Mount Utsayantha - History of Mount Utsayantha

History of Mount Utsayantha

Mount Utsayantha got its name from the legend of a local Indian maiden, Utsayantha – which means "beautiful spring." She was said to have borne a child whose father was white, something that made her father, the chief, so furious he buried a tomahawk in the white man's skull and rowed with the baby to the center of a nearby lake and drowned it. Utsayantha followed her father to the lake and in her despair, drowned herself too. Upon discovering what she had done, the legend says the chief recovered her body and carried her up the mountain, where he buried her. Her grave site was believed to have been discovered in 1862, and although many doubt its authenticity, a monument was placed at the site in 1936.

The Old Tower

Fueled by the tragic legend, the development of Utsayantha Mountain as a tourist site began over a century ago, when a carriage road and a wooden observation tower was constructed on top of the mountain in 1882. In 1889, nearly 20 acres of the summit was purchased by Dr. S.E. Churchill – one of Stamford's prominent leaders of the time – and deeded to the Village of Stamford upon his death in 1917. The original tower blew down in 1892, and again in 1895. In 1901, it blew down again and was rebuilt, its replacement standing until it burned down in May of 1926, following a severe thunderstorm. The existing observation building was dedicated just one month later, in June of 1926, in time for the busy summer tourist season.

During Stamford's hey day, it was known as the "Queen of the Catskills" boasting many hotels and boarding houses for the summer tourists. A carriage ride to the top of Utsayantha Mountain was a favorite activity, and in 1924 alone over 6,000 visitors were recorded.

Utsayantha in it's Heyday

The mountain continued to enjoy active use by tourists through the first half of the 20th century. In 1934, the State erected a 68-foot steel fire tower that was manned by observers until 1989 when – like the other fire towers of the Catskills – it was officially closed by the DEC. In the 1940's and 1950's the observation building remained open, serving as a souvenir shop. Sometime in the 1960s the number of tourists started to decline, the observation building was closed, and the site began to deteriorate.

By 1979, the boarded up building had been the target of vandals and was in poor condition. Crews from nearby Camp Summit helped remove debris, replace broken windows, and paint the building. By 1986, the site and tower house once again had fallen prey to vandals and was in need of restoration. This time, members of a regional hang gliders associated organized a work party in preparation for an upcoming hang gliding competition from the mountain. The hang gliders repaired the observatory, cleaned up the park, and provided picnic tables and fireplaces for the public's enjoyment.

With the closing of the fire tower in 1989, and no regular presence on the mountaintop, the site once again became a favorite target for vandals. The picnic tables and fire tower observer's cabin were dismantled and burned, the masonry fireplaces destroyed, and graffiti scrawled across the observation building. Due to lack of maintenance, old walking trails that once looped around the mountaintop have become overgrown and are now blocked by fallen trees.

Thankfully, the Village of Stamford has plans to redevelop Mt. Utsayantha - and a local committee has been organized to work on the project.

See also:

Mt. Utsayantha Poetry
Mt. Utsayantha View - written in 1897
Legend of Mt. Utsayantha 1
Legend of Mt. Utsayantha 2