Summit, fittingly named after its location astride a rise, was built on that low ridge crossed by travelers seeking a convenient route into America's interior. As a portal to the North American interior, Summit's land has witnessed the travels and pauses of Native Americans, French explorers and missionaries, fur traders, the English, and finally Colonial Americans. To this day, it remains synonymous with unsurpassed transportation advantages, having stimulated considerable commercial, industrial, and urban growth. From its earliest hut to its latest futuristic library, Summit has played an irreplaceable role in the progress of the United States.