout for the Beech Forest Trail—a smaller loop trail system within the larger bicycle path loop—projects the following scenario from the past into the future of the fist:

The Province Lands “fist” is a relatively recent addition to Cape Cod. It began to form about 5,000 years ago. And with the addition of sand, the great peninsula continues to slowly expand westward as glacial sediments are transported from the south. The sand and gravel of Truro's outer cliffs will nourish these famous beaches for a while, but inevitably the nourishing landforms will be eroded away by the relentless action of the sea. The growth of the Province Lands will end and its erosion will begin.

 

A bicycle trail loop panel with the title  “The Dunes of the Cape” includes an illustrating map (see picture below) that shows the current pattern of dune formation on Province Lands. The New England colonists cut trees for homes and ships. Where the tree roots were gone, the topsoil destabilized and could easily be stripped away by winds. Thus, humans played there part in the dynamics of sand movement and dune formation. The panel summarizes the natural processes and human activity that are shaping the current dune landscape of the Province Lands:  

Dunes are formed when wind whips sand into hills. Beaches have dunes at their backs, where sand is added or eroded, depending on the location and season. Farther inland, larger dunes can form, such as the parabolic dunes that span from the Province Land into Truro. These dunes are named for the geometric curves formed by the prevailing northwest winds. Before beach grass planting and other revegetation efforts added stability to the dunes, they moved quite a bit, as much as four meters a year, them the nickname “walking dunes.” The process is typically slower now, but dunes can still grow, erode, and move laterally.

 

 

The dune landscape of Province Lands

While the fist is transforming, enjoy its performance and stay tuned for new nicknames.

 

A plant genus named after Quaker scientist John Fothergill

Fothergilla major (Large Fothergilla or Mountain Witch Alder)

John Fothergill (1712-1780) was born into a Quaker family in Yorkshire, England.  He became a medical doctor, apothecary and an advocate of inoculation. His activities in cultivating and studying plants also made him a Quaker botanist [1].  

Fothergill funded the travels of  the Anglo-American botanist and horticulturist John Bartram (1699-1777) through the Carolinas, where—like in other parts of southeastern North America—mountain witch-alder and dwarf witch-alder are native [2,3].  The witch-alder genus in the witch-hazel family (Hamamelidaceae) was later named to honor John Fothergill: Fothergilla.

The genus Fothergilla consists of the species Fothergilla major (large witch-alder or mountain witch alder) and Fothergilla gardenii (dwarf witch-alder). The extinct species Fothergilla malloryi is known from fossil leaves from the lower Eocene (about 50 million years ago) [4] .

Fothergilla gardenii 'Mt. Airy' (Cultivar of Dwarf Fothergilla)

The pictures here show flowering shrubs of F. major and F. gardenii in early May of 2021 in the Leventritt Shrub & Vine Garden of the Arnold Arboretum, Boston, Massachusetts. 

Keywords: natural history, botany, nomenclature, history. 

References and more to explore

[1] John Fothergill (1712-1780). Quakers in the World. URL: https://www.quakersintheworld.org/quakers-in-action/367/John-Fothergill (accessed May 16, 2021).

[2] Fothergilla - The Best Of the Natives. Home & Garden Information Center, Nov. 12, 2018.   URL: https://hgic.clemson.edu/fothergilla-the-best-of-the-natives/ (accessed May 16, 2021).

[3] Bartram's Travels. URL: https://georgiahistory.com/education-outreach/online-exhibits/featured-historical-figures/william-bartram/the-bartram-trail/ (accessed May 16, 2021).

[4] Radtke, M.G., Pigg, K.B. and Wehr, W.C. Fossil Corylopsis and Fothergilla Leaves (Hamamelidaceae) from the Lower Eocene Flora of Republic, Washington, U.S.A., and Their Evolutionary and Biogrographic Significance. International Journal of Plant Sciences, 166 (2), March 2005. URL: https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/427483.