Peter E. Armstrong founded a religious community here in 1850 and envisioned his followers as "wilderness exiles" in a "City of Heaven" on this mountaintop. In 1864 the land was deeded to Almighty God "and to His heirs in Jesus Messiah." Because of the "owner's" nonpayment of taxes, the county sold the land in 1876 to A.T. Armstrong, Peter's son. Peter Armstrong himself struggled to continue this community before he died in 1887.