Wednesday, July 20, 2016

Humptulips and Dosewallips

Odd place names intrigue me.  I speculate on the name origins, sometimes researching them online.  I've long wondered about these 2 doozies, which are a few miles apart on the Olympic Peninsula in WA state; we passed both places on our way to Sequim, WA, our current location.

The river and the small community of Humptulips get their names from a band of the Chehalis Native American tribe who lived in the area.  It means 'hard to pole' - referring to the poling of canoes along the Humptulips River.  Another source claims it means 'chilly region.'  I find both definitions highly suspect: obviously, it's fish stew made from humpback salmon and wild roots.



Dosewallips is the handle of a river and a state park. The name Dosewallips comes from a Twana Indian myth about a man named Dos-wail-opsh who was turned into a mountain at the river's source.  No alternative definitions popped up in my quick search, but it could very well mean 'a broad-beamed female square dancer.'




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