NH Town to Vote on Changing Name of Jew Pond

The Watertown Daily Times of New Hampshire reported Saturday that voters in the small town of Mont Vernon, NH, will have the final say on whether to change the controversial name of a local pond.

The small pond near the middle of Mont Vernon is known as Jew Pond. Town officials say it got its name back in the 1920s because the operators of a hotel that once stood next to it were Jewish.

The name recently got the attention of New Hampshire Bishop Peter Libasci. He wrote a letter to the local newspaper saying the name conveyed contempt and urged townspeople to change it. Residents will decide in the March 13 election.

“The Story Behind Jew Pond,” a Documentary by Katelyn Ann Dobbs.

As a child, Katelyn Ann Dobbs visited Carleton Park and its pond frequently, either fishing with friends or just enjoying nature at the small recreation area at the foot of Grand Hill.

Only recently did the UNH-Manchester student who lives in Mont Vernon discover that the tiny pond in the park, though 5 or 6 feet deep at most and barely a quarter-acre in size, boasts a rich, if controversial, history simply because of its name: Jew Pond.

As part of her classes, Dobbs has produced a documentary that traces the history of Mont Vernon’s Jew Pond and examines, through several interviews, the current controversy over the name and whether the name should be changed.

(From: NashuaTelegraph.com)