Nestled in the heart of Southern Colorado along the storied Santa Fe Trail lies Fishers Peak, a majestic spur of the Ratón Mesa. Rising proudly to 9,633 feet above sea level, it boasts the distinction of being the highest point from the Great Plains to the East Coast, a fact any native Coloradeño would proudly affirm. However, the name itself is a product of a historical misunderstanding during the early exploration and mapping of the Old West. From 2019 to 2020, the state purchased it with plans to make it the newest state park. In honor of this achievement, I present the history of the peak.
History Our story begins in 1846 with Lieutenant William H. Emory, a mapmaker for the U.S. Army. Over 170 years ago, he was an officer of the United States Army Corps of Topographical Engineers and specialized in creating border maps for the government.
At the start of the US-Mexico War in 1846, Emory accompanied General Stephen Kearny's Army of the West as they marched through the present-day Southwest region of the United States to conquer New Mexico and California. When they reached present-day southern Colorado, they traversed Ratón Mountain, a well-known landmark on the old Santa Fe Trail, using Ratón Pass. While atop the pass, Emory stopped and turned around to gaze upon the beautiful scenery that present-day Colorado had to offer before descending into modern-day New Mexico. Using his government-issued telescope, one that he remarked was not powerful enough to observe eclipses but was sufficient for all the objects directly related to military needs. Emory paused to survey the breathtaking panorama that unfolded before him.
In his journal, Notes Of A Military Reconnaissance: From Fort Leavenworth, In Missouri, To San Diego, In California, penned during this expedition, Emory immortalized the awe-inspiring landscape:
"The view is inexplicably beautiful… Pikes Peak, the Wahatoya [Spanish Peaks]…and to the east rose the Ratón [Peak]...presenting the appearance of a succession of castles..."
Through Emory's Eyes: This modern view from Raton Pass reflects the landscape Lieutenant Emory encountered in 1846. Back then, the entire mesa we see today, including its highest point, now known as Fishers Peak, was called Raton. Like New York, Raton encompassed the entire landform and surrounding region, including the pass where Emory stood in awe of this grand vista.
After the war, Emory was tasked with naming geographical features in the newly acquired territories. He accurately labeled the entire mesa formation, including the prominent peak, as "Ratón" on his official maps. Here, Emory documented what was already known by locals.
However, Emory's map also included another designation: "Fischer Peak." This wasn't the prominent peak itself. Instead, Emory christened a different topographical feature near Ratón Pass, the one we now call Bartlett Mesa, as "Fischer Peak." Significantly, this designation of Fischer Peak marked a historic milestone. It became the first natural landmark named by the United States following the acquisition of New Mexico and California from Mexico through the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. The confusion among later mapmakers regarding these two natural landmarks is a discussion for another day.
Years later, as settlers arrived in the region following the Civil War, they encountered Ratón Peak peak near the town of Trinidad. Mistaking it for the "Fischer Peak" on Emory's map, they confidently called it by that name. Despite objections from locals familiar with the original "Ratón " term, subsequent mapmakers adopted the settlers' version, solidifying "Fishers Peak" (with an "s") for this iconic landmark.
Many of the old-timers in Trinidad knew the difference between the two natural landmarks. They objected to renaming their beloved Ratón as Fisher's Peak. However, the mapmakers ignored the protest and started producing new maps with "Fishers Peak" printed next to Trinidad.
The confusion surrounding Fishers Peak highlights the challenges of exploration and mapmaking in the early days of the West. Despite the error, Fishers Peak's name stuck, a lasting misnomer, and today, it stands as a Colorado state park, a testament to the region's rich history and captivating beauty.
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Work Cited
Emory, W. H. (1848). Notes of a Military Reconnaissance, from Fort Leavenworth, in Missouri, to San Diego, in California, including parts of the Arkansas, Del Norte, and Gila Rivers. Washington: Wendell and Van Benthuysen. Retrieved from
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