Wyoming Residents at Odds Over Decision to Rename ‘Swastika Lake’

Over a year after Wyoming’s “Swastika Lake” was renamed to “Knight Lake,” a local community remains divided over the change.

The name of the lake was officially changed in January 2024 due to the swastika symbol’s ties to Nazi Germany. Still, some local residents told Cowboy State Daily they believe the name should have been kept, as the symbol predated the Nazis and has different meanings in other cultures.

“I think the lake’s name should have never been changed,” Albany County Commission Chairwoman Terri Jones, who voted against the name change, told the outlet. 

“I think there should be a sign up there, telling what the word ‘swastika’ actually means,” the government worker further explained, adding that she felt that the name change robbed citizens of the opportunity to be educated on its deeper meaning.

According to the Association for Asian Studies, the swastika could be found in ancient buildings around Asia as a symbol of peace and good luck in cultures that practice Buddhism, including Jainism and Hinduism.

Kim Viner, a member of the Albany County Historical Society, told Cowboy State Daily that the name change was necessary due to the symbol’s tainted history.

He likened it to Native American tribes that previously used the symbol before disavowing it after World War II.

“We [the historical society] wanted it named for a prominent Albany County person,” Viner said to Cowboy State Daily.

The Albany County Commission then proposed to rename the body of water in honor of University of Wyoming geologist and paleontologist Samuel Howell Knight.

Viner added that it was aunclear where the name “Swastika Lake” originated from.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Other residents, including Amber Travsky, told Cowboy State Daily that they were puzzled by the name of the lake — which is located in Medicine Bow National Forest— prior to its change. 

“I thought, ‘Why would somebody name a lake that?,’ ” she told the outlet. “I figured maybe the lake is in the shape of a Swastika. But I got there and saw that it’s not shaped like that at all.”