The ‘B’ in Beacon Communications at ‘the B’, 1953 (family
document) One story that I grew up with is the tale about Mount
Beacon and the origins of its name. The story goes that Mount
Beacon got its name due to its use as a signal site for Patriots
during the Revolutionary War. But very few of us know how, why
and when the name Beacon actually became official for this area.
That date was May 15, 1913 when the alternate name proposed for
this city, Melzingah, was reversed due to public
dissatisfaction. Prior to the forming and incorporation of the
City of Beacon, a committee was formed, the goal of which was to
assign this area a specific name in order to distinguish it from
its neighboring town–Matteawan–well known for its industrial
history. This need for a new name came when the urban part of
Matteawan began to grow much more rapidly than the hamlet and
village of the traditional Matteawan setting itself. Water
rights, public services like fire and police, schooling, road
repair, all had to be evaluated. Ev