Tahquitz Rock was named Lily Rock in 1898 by a USGS team, possibly for its lily-white appearance, but T.W. Patterson of Riverside saw an old photograph of Lily Eastman bearing the note, "She was the one for whom Lily Rock was named." Lily was the daughter of Dr. Sanford Eastman, the first Secretary and a Director of the Southern California Colony Association, which later became Riverside. Admired locally for her grace and beauty, she and her father came to Riverside for their health while both suffered from tuberculosis, but she died young and was widely mourned. The USGS's awareness of her is unknown. The formation had previously been known as Taukwitch Rock by area pioneers, and, despite many spelling variants, Tauquitz remains the preferred name among rock climbers. In Indian legends known throughout Southern California, it was believed to be the home of the Nukat, an elemental creature of primal evil called Tahquitz, who was said to harm people, steal them or their souls, and take them home to eat. His home was said to look like a large rock from the outside but be transparent from within, so that those he had stolen could see out as plainly as through glass. No verifiable explanation exists for the official name change except that the USGS either did not know the earlier name or likely did not want to name everything nearby for Tahquitz. Chief Francisco Patencio of Palm Springs attested to the antiquity of the name, recalling a legend that Evon ga net, the Fox, set the boundary line for his people and named places within their territory, including "Tahquitz wayo ne va," meaning "Tahquitz standing." The site was also a sacred spot where local shamans traditionally came to cache or recharge their magical gear. Tahquitz Rock also symbolizes the earliest history of technical rock climbing in the United States, serving as a breeding ground for modern free climbing from the mid-1930s through the 1970s with the introduction of specialized climbing boots, and it remains a destination for climbers from around Southern California as well as national and international visitors.