Forsyth County officials, in no uncertain terms, made it known Wednesday that they are against an idea floated this week by a member of the Hall County state legislative delegation to rename Sawnee Mountain as Trump Mountain.
State Rep. David Clark (R-Buford) announced Tuesday he has a resolution prepared for the Georgia House to do just that. State lawmaker proposes naming Forsyth Co. mountain after President Trump
But Forsyth County Manager David McKee says “Following State Rep. Clark’s resolution to rename Sawnee Mountain, Forsyth County remains committed to the historical importance of the Sawnee name in our community and as the official name for one of our county’s most impactful natural resources.” “
Clark went on to say that Forsyth County leadership was not included in any discussions regarding this resolution from Rep. Clark and would have opposed the motion had it been presented. “We stand firm in preserving the legacy of the Cherokee tribe with the Sawnee name for the mountain range.”
And District 1 County Commissioner Kerry Hill issued this statement: ““I stand in agreement with many of our residents that I have spoken with that feel strongly that the name, Sawnee Mountain, represents our community and needs to remain in place. The Sawnee name is synonymous with not only the mountain range in Forsyth County, but the surrounding community as a whole. It represents a single local leader from the Cherokee Nation, but also the mountain’s first inhabitants before settlers developed what we know today as the City of Cumming and Forsyth County. Sawnee is intertwined in the fabric of our community, and we have zero intention of changing that through a rename of the County’s most iconic natural feature. It is my hope that Rep. Clark will reconsider the resolution.”
It didn’t take long for social media to light up with discussion about Clark’s idea after the news broke Tuesday, with some self-identified Trump supporters saying they disapprove of the idea. But there were supporters of it, as well.
And an online petition against it already had about a thousand supporters by mid-afternoon Wednesday.
Petition · Stop the name change of Sawnee Mountain – Cumming, United States · Change.org