By Kristy McCaffrey
Arizona has its share of place names that might make people
cringe today, dating back to a colorful past and regional biases.
Throughout the state there are at least 15 geographic
features whose names include "Negro." This was actually an
improvement that took place in 1963 when the U.S. Geological Survey updated
designations that contained a different n-word. These places include Negro Ben
Peak, Negro Ben Spring and Negro Flat. But not every name is linked to racist
terminology—Cerro
Negro, a summit in Pima County, gets its name from the Spanish words meaning
"black hill."
Today, the word "squaw" is considered offensive. A
rather prominent site in the Phoenix area, Squaw Peak, was renamed Piestewa
Peak in 2003, after the first Native American woman to die in combat in the
U.S. military in Iraq. But there are still at least a dozen features in the
state with the word "squaw" in the name—two Squaw Buttes, two Squaw Creeks and six other Squaw Peaks.
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| Piestewa Peak |
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| China Peak |
Bloody Basin, north of Phoenix, speaks to a deadly skirmish
as well, but the name more likely originated when a herd of sheep crossed a
bridge that gave way, sending the animals tumbling to the rocks below.
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| Bloody Basin |
The most provocative name, however, is Helen's Dome in
southeastern Arizona. Designated for a hill that lies within sight of Fort
Bowie—and is shaped
like a breast—it
was reportedly christened after the well-endowed wife of an officer in residence
at the fort. The original name was Helen's Tit, but was later softened to
Helen's Dome.
While many place names have been changed, they are so
numerous—with many
in remote locations—that
the Arizona State Board on Geographic and Historic Names considers name changes
only when a petition is submitted.
