City of Snohomish, Snohomish County, Washington

City of Snohomish Snohomish County, Washington

Mapped Location

City of Snohomish: The mapped location is an approximation and should not be used for navigation or wayfinding.

Information

General information on City of Snohomish

Feature Type: Incorporated

Official, historical, colloquial and alternative toponyms for City of Snohomish

A brief list of names that this geographic feature has been named

Name	Description
City of Snohomish	Official
Snohomish	Official

Origin Notes and History of City of Snohomish

References to City of Snohomish that document the origin of its place name

SNOHOMISH, name of a city, county, river, and tribe of Indians. The name was first applied to the Indians. Rev. Myron Eells says the word refers to "a style of union among them." (American Anthropologist, for January, 1892.) Dr. Charles M. Buchanan, for many years Indian Agent at Tulalip, says: "I have never met an Indian who could give a meaning to the word Snohomish, though I have made twenty-one years of inquiry." He says the tribe was dominant in the region about the present City of Everett and he has a theory, though no Indian has ever corroborated it. In the native language the word is Sdoh-doh-hohbsh. In the same language Sdohbsh means man. "Might not the word be the plural form signifying 'the men, the warriors, the braves.' They dominated their confederation, you know." (In Names MSS. Letters 141 and 155.) The word has been variously spelled. On December 9, 1824, John Work, of the Hudson's Bay Company, wrote it "Sinnahamis." ("Journal," in Washington Historical Quarterly, Volume III., page 213.) The Wilkes Expedition, 1841, charted the river as "Tuxpam River." (Hydrography, Volume XXIII., Atlas, chart 67.) In 1847, Captain Henry Kellett charted the river as "Sinahomis River." (British Admiralty Chart 1911.) The same spelling was used by the United States Coast Survey in 1854. (United States Public Documents, Serial Number 784, chart 51.) The present spelling was adopted by the Surveyor General of Washington Territory in 1857. (United States Public Documents, Serial Number 877.) Snohomish City was founded by K C. Ferguson and K F. Cady about 1860. (H. H. Bancroft, Works, Volume XXXI., page 367.)

Edmond S. Meany in Origin of Washington Geographic Names