Town torn apart over decision to rename historic 'Swastika Lake'
The body of water has been rechristened Knight Lake, in honor the late Dr. Samuel Howell Knight, who was a beloved professor of geology at the University of Wyoming.
County commissioners approved the name change on January 11, 2024, following a fierce debate.
But more than a year on locals in Albany County, which encompasses Laramie, are still torn over the decision.
According to the Wyoming Board on Geographic Names, the reason for the change was due to the derogatory association with Nazism, with the Swastika the formal sign of the fascist party.
The proposal to initially change the lake's name launched a bitter debate among townspeople who wanted to use it as a teachable moment.
On the other side of the aisle were those who argued that the lake's name was offensive.
Albany County Commission Chairperson Terri Jones dissented on the the vote to approve the name change, telling local outlet Cowboy State Daily that she still stands by her decision.
'I think there should be a sign up there, telling what the word "Swastika" actually means,' she said.
Jones argued that before the Swastika became affiliated with the Nazi regime, it was a symbol of peace.
She said that the name doesn't condone the atrocities of Nazism, but offers an opportunity for a teachable moment about the history of the Swastika.
During a commissioner meeting in 2023, Jones argued, 'Why would we remove the teaching opportunity to explain the history of the swastika, both good and bad?'
'The bad was very bad. However, the good predated the bad by eons. And the good is truly good and represents hope and goodwill,' the Laramie Reporter reported at the time.
Jones added that names shouldn't be changed to 'suit sensitive people' and that educated people have the ability to speak to both sides of the issue.
'Limiting knowledge and removing history are the calling cards of communism,' she added.
Despite Jones' argument, she was outvoted by two other county commissioners, and the name was officially changed.
Jones recently told Cowboy State Daily that another reason for her staunch stance against the change was that it was prompted by 'a woman from California'.
Daily Mail reached out to Jones for further comment on her remarks.
Others in the county supported the change, citing the horrific association the Swastika has with the Holocaust.
Lindsay Sanders, a California resident, submitted the original proposal, arguing the name should be changed to Fortune Lake to reflect the meaning of the Swastika before it became World War II, the Laramie Boomerang reported at the time.
The fierce debate even caught the attention of New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, who is Jewish and has consistently spoken out against antisemitism.
Kraft wrote a letter to the Board of Commissioners that read in part, 'While we appreciate the history and original meaning of the swastika symbol, it has unfortunately become synonymous with one of the greatest atrocities in human history after being appropriated by the German Nazi Party in 1920.'
'Although the name of Swastika Lake precedes the rise of the Nazi party, today the symbol as well as the word 'swastika' serves as a traumatic and painful reminder of the Holocaust for Jewish people and all communities that were victims of the Holocaust including members of the LGBTQ+ community, people with physical disabilities, and the Roma and Sinti,' he wrote, according to independent Jewish publication Forward.
The Albany County Historical Society's proposal to change the name to honor Knight was ultimately approved.
However Swastika Lake still appears on digital maps, including Mapcarta, Google Maps, and Apple Maps.
Kim Viner, a member of the society, told Cowboy State Daily that he believes the name change was the correct decision, agreeing that the Swastika's association with the Holocaust negated any teachable moments.
He added that local businesses that previously used the Swastika as branding changed it after World War II.
Knight Lake is located in the Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest, but still appears on most maps as 'Swastika Lake.'
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