Hahn's Peak

Hahns Peak, CO
c. 1900
The Mountain with the Wrong Name?
Hahns Peak, as most locals have probably heard, was named in honor of Joseph Hahn who discovered gold there in the 1860s. Joseph tragically died in 1867 near Kremmling, CO while attempting to return after spending the winter at the peak. His friends named the conical mountain in his honor, but it appears they had the wrong name!
Recent research by our museum has all but confirmed that his actual name was Joseph Henn.
How did we know this? Joseph was a German immigrant whose last name, like many foreign names, was spelled all over the board - Henne, Hahn, Hand, Hantz etc. However, the museum just stumbled upon an article from 10 years after his death. In it, Joseph’s cousin wished to finally correct his name to Henn once and for all. The misspelled name of Hahn, however, was already too well-rooted. In addition, we also found a mining claim that Joseph made with his cousin's husband in 1866 - as "Joseph Henn."
*This is one of the best photos of the original courthouse (right) at Hahns Peak which was the location of the county seat from 1879-1912.

---