Mont Vernon, NH – One of the region’s most unusual place names may change: An official request has been made to find a new moniker for tiny Jew Pond in the center of Mont Vernon.
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“I talked to a few folks and got a sense, first, that most people didn’t know that it was named Jew Pond, and secondly, they kind of cringed when they realized it was the official name,” said Richard Masters, an engineer who serves as Mont Vernon’s health officer. He became involved with the town last summer when the pond was closed because of an algae bloom.
“I talked to a few folks, realized it was kind of offensive name, obviously from another era, and thought perhaps we could find something better,” Masters said.
Earlier this month he wrote the U.S. Board of Geographic Names, officially asking that the name be changed to Frog Pond – although he says he’s not committed to this amphibious alternative.
The quarter-acre pond, only a few feet deep, was created a century ago by a damming a creek to provide water for the nearby Grand Hotel, which housed summertime visitors from Boston and New York seeking hilltop breezes in the days before air conditioning.
According to local historians, the pond picked up its unusual name around World War I when the Grand Hotel had a Jewish operator. Locals referred to “the Jew pond” and the name stuck.
The hotel is long gone but the pond, just down a hill from the library and post office, remains part of town life, the site of children fishing derbies and casual ice hockey games.
Ken Gallagher, a principal planner with the state Office of Planning and Development who serves as the state’s names coordinator, said the proposal will be reviewed by several state officials, whose recommendation will be sent back to the USGS for its review. A period of public comment also will be included.
Strongly recommend the change. There is a strong prejudice against frogs and toads in this country. Any amphibian-positive messages should be encouraged.
Being that it commemorates a positive jewish aspect, I say leave it as is.
You call it Frog Pond and all the French Canadians will be upset
A few years ago I spent 2 weeks in Bethlehem NH one of the guys there told me that he remembers when he was a child there was a sign at some of the parks No dogs no jews…
Having studied the contour map shown at the top of the article I think that it is entirely possible that the name “Jew Pond” is nothing more than a corruption of “dew pond”.
A dew pond is an artificial pond usually sited on the top of a hill (in this case Prospect Hill), intended for watering livestock. Dew ponds are used in areas where a natural supply of surface water may not be readily available. Despite the name, their primary source of water is believed to be rainfall rather than dew or mist.
This explanation will not satisfy those people who seek out manifestations of anti-Semitism under every rock, or even those – like AuthenticSatmar – who very commendably yearns for more positive commemorations of a Jewish presence, but the truth is often very mundane.
Best wishes to all the other commentators on this article.
Someone could easily find a problem with renaming it, too– “What’s wrong with the Jews that we can’t name a pond after them?”
Does it really bother people that the pond is called jew pond ? If I wouldn’t have seen this article I would have never known. I would b more interested in knowing wat the feelings of the townspeople r . Do they dislike , hate jews ?
Maybe it was used as a Mikvah.