In 1811, Wilson Hunt referred to these peaks as the "Pilot Knobs." French trappers originally named three peaks in Idaho the "Trois Tetons," but the name soon shifted to the Wyoming range.
In 1915, Stephen Mather, head of the National Park Service, saw the Tetons for the first time and immediately realized they should be included in the National Park system. Intense political disputes took years, and Grand Teton National Park did not achieve its current status until 1950.
The summit of the Grand Teton is 13,770 feet, more than a mile above the valley floor.
Tetons are recent by geologic standards. They were formed approximately 10 million years ago.
The first ascent of the Grand Teton has been the subject of some controversy. A party from the Hayden Survey claimed to have climbed the peak in 1872. The next year, William Owen and three companions climbed to the summit and claimed there was no sign that the Hayden party had made it to the top. The ensuing debate has never been resolved.
