Property owners push to change Montana lake’s racist name. ‘People are truly offended’
Property owners in a Montana town want to change the name of Lost Coon Lake, saying it’s racist and offensive.
The city of Whitefish filed a petition in district court to change the name on behalf of the property owners, records show. They propose changing the name of the 61-acre lake to Lost Loon Lake.
The lake’s previous name included the N-word, the Associated Press reported.
“The name allegedly began to become controversial in the mid-20th century when Washington bureaus began to refuse ice harvest contracts with that name on them,” the city in its court petition. “Again, according to Wikipedia, the lake was renamed ‘Lost Coon Lake’ as a ‘compromise’ in the 1980s when upscale developments began being targeted for the area.”
Whitefish, which has a population of fewer than 9,000, is a resort town in northwest Montana.
Some say the current name and history of the lake go against the “city’s code of honoring and welcoming the diversity of all citizens and visitors, KRTV reported.
“People have taken huge offense,” Whitefish City Attorney Angela Jacobs told the AP. “We’ve had several citizens, several visitors, complain to us that this information is out there. I guess whether it’s accurate or not, people are truly offended.”
As for the name Lost Loon Lake, loons can be found there since a golf club “purchased and launched a nesting platform” for the aquatic birds, the petition says.
“Prior to the nesting platform being placed in the lake, the loons used the lake as a casual feeding area,” according to the petition. “Whitefish Lake Golf Club has already started the transition of changing Lost Coon Lake’s name by referring to it as ‘Lost Loon Lake’ on their golf course map and signage.”
A hearing will be required to allow the public to comment on the proposed name change, the Flathead Beacon reported. After the hearing, District Judge Dan Wilson can approve or dismiss the name change.
If the request is approved, some people say they want to focus on renaming nearby Lost Coon Trail.