Should We Stop ‘Mount-ing’ Katahdin?

Recently, Baxter State Park Director Eben Sypitkowski, floated the idea of dropping the 'Mount' from the name because it's redundant. In the Wabanaki language, Katahdin means great mountain. So in essence, by it's current name, we call it Mount Great Mountain.

I'm calling it right now..... If this gets anywhere beyond the idea stage, folks around the state are going to straight-up freak out. If there's one thing I've learned over my adulthood, is that folks hate change. Especially Mainers. And even more especially when it comes to changing something people hold in high importance.

Sypitkowski told News Center Maine that it's not only redundant, but culturally incorrect. It was established this way back in 1893, but knowing what we know today, the director feels it's time to make a change, so he emailed the Piscataquis County Manager, Michael Williams, to get his opinion.

Williams was not as eager to make the change, citing reasons ranging from the financial impact of changing maps, etc. to the fact like I mentioned at the beginning.... people hate change.

Besides, even if the change is made, at this stage, what point will it serve? Most folks would rather leave well enough alone, and make the change informally. Granted, it's a great piece of trivia, and fun to explain to people, but do we need to make this kind of change that no one is really asking for? Nah.

The name change is on the agenda for the Baxter Park Authority meeting at Kidney Pond on October 4, but again, let's see if gets any traction, or if we'll just Mount Katahdin like we always have.