Utsayantha Mountain


Utsayantha Mountain is a mountain located in the Catskill Mountains of New York east-southeast of Stamford. Variant names include Utsayanthe Mountain, Utsayanthia Mountain, Utsayantho Mountain, and Utsyantha Mountain. McGregor Mountain is located southeast of Utsayantha Mountain and Churchill Mountain is located southwest.

History

Utsayantha Mountain is named after Utsayantha, the daughter of Chief Ubiwacha. Chief Ubiwacha was the chief of the Lenape Indians. Utsayantha drowned herself in the nearby Utsayantha Lake after seeing her son drowned in the lake. In 1862 a grave was discovered on the mountain, that was believed to be the grave of Utsayantha. The identity of the person in the grave still remains unproven to this day.

Fire tower

In 1889, a prominent citizen who lived in the village of Stamford purchased on the top of Utsayantha Mountain. After purchasing the land he built a four-story observation house and deeded the property to the town as a park for public use. In 1934 the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation built a tower on the peak that was built by the Aermotor Corporation. The tower is still maintained and open to the public.