This past year, as I've wandered around my old moorage digs on Seattle's Lake Union, I kept seeing new blue signposts encircling the shoreline's roads and trails with interesting yet strange names, wondering what they meant and whence they came.
Now my good friend, dock mate, and all-around boat buddy has come to my rescue. Mike Harlick points out that the main name on all the signage, "Cheslahud" (pronounced CHES-la-hud), is that of a Duwamish village chief in the late 1800s who befriended Seattle pioneer David Denny, and guided settlers in his canoe to Lake Union, Lake Washington and Lake Sammamish. The chief and his wife were the last Duwamish family to live on Lake Union.
The six-mile Cheslahud loop which works well for cyclists, walkers and joggers going around the lake, was named by the city just one year ago; Somehow I missed that news.
For more on this see the Seattle Times, And for more about John Cheslahud see the Duwamish Tribe website.
If you're not from around this area, or region, or state, now you know a little bit more of our local history which will serve you well the next time you're a guest on "Jeopardy". Do you have any loops named after your forefathers?
Picture is of "Lake John" and his wife, Madaline, at Portage Bay, 1904.
No comments:
Post a Comment