LOCALadk Magazine

LOCALadk 17 Sawtooth Mountains The Sawtooth Mountains comprise the largest trail- less mountainous area in the East. This range covers 14,000 acres and has 11 summits higher than 3,000 feet. Its profile so rugged, it truly looks like a cross- cut saw. This toponym may have been created by state surveyor Verplanck Colvin in 1873. During that era he called the range by this name and described it as "a rough serrated range of mountains." None of the individual summits are named, but peakbaggers have numbered them from highest to lowest as Saw- tooth Number One, Sawtooth Number Two, Sawtooth Number Three, and so down the line. Naming efforts have targeted 3,855-foot Sawtooth Number One and 3,789-foot Sawtooth Number Two. Regarding Num- ber One, in 1873 Verplanck assigned the name Mount Seymour to it for governor Horatio Seymour. In 1925 Bob and George Marshall called it Raker after that style of crosscut saw tooth. Regarding Number Two, in 1873 it was called Mount Morton by Verplanck. The name intended to honor Levi Morton, another gov- ernor. In 1925 the Marshall brothers called it Cutter after that style of crosscut saw tooth. This range was labeled on the first United States Geological Survey topographic map of this region published in 1904. Sentinel is synonymous with guard, sentry, and watchman. This 3,858-foot mountain proudly stands guard over the West Branch Ausable River valley 2,200 vertical feet below it to the west and the East Branch Ausable River valley 3,100 vertical feet below it to the east. State surveyor Verplanck Colvin report- ed this mountain was "first named by residents of the north part of Essex County" and "from its solitary appearance it is supposed the name arose." Sentinel Mountain is one of four peaks within the Sentinel Range, the others being 3,592-foot Slide Mountain, 3,615-foot Stewart Mountain, and 3,881-foot Kilburn Mountain. The toponym Sentinel Mountain reached maps in 1876. Sentinel Mountain (the Sentinel Range as seen from Cobble Hill) (as seen from Mount Baker) Erik, the "Place Name Dude," begins Part 1 of our four-part series surrounding the history of names given to various locations throughout the Adirondacks. Enjoy learning about the history of the names – known as toponyms – behind some of your favorite locations.

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