Place Names of Glacier National Park

by Jack Holterman

Here are the unique stories behind 663 geographic names in Glacier National Park, Montana, and Waterton Lakes National Park, Alberta. This book will add to anyone’s enjoyment of these parks. The book is an encyclopedic overview of the who, the how, and the why of the geographic names. From Mount Doody, to Kitchen Hill, to Almighty Voice Mountain, readers will be fascinated to learn the hidden stories behind the names on the map of Glacier.

240 pages, Paperback

First published April 26, 2006

Reviews

[Malcolm · Rating 5 out of 5]

This reference book, in dictionary form, presents an exhaustive list of Glacier National Park's place names. Included in the commentary for each name are references to where the name came from, alternative (or older) names for lakes and mountains, the Indian names, details about the personages involved, and a lot of other forgotten lore you won't find on topographical or hiking maps.

If you love the park, this book by the late Jack Holterman, a scholar of the Blackfeet Language and a long-time historian of the area, will take you deeper into the mysteries of the place. The names and commentary are, in many ways, a miniature history of the people who discovered and safe-guarded this popular, yet threatened national park.

I was honored to be one of the editors of the original version of this book published in 1985 by the Glacier Natural History Association (now called the Glacier Association). The book went out of print for a while, so it was especially nice to see it return several years ago. It's an excellent resource and a very interesting look at the park.