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Place Names of the High Sierra (1926)
by Francis P. Farquhar
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F
| FALLEN MOON, LAKE OF THE | [Tehipite] |
Name given to lake on Middle Fork of Dougherty Creek by Frank Ernest Hill,
1921, subject of his poem “The Lake of the Fallen Moon,” in S.C.B., 1923,
XI:4, p. 374.
Named about 1872 by miners of the Mineral King region. (W. B. Wallace.)
Named by S. L. N. Ellis for Andrew D. Ferguson.
| FERNANDEZ PASS | [Mount Lyell] |
First Sergeant Joseph Fernandez, Troop K, 4th Cavalry, U.S.A., was with
Lieutenant Benson in exploration of headwaters of the Merced, 1895-1897.
He was also in the Yosemite National Park later, when Benson, as captain and
major, was acting superintendent. In his report for 1905 (p. 12) Captain Benson
specially commends Sergeant Fernandez for assistance in planting fish.
(H. C. Benson.)
| FIN DOME (11,627) | [Mount Whitney] |
Named by Dolton Coit Brown, in 1899, when he explored the lake basin in
its vicinity. He likened the ridge between this basin and Rae Lake to a
sea-monster,
which he showed on a sketch-map with “The Head . . . . . The Fin,” and
“The Tail.” (S.C.B., 1900, III:2, p. 136.)
| FISH CREEK, VALLEY | [Mount Lyell] |
“Apropos of the sheepmen, I afterward learned that such of the fraternity as
had visited the cañon were less strongly impressed by its scenic features than
by the abundance of trout; hence they gave the stream the name Fish Creek,
ignoring the cañon completely, except (possibly) to recognize it as forming
the banks of the creek.” (Theodore S. Solomons, in S.C.B., 1894, I:3, p. 79.)
| FISKE, MOUNT (13,500, approx.) | [Mount Goddard] |
One of the Evolution group, named by Theodore S. Solomons, in 1895 for
John Fiske (1842-1901), historian and philosopher. (T. S. Solomons.)
John Fiske changed his name from Edmund Fiske Green; born in Connecticut;
A.B., Harvard, 1863; LL.D., 1894.
The name was originally given to a peak on the ridge which forms part of
the Goddard Divide, running southwest from the main crest of the Sierra
toward Mount Huxley. It was erroneously transferred on the first edition
(1912) of the U.S.G.S. Mount Goddard Quadrangle to a lower point at the
intersection of the divide with the main crest, but on the edition of 1923 it is
restored to the original location.
First ascent August 10, 1922, by Charles N. Fiske, John N. Fiske, Stephen
B. Fiske, and Frederick Kellett. (S.C.B., 192,3, XI:4.)
| FLETCHER LAKE, CREEK | [Mount Lyell] |
Named by Lieutenant N. F. McClure in 1895 for Arthur G. Fletcher, deputy
fish commissioner of State Board of Fish Commissioners, who did a great deal
toward stocking the streams of Yosemite National Park. (N. F. McClure.)
| FLORENCE LAKE | [Mount Goddard] |
Named in 1896 for Florence Starr, sister of Walter H. Starr, who, with Allen
L. Chickering and Theodore S. Solomons, camped here on a trip from Yosemite
to Ockenden. (T. S. Solomons.)
The lake, enlarged by a dam, is now a reservoir of the Southern California
Edison Company system.
| FLORENCE MOUNTAIN (12,507), CREEK | [Mount Lyell] |
Named for Florence Hutchings, daughter of James M. Hutchings. She was the
first white child born in Yosemite Valley, where she was born August 23,
1864. She died in Yosemite Valley September 26, 1881.
“Mr. B. F. Taylor, in his charmingly sunny book, ‘Between the Gates,’ page
238, makes the following suggestion: ‘Let us give the girl, for her own and
her father’s sake, some graceful mountain height, and, let it be called “Mount
Florence"!’ This complimentary suggestion through the kindness of friends,
has been carried out; as one of the formerly unnamed peaks of the High
Sierra now bears the name of ‘Mount Florence.’ This is best seen and
recognized from Glacier Point and Sentinel Dome.” (Hutchings:
In the Heart of the Sierras,
1886, p. 147.)
| FOERSTER PEAK (12,062), CREEK | [Mount Lyell] |
Named by Lieutenant N. F. McClure on his expedition of 895 for Sergeant
Lewis Foerster of his detachment. (N. F. McClure.)
Lewis Foerster, born in Germany, 1868; private, corporal, sergeant, first
sergeant, 14th Infantry and 4th Cavalry, 1886-1899; lieutenant, U. S. volunteers,
1899; first lieutenant, 5th Cavalry, U.S.A., 1901; captain, 1911; major,
1920; lieutenant-colonel, 1920; retired, 1922; lieutenant-colonel, temporary,
1917.
| FORSYTH PEAK (11,140) | [Dardanelles] |
William Woods Forsyth, U. S. Army, was acting superintendent of Yosemite
National Park during the seasons of 1909, 1910, 1911, and 1912; born in
Georgia, 1856; graduated U. S. Military Academy, second lieutenant, 1882;
first lieutenant, 1889; captain, 1899; major, 1908; lieutenant-colonel, 1912;
colonel, 1916; retired, 1917.
John Fox was for many years a hunter, packer, and guide in the Kings River
region, with headquarters at Millwood. He built a cabin and a bridge in Kings
River Cañon.
“But Fox can afford to be flippant about bears; he used to be a professional
hunter of them, and long ago he, with his partner, killed two hundred and
thirty-six grizzlies in the Rocky Mountains. But at last a grizzly got his
partner, and Fox exchanged the Rockies for an abode in the Sierra. He has
been there seventeen years now; says he likes it better than he does anything
else, and proposes to ‘stay with it.’” (Bolton Coit Brown, in S.C.B., 1897,
II:2, p. 91.)
Name derived from the Lady Franklin mine owned by James Crabtree at the
time of the Mineral King excitement of the ’70s. (W. B. Wallace.)
Fresno is Spanish for ash-tree.
The county was created April 19, 1856, from territory previously part of
Merced and Mariposa counties; reduced by creation of Mono County, 1861;
further reduced by creation of Madera County, 1893; other lesser adjustments
of boundaries, 1870, 1872, 1874, 1876, 1887, 1909. (Coy:
California County Boundaries,
1923, pp. 101-106.)
Named by R. B. Marshall, U.S.G.S., in 1909, for Walter Fry, of Three Rivers.
Born in Illinois, 1859; moved to Kansas, 1868; came to California, 1887, and
settled in Tulare County; worked for lumber company and helped cut a huge
sequoia; counting the rings and finding it over 2000 years old, he revolted at
cutting any more of the big trees; entered government service, 1901, on Giant
Forest road construction; park ranger, chief ranger, and acting superintendent,
1905-1914; superintendent of Sequoia and General Grant national parks,
1914-1920; since 1920, U. S. Commissioner and ranger in charge of natural
history. (Walter Fry.)
| FUNSTON MEADOW, CAMP | [Mount Whitney] |
Named for James Funston, a sheep-owner, about 1870. (Chester Versteeg
from S. L. N. Ellis.) Upper Funston Meadow sometimes called Skyparlor
Meadow.
Lower Funston Meadow, 200 acres, together with 200 acres in cañon just
below, patented land, purchased from Harry Quinn by Stephen T. Mather,
1922, and placed in trust, to become public property when included in national
park.
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