St. Croix’s Point Udall is the easternmost point (by travel, not longitude) in the United States. It was named in honor of Stewart Lee Udall (1920-2010), one of the founders of the modern conservation and environmental movement in the United States, and United States Secretary of the Interior under Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson from 1961-1969. This Point was selected for the United States Millennium Monument, erected in 2000, because this is the first place on American soil to see the sunrise. The Monument is a sundial that acted as the azimuth for the first U.S. sunrise of the new millennium.
About Stewart Udall
Stewart Udall was a devoted author, historian, scholar, lecturer, environmental activist, lawyer, naturalist and citizen of the outdoors. His Cabinet career made a lasting impact with many successes, including:
- The Wilderness Bill;
- The Wild and Scenic Rivers Act;
- the expansion of the National Park System to include four new national parks, six new national monuments, eight seashores and lakeshores, nine recreation areas, twenty historic sites, and fifty-six wildlife refuges; and
- the creation of The Land and Water Conservation Fund.
Point Udall, Guam, named for Stewart’s brother
The westernmost point by travel in the United States is in Guam and, interestingly, is also called Point Udall — named after Morris King “Mo” Udall (1922-1998), Stewart’s brother. Point Orote was the site of Orote Field airbase on the Orote Peninsula during WWII. It was renamed in 1987 to honor the service and accomplishments of Mo Udall, Arizona Congressman. Udall was an advocate of environmental protection. After Mo Udall’s death in 1998, President Bill Clinton issued a statement saying in part:
“It is fitting that the easternmost point of the United States, in the Virgin Islands, and the westernmost point, in Guam, are both named Udall Point.”
The federally-chartered Udall Foundation is dedicated to environmental and Native American issues.
Source: Stewart L. Udall Biography
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