The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #140486 Message #3230212
Posted By: Don Firth
27-Sep-11 - 06:52 PM
Thread Name: BS: The oddest named city of them all...
Subject: RE: BS: The oddest named city of them all...
Western Washington State is especially blessed with interesting and unusual place names, most of which derive from Native Americans in this area. Seattle, after all, was named after Chief Sealth, chief of the Duwamish tribe.
Rivers such as the Skokomish, Stillaguamish, and Duwamish (this latter running through south Seattle), towns such as Queets and Sequim (pronounced "Squim"—silent "e."). One of my favorite river names is "Dosewallips" (also a state park).
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A retired couple from the East, wanting to see a bit of the country out West, toured California for a few weeks, then headed up Highway 101 to view the spectacular coast of Oregon. They spent several days in and around the lovely city of Portland, then decided to head on up to Seattle, but not taking Interstate 5, the direct route. They would continue on 101 and circumnavigate the Olympic Peninsula, see the lush Hoh rain forest, then after passing through the small lumbering town of Forks and rounding Neah Bay, drive east through Port Townsend and Port Angeles, after which they would drive to Bremerton to see the naval ship yard and museum there, and take the ferry to Seattle and enjoy the spectacular view of the Seattle skyline as they enter Elliot Bay.
They left Portland and crossed the mighty Columbia River, famous in song and story. They headed northwest toward the Pacific Ocean, anticipating passing through Aberdeen and Hoquiam on their way north to the Olympic rain forest.
A short time after crossing the bridge over the Columbia, turning off I-5, heading toward the northwest, and passing through a small town, they began to feel unsure that they had taken the right road. So spotting a small general store and one-pump gas station, the man pulled over and went in to ask for directions.
There was an old fellow behind the counter, dressed in a plaid shirt and suspenders, and smoking a pipe as he leafed through a magazine.
"Excuse me," said the man, "we've just come from Portland and I think I may be lost. Could you tell me the name of the small town we passed though just a few miles that way?"
The man behind the counter had heard this lament many, many times before. He continued leafing through the magazine, but took the pipe out of his mouth and said, "Cathlamet."
"Um. . . and what is the next town we'll come to?"
"Skamakawa."
"Oh! And what county is this?"
"Wahkiakum."
He thanked the man behind the counter, then went back out to the car. His wife asked, "Where are we? Are we going in the right direction?"
"I have no idea," said the man. "They don't speak English here!"
Don Firth