Neah Bay Clallam County, Washington
Mapped Location
Neah Bay: The mapped location is an approximation and should not be used for navigation or wayfinding.
Information
General information on Neah Bay
- Feature Type: Place
Official, historical, colloquial and alternative toponyms for Neah Bay
A brief list of names that this geographic feature has been named
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Neah Bay | Official |
Origin Notes and History of Neah Bay
References to Neah Bay that document the origin of its place name
NEAH BAY, a harbor near the entrance of the Strait of Juan de Fuca in the northeastern part of Clallam County. On August 15, 1788, Captain Charles Duncan, the British trader, indicated a bay at that place on his chart but did not give it a name. In 1790, the Spanish Captains Eliza and Quimper took possession and named the place "Bahia de Nunez Gaona" in honor of Haro y Peralta, a distinguished Spanish prelate, archbishop of Mexico in 1772 and viceroy from May 8 to August 16, 1787. In 1792 the Spanish Lieutenant Salvador Fidalgo was sent there to fortify the place. That work was abandoned the same year. Fragments of Spanish brick are still found in the banks of Neah Creek. Vancouver in that same year, 1792, charted the bay but did not stop there. (Edmond S. Meany, Vancouver's Discovery of Puget Sound, page 307, note.) American Traders called it "Poverty Cove" though the same is true of San Juan Harbor on the northern shore of the Strait of Juan de Fuca. The Wilkes Expedition, 1841, made an elaborate map, calling it "Scarborough Harbour" in honor of Captain James Scarborough of the Hudson's Bay Company, who had rendered assistance to the Wilkes party. (J. G. Kohl, in Pacific Railroad Reports, Volume XII., Part I., pages 276-277.) The Wilkes chart made the first use of the word Neah but applied it to the islands now known as Waaddah. (United States Exploring Expedition, Hydrography, Volume XXIII., Atlas, chart 80.) The present name of the bay was given by Captain Henry Kellett in 1847. He spelled it Neeah Bay. (British Admiralty Chart 1911, Kellett, 1847.) The name comes from that of the Makah Chief Dee-ah. The Clallams, on the east, having a nasal language, called it Neah. (Rev. Myron Eells, in American Anthropologist, January, 1892.)
MAKAH, an Indian Reservation in the northwestern part of Clallam County, named for the Indian tribe who lived there. See Cape Flattery, pages 35-36. The word Makah means ''the people who live on a point of land projecting into the sea," or, more briefly, "the cape people." 'Klasset', a former name of Cape Flattery, means the same thing in another Indian language. (Rev. Myron Eells, in American Anthropologist, January, 1892.)
Related Online Resources
Makah Days
During Makah Days, the members of the Makah Tribe of Neah Bay gather and reunite with the members who have since moved away, to commemorate thousands of years of the Makah ancient culture and the anniversary of becoming citizens of the United States. We welcome everyone to join us, as we celebrate with neighboring tribes from Washington State and First Nations members from Vancouver Island in Canada. Some of our family members come from Vancouver Island since we are closely related to the Nuu-chah-nulth.
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Clallam County
- Agnew
- Beaver
- Bell Hill
- Blyn
- Carlsborg
- Clallam Bay
- Classet
- Coville
- Crane
- Crescent
- Disque
- Dungeness
- Elwha
- City of Forks
- Happy Valley
- Jamestown
- Joyce
- King Hill
- La Push
- Little Oklahoma
- Lower Elwha
- Maple Grove
- Midway
- Mora
- Mount Pleasant
- Neah Bay
- Old Royal
- Old Town
- Olympic Hot Springs
- Ovington
- Ozette
- Piedmont
- City of Port Angeles
- Port Crescent
- Port Williams
- Pysht
- Quillayute
- R Corner
- Ramapo
- Rena
- River Road
- Sappho
- Sekiu
- City of Sequim
- Shadow
- Shuwah
- Snug Harbor
- Tsoo-Yess
- Twin
- Waatch
- Washington Harbor
- Whiskey Bend
- Windy Arm
Political Boundaries
Last updated: 2024-06-11