Spanish place names in the Pacific Northwest: Try again.
Names given by Spanish explorers
edit- Aristazabal Island: 52°38′N 129°5′W / 52.633°N 129.083°W. Named 30 August 1792 by Jacinto Caamaño in honour of Gabriel de Aristazábal, comandante de la armada. George Vancouver misspelled this "Aristizable" on his chart.[1]
- Bajo Point 49°37′N 126°49′W / 49.617°N 126.817°W and Bajo Reef 49°34′N 126°49′W / 49.567°N 126.817°W: Named in 1791 by Alessandro Malaspina. The word means "below" or "underneath", referring to the dangerous reef.[2][3]
- Cape Blanco: 42°50′15″N 124°33′50″W / 42.83750°N 124.56389°W. [4] Allegedly named by Martin de Aguilar in 1603, although he probably did not reach the cape and the name might have been in use before 1603. Various other names have been used for the cape, and the name Blanco has been used for other capes, but in time Cape Blanco became established as the westernmost cape of Oregon.[5]
- Boca De Quadra: 55°7′57″N 130°42′21″W / 55.13250°N 130.70583°W. Named in 1792 by Jacinto Caamaño in honor of Juan Francisco de Bodega y Quadra, who had explored the region in 1775-79. THe name means "estuary of Quadra" and was adopted by George Vancouver when he explored the inlet in 1793.[6]
- Boca del Infierno Bay: 49°37′N 126°38′W / 49.617°N 126.633°W. An "original Spanish naming", meaning Bay of Fury or Bay of Hell. BCGNIS does not say who named it or when.[7]
- Bucareli Bay: 55°22′12″N 133°24′14″W / 55.37000°N 133.40389°W. Named on August 24, 1775, by Juan Francisco de la Bodega y Quadra as "Puerto y Entrada de Bucareli," meaning "Port and Entrance of Bucareli," in honor of Antonio María de Bucareli y Ursúa, Viceroy of New Spain.[8]
- Camano Island: 48°11′29″N 122°30′55″W / 48.19139°N 122.51528°W. [9] In 1790 Juan Carrasco, a pilot under command of Manuel Quimper, named today's Admiralty Inlet "Ensenada de Caamaño", in honor of Jacinto Caamaño. In 1792 George Vancouver gave Admiralty Inlet its present name. In 1847 British Captain Henry Kellett restored the earlier Spanish name, but simplified the spelling and moved it to a nearby island.[10][11]
- Campania Island: 53°5′N 129°25′W / 53.083°N 129.417°W. Named 30 August 1792 by Jacinto Caamaño. Originally spelled "Compañia" (by both Caamaño and Vancouver), it was later changed to Campania.[12]
- Cortes Island: 50°7′N 124°59′W / 50.117°N 124.983°W. Named in 1792 by Dionisio Alcalá Galiano and Cayetano Valdés y Flores for unknown reasons, but presumably in honor of Hernán Cortés,[13] who established the first Spanish shipyards on the Pacific coast of Mexico and founded the Spanish naval exploration of the west coast of the Americans from American ports on the Pacific. The Spanish originally applied the name "Cortes" to today's West Redonda Island; only later was it transferred to today's Cortes Island.
- East Redonda Island: 50°14′N 124°43′W / 50.233°N 124.717°W. Named in 1792 by Dionisio Alcalá Galiano and Cayetano Valdés y Flores, along with West Redonda Island; the two were thought to be a single island.[14][15]
- Ensanada Islet: 49°47′N 126°58′W / 49.783°N 126.967°W. In 1792 Dionisio Alcalá Galiano and Cayetano Valdés y Flores gave the name "Ensanada de Ferrer" to today's Nuchatlitz Inlet, perhaps in honor of Bartolomé Ferrelo. Around 1860 the name was reduced to Ensanada and moved to the islet at the inlet's mouth.[16]
- Gil Island: 53°12′N 129°14′W / 53.200°N 129.233°W. Named in 1792 by Jacinto Caamaño while exploring the area. The name honors Juan Gil, the ensign-bearer of the San Martin, flagship of the Duke of Medino-Sidonia in the Spanish Armada. Part of Caamaño's task was to search for the mythical "Rio de Reyes". This strait or river, supposed to connect the Pacific with the Atlantic, was claimed to have been discovered in 1640 by Admiral Pedro Bartolome de Fonti, in command of a fleet of 4 vessles, his flagship being named the Holy Ghost.[17]
- Goletas Channel: 50°49′N 127°44′W / 50.817°N 127.733°W. Named in 1792 by Dionisio Alcalá Galiano and Cayetano Valdés y Flores during their circumnavigation of Vancouver Island, in honor of their goletas (schooner-like vessels), Sutil and Mexicana. Named "Salida de las Goletas" in Spanish, the name became Goletas Channel in English.[18]
- Gravina Island: 55°18′14″N 131°47′11″W / 55.30389°N 131.78639°W. Named in 1792 by Jacinto Caamaño in honor of Federico Carlos Gravina y Nápoli.[19]
- Gravina Islands: 55°10′00″N 131°35′00″W / 55.16667°N 131.58333°W. Named in 1792 by Jacinto Caamaño in honor of Federico Carlos Gravina y Nápoli. Caamaño's name referred to present-day Gravina and Annette Islands. The application of the name has since been extended.[20]
- Guemes Island: 48°32′49″N 122°37′25″W / 48.54694°N 122.62361°W. Named by José María Narváez in 1791 as Isla de Güemes in honor of the Viceroy of Mexico, Juan Vicente de Güemes Padilla Horcasitas y Aguayo, 2nd Count of Revillagigedo.
- Haro Strait: 48°33′00″N 123°13′00″W / 48.55000°N 123.21667°W. Named in 1792 by Jacinto Caamaño in honor of Federico Carlos Gravina y Nápoli. Caamaño's name referred to present-day Gravina and Annette Islands. The application of the name has since been extended. "Named Canal de Lopez de Haro by the Spanish explorer Manuel Quimper in 1790 in honor of his sailing master."[21]
- Matia Island: 48°44′48″N 122°50′16″W / 48.74667°N 122.83778°W. It was named in 1792 by the Spanish explorer Francisco de Eliza as Isla de Mata, meaning "no protection".[22]
- Padilla Bay: 48°30′57.5″N 122°32′0.1″W / 48.515972°N 122.533361°W. Named in 1791 by José María Narváez Seno Padillo, in honor of Juan Vicente de Güemes Padilla Horcasitas, the viceroy of New Spain.[23]
- Patos Island: 48°47′06″N 122°57′59″W / 48.7850°N 122.9664°W. The name comes from the Spanish pato, meaning "duck", which was given to the island in 1792 by Commander Dionisio Alcalá Galiano of the Sutil and Captain Cayetano Valdés y Flores of the Mexicana.[24]
- Porlier Pass: 49°1′N 123°35′W / 49.017°N 123.583°W. Named in 1791 by Jose Maria Narvaez, commanding the Spanish schooner "Saturnina." Incorrectly spelled Portier for many years.[25]
- Port Angeles: 48°7′26″N 123°25′0″W / 48.12389°N 123.41667°W Port Angeles Harbor was named Puerto de Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles (Port of Our Lady of the Angels) by Francisco de Eliza in 1791, but by the mid-1800s the name had been shortened and partially anglicized to its current form.[26] See also Angeles Point.
- Port San Juan: see Port Renfrew, British Columbia.
- Quimper Peninsula: 48°3′55″N 122°48′54″W / 48.06528°N 122.81500°W.[27] Named for Manuel Quimper who explored the area in 1790. The Spanish had given the name Quimper to today's New Dungeness Bay, just west of the peninsula. In 1838 Charles Wilkes gave the peninsula the name Dickerson, but the U.S. Coast Survey renamed it with Quimper's name.[28]
- Revillagigedo Channel: 55°3′40″N 131°6′54″W / 55.06111°N 131.11500°W. Named in 1792 by Jacinto Caamaño in honor of Juan Vicente de Güemes, 2nd Count of Revillagigedo, Viceroy of New Spain.[29]
- San Juan Islands: 48°34′59″N 122°58′5″W / 48.58306°N 122.96806°W.[30] Named by [[]]in 17xx, in honor of [[]].
- Sucia Island: 48°45′43″N 122°54′48″W / 48.76194°N 122.91333°W.[31] Sucia Island's name originated with the Spanish Captain Francisco de Eliza, on his map of 1791. He named it "Isla Sucia". Sucia in Spanish means "dirty" or in a nautical sense "foul". This word was chosen because the shore was deemed dangerous due to reefs and hidden rocks.[32].
- Texada Island: 49°40′N 124°24′W / 49.667°N 124.400°W. Named in 1791 by José María Narváez, in honor of Felix de Tejada, a Spanish rear-admiral.[33]
- Toba Inlet: 49°9′N 125°40′W / 49.150°N 125.667°W. Named in 1792 by Galiano and Valdés as "Canal de la Tabla", because they found a strange tablet of planks with "hieroglyphics" carved on it. A map engraving error later changed Tabla to Toba.[34]
- Tofino Inlet: 49°9′N 125°40′W / 49.150°N 125.667°W. Named in 1792 by Galiano and Valdés in honor of Admiral Vicente Tofiño,[2] under whom Galiano had learned cartography.[35] The village of Tofino, British Columbia adopted its name from the inlet.
- West Redonda Island: 50°13′N 124°53′W / 50.217°N 124.883°W. Named in 1792 by Dionisio Alcalá Galiano and Cayetano Valdés y Flores, along with West Redonda Island; the two were thought to be a single island.[36][37]
Names given by non-Spanish in honor of Spanish explorers
edit- Dionisio Point: Named by Captain John F. Parry, HMS Egeria, on re-surveying Porlier Pass in 1905, after Commander Dionisio Alcala Galiano.
- Fidalgo Island: 48°28′20″N 122°38′13″W / 48.47222°N 122.63694°W. [38] Named in 1847 by British Captain Henry Kellett in honor of Salvador Fidalgo, who had explored the area in 1790.[39]
- Heceta Island: 55°44′12″N 133°34′14″W / 55.73667°N 133.57056°W. Named in 1879 by W.H. Dall in honor of Bruno de Heceta, who explored the region in 1775.[40]
- Hecate Strait: 52°58′34″N 130°38′39″W / 52.97611°N 130.64417°W. Named by Captain Richards, 1861-62, after HM surveying vessel Hecate, whose name honors Bruno de Heceta.[41]
- 'Galiano Island: 48°56′N 123°27′W / 48.933°N 123.450°W Named in 1859 by Captain Richards, HMS Plumper, after Commander ("captain de fragata") Dionisio Alcala Galiano.
- Strait of Juan de Fuca (US) or Juan de Fuca Strait (BC): 48°15′N 124°00′W / 48.250°N 124.000°W. Named in 1787 by Charles William Barkley in honor of Juan de Fuca, who claimed to have explored the region and found the fabled Strait of Anián in 1592. Juan de Fuca was Greek, but was sailing with the Spanish Navy.[42][43]
- Quadra Island: 50°12′N 125°15′W / 50.200°N 125.250°W.[44] Named by the Geographic Board of Canada in 1903 in honor of Juan Francisco de la Bodega y Quadra.
- Revillagigedo Island: 55°38′3″N 131°17′51″W / 55.63417°N 131.29750°W. Named by George Vancouver on August 13, 1793, in honor of Juan Vicente de Güemes, 2nd Count of Revillagigedo. "He (Vancouver) was no doubt influenced by the fact that Jacinto Caamaño the year before had given the name to an adjoining channel" ([Revillagigedo Channel]]).[45]
- Heceta Head: 44°8′19″N 124°7′39″W / 44.13861°N 124.12750°W. [46] Named by George Davidson of the Coast Survey in 1862 in honor of Bruno de Heceta.[47]
- Malaspina Glacier: 60°1′10″N 140°29′16″W / 60.01944°N 140.48778°W. Named in 1874 by W. H. Dall of the Coast and Geodetic Survey in honor of Alessandro Malaspina, who explored the region in 1791.[48]
- Port Fidalgo, Alaska: 60°47′44″N 146°26′39″W / 60.79556°N 146.44417°W. Discovered and probably named in 1790 by Salvador Fidalgo. He probably intended to call it "Puerto de Mazarredo in honor of Jose de Mazarredo. The present name was given by George Vancouver in honor of Salvador Fidalgo. Vancouver had Fidalgo's maps of the region.[49]
- Sutil Channel: 50°8′N 125°4′W / 50.133°N 125.067°W. Named about 1864 by Captain Richards in honor of the Spanish exploring goleta (schooner) Sutil, commanded by Dionisio Alcalá Galiano. Together with Cayetano Valdés y Flores of the Mexicana, Galiano circumnavigated Vancouver Island in 1792.[50]
- Cape Ferrelo: 42°6′13″N 124°21′17″W / 42.10361°N 124.35472°W. [51] Named by George Davidson of the Coast Survey in 1869 in honor of Bartolomé Ferrelo, who was alleged to have discovered the cape but probably did not reach so far north.[52]
- Cape Sebastian: 42°19′26″N 124°25′58″W / 42.32389°N 124.43278°W. [53] Named by George Davidson of the Coast Survey in 1869 in honor of Sebastián Vizcaíno, who was alleged to have discovered the cape but probably did not reach so far north.[54]
- Pantoja Islands: 49°36′N 126°34′W / 49.600°N 126.567°W. One of the "Spanish Pilot Group" of islands south of Nootka Island. Named in the 20th century by H.D. Parizeau, Hydrographic Service, in honor of Juan Pantoja y Arriaga, first pilot of Francisco de Eliza's vessel, San Carlos.[55]
Spanish names of unknown origin
edit- Aranzazu Banks: "Aranzazu Banks". BC Geographical Names..
- Caamaño Sound: 52°54′N 129°15′W / 52.900°N 129.250°W. Named for Jacinto Caamaño, commander of the Aranzazu, who explored the area in 1792. Source doesn't say who named it and when, but it was probably not a Spaniard.[56]
- Eliza Island
- Fidalgo Bay
- Flores Island: 49°20′N 126°10′W / 49.333°N 126.167°W.[57] Perhaps named in honor of Manuel Antonio Flores.
- Guemes Channel
- Hernando Island: 50°7′N 124°59′W / 50.117°N 124.983°W.[58] Sometimes said to be named in 1792 by Dionisio Alcalá Galiano and Cayetano Valdés y Flores in honor of Hernán Cortés.[59] However, Galiano and Valdés sailed rapidly past the island at dusk and their charts do not show an island but only only a fragment of unnamed coastline where Hernando Island is located. It is possible that the name Hernando was applied to the island later, in association with Cortes Island.
- Jacinto Islands: "Jacinto Islands". BC Geographical Names..
- Narvaez Island: 49°38′N 126°35′W / 49.633°N 126.583°W. One of the "Spanish Pilot Group" of islands south of Nootka Island. Named in honor of José María Narváez.[60]
- Sonora Island: 50°22′N 125°15′W / 50.367°N 125.250°W. Named for the Sonora, commanded by Juan Francisco de la Bodega y Quadra during a 1775 expedition to the Pacific Northwest (but not into the Strait of Georgia or near today's Sonora Island.[61] Unclear when and by whom the name was applied to the island.
References
edit- ^ "Aristazabal Island". BC Geographical Names.
- ^ "Bajo Point". BC Geographical Names.
- ^ "Bajo Reef". BC Geographical Names.
- ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Cape Blanco
- ^ Oregon Geographic Names, pp. 139-140
- ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Boca De Quadra
- ^ "Boca del Infierno Bay". BC Geographical Names.
- ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Bucareli Bay
- ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Camano Island
- ^ Phillips, James W. (1971). Washington State Place Names. University of Washington Press. ISBN 0-295-95158-3.
- ^ Hayes, Derek (1999). Historical Atlas of the Pacific Northwest: Maps of exploration and Discovery. Sasquatch Books. p. 70. ISBN 1-57061-215-3.
- ^ "Campania Island". BC Geographical Names.
- ^ "Cortes Island". BC Geographical Names.
- ^ "East Redonda Island". BC Geographical Names.
- ^ "Redonda Islands". BC Geographical Names.
- ^ "Ensanada Islet". BC Geographical Names.
- ^ "Gil Island". BC Geographical Names.
- ^ "Goletas Channel". BC Geographical Names.
- ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Gravina Island
- ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Gravina Islands
- ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Haro Strait
- ^ Phillips, James W. (1971). Washington State Place Names. University of Washington Press. ISBN 0-295-95158-3.
- ^ McDowell, Jim (1998). José Narváez: The Forgotten Explorer. Spokane, Washington: The Arthur H. Clark Company. p. 55. ISBN 0-87062-265-X.
- ^ Phillips, James W. (1971). Washington State Place Names. University of Washington Press. ISBN 0-295-95158-3.
- ^ "Porlier Pass". BC Geographical Names.
- ^ "Port Angeles Federal Building". Historic Federal Buildings. General Services Administration. Retrieved 2007-04-30.
- ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Quimper Peninsula
- ^ Phillips, James W. (1971). Washington State Place Names. University of Washington Press. p. 115. ISBN 0-295-95158-3.
- ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Revillagigedo Channel
- ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: San Juan Islands
- ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Sucia Island
- ^ Phillips, James W. (1971). Washington State Place Names. University of Washington Press. ISBN 0-295-95158-3.
- ^ "Texada Island". BC Geographical Names.
- ^ "Toba Inlet". BC Geographical Names.
- ^ "Tofino Inlet". BC Geographical Names.
- ^ "West Redonda Island". BC Geographical Names.
- ^ "Redonda Islands". BC Geographical Names.
- ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Fidalgo Island
- ^ Phillips, James W. (1971). Washington State Place Names. University of Washington Press. ISBN 0-295-95158-3.
- ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Heceta Island
- ^ "Hecate Strait". BC Geographical Names.
- ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Strait of Juan de Fuca
- ^ "Juan de Fuca Strait". BC Geographical Names.
- ^ "22210 Island". BC Geographical Names.
- ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Revillagigedo Island
- ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Heceta Head
- ^ Oregon Geographic Names, p. 403
- ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Malaspina Glacier
- ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Port Fidalgo
- ^ "Sutil Channel". BC Geographical Names.
- ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Cape Ferrelo
- ^ Oregon Geographic Names, p. 141
- ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Cape Sebastian
- ^ Oregon Geographic Names, p. 144
- ^ "Pantoja Islands". BC Geographical Names.
- ^ "Caamaño Sound". BC Geographical Names.
- ^ "Flores Island". BC Geographical Names.
- ^ "Hernando Island". BC Geographical Names.
- ^ Walbran, Captain John T. (1971), British Columbia Place Names, Their Origin and History (Facsimile reprint of 1909 ed.), Vancouver/Toronto: Douglas & McIntyre, ISBN 0-88894-143-9
- ^ "Narvaez Island". BC Geographical Names.
- ^ "Sonora Island". BC Geographical Names.