We ponder and search for the perfect name for our children. We struggle to name our pets what best fits their little personalities. We name our cars, boats, computers and other inanimate obects after our high school sweethearts. So, why in heavens name do we not name a town appropriately? In our children’s case, we know this name will follow them all their lives and identify who they are to their peers, future careers, partners and, most of all, to themselves. We want the most unique, clever and trendy name for them so they will have a better shot at life. It is their identities. After all, how did the life of “the boy named Sue” fare? Well, from the song, we learn he had quite the time of it. Names do have trends and there are surveys of what the most popular names are across the nation. Amy and Michael lead the pack at this time, still. So then, how does a city or geographic area get a name? Often, it is the people who founded the area or place, or the leaders of the settlement come up with the new name which is often named after themselves. It becomes law, the community accepts it, and then it is established for many years to come. Then after many decades, perhaps centuries, that name alone says by itself what that place represents and it’s history that brought it to the present identity. For instance, what comes to mind when you hear the name Paris, London, San Francisco, New York, or perhaps Winnemucca? Do images or impressions develop in your mind instantly that are definitely unique to that city? If someone tells you they are from Miami Beach, does your impression of them differ compared to the person who says they are from Rupert, Idaho or Pahrump, Nevada? I think so. And if he told you his name is David, is it a different impression than if his name is Gomer? I think so again. So what is in a name and what happens when we get stuck with a moniker that just doesn’t fit or creates a wrong impression of who we are? And of course, who decides? We do ultimatley and yes we can change it. Many do. This leads us to the very name of our fair city: Ogden. We all know that this area was named after a trapper of beaver from the early 1800s. He was a part of the Hudson Bay Beaver Trappers and he, as well as many other trappers, traveled through our very canyons killing off the beaver so the gentleman and ladies of the stylish set in New York City and the great Eastern cities could have their hats made of their unique fur. They all but demolished the beaver in these areas before it went out of vogue and other styles came into fashion. Our famous trapper, Peter Skeene Ogden, only spent a few weeks in our area and mostly in Ogden Valley and the canyons. It is said that he never even stepped foot in the very city that is honoring him. Yet, for some odd reason, Brigham Young decided to change the very popular Brownsville, named after the true settler Captain James Brown, who successfully purchased the fort Buenaventura form Miles & Pomona Goodyear and established the first community here, to Ogden. In fact, it was so popular that the small Mormon community would not change the name for many years and the postal service kept the name Brownsville as well after it was declared in 1852 to Ogden. Now what does that tell us? One should wonder who would have been the best and appropriate person or thing to have an entire city, canyon, valley, mountain peak and river named after them. Well, we can, of course, think of Miles Goodyear, Pomona Goodyear, our first settlers; Captain James Brown who established the first community, or even Lorin Farr, who was our first mayor and helped bring Ogden to prosper through the turn of the century. Or perhaps the original natives, the Shoshones. These were all very prominent people who made a real difference in the early days in the settling of this wonderful land. People that cared and made a big difference. Were they not even in the consideration? If our name was Pomona, after the first woman settler in this area who was a Ute Indian, would we think different of ourselves and would the outside world identify us differently? Or perhaps the city could have been named something that identified what we were in later years, such as Junction City--from the railroad days. Maybe Brigham should have selected a name from the Mormon religion he represented like other names in Utah such as Manti, Lehi, Nephi or Moroni. Yet he selected to name the second largest settlement after a beaver trapper who never set foot in the valley. I am confused and really do not understand it. The possibilities that would have better suited her identity are endless. The land sat here for centuries without a title that we know of. The natives most likely had a title for the area where they would pass through and settle seasonally each year. What was that? Maybe we should have named this city after the animal that best fit the geography. But there is already a Beaver, Utah.Or perhaps the city should be named after the most popular industry now, the ski industry. In the case of Sun Valley, Aspen and Vail, skiing and outdoor recreation were the inspiration and leave us with a promiment impression. Of course, those cities do not mention skiing in their names, but we now identify a wonderful ski experience and beautful country with those titles. What does the name Ogden conjure up when you tell someone that is where you live or are from? I know while living in California for many years, when I told someone I was from Ogden, the first thing they recall is where they sent their tax returns, the popular Osmond family, or even the Hi Fi Shop murders. That was the identity they had of this wonderful land unless they had been here. They didn’t realize that where I came from had one of the most beautiful geographical locations in this country and friendliest people in a quaint town with much of her allure still showing forth. Maybe it was best for them not to know because it was our best-hid secret. Those who do know Ogden always commented on how beautiful it is here. Snow Basin used that slogan in their advertising for many years, “best hid secret in the world.” They were right: after all, us locals could ski all day for $6 and half a day for $3.50 a few decades ago. Yes, that was a well hid secret. It was our resort and our secret, our own mountain. But now the outside world is discovering our little valley thanks to the Olympics and Earl Holding. Is it time to change her identity to something that better suits the rich history and wonderful environment that we are sitting on? Dare I even suggest it? Would it even happen? Well, it is worth pondering. Perhaps we will make the name “Ogden” represent something that is alluring and fitting of where we live. Maybe it is already happening. But until then, I will continue to hit that G and D sound very hard as I say oGDen to my many friends outside of the area and hope that they will have an impression that fits the paradise that I live. After all, do we really want our little secret out of the bag? I want to shout and share with the world what we have here, as long as the lift ticket prices don’t pass a hundred bucks.

Steven Andrews - Winter 2003

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