Cottonwood Mountains HP
Palo Verde Peak

Sun, Apr 12, 2009 		Etymology
Cottonwood Mountains HP
Palo Verde Peak
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Cottonwood Mountains HP (4,493 ft.)

"Among deciduous trees, the cottonwood (or poplar, genus Populus) and the willow are favorites for place names in California. About a hundred creeks and as many other geographic features are named Cottonwood. There is hardly a county that has not at least one creek so named. The one between Shasta and Tehama Cos. is shown on the Fremont-Preuss map of 1848. Two settlements [Shasta, Inyo Cos.] retain the name. The reason for its popularity is the widespread occurrence of both the black cottonwood (Populus trichocarpa) and the Fremont cottonwood (P. fremontii), the former throughout the state, the latter mainly in its southern part. The decision for Cottonwood Creek (not Tia Juana River) in Cleveland National Forest was one of the very few contributions to California nomenclature made by the BGN between Jan. 1945 and July 1947."
- Erwin Gudde, California Place Names
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