Jack Island ~ Jupiter Hills Origin Washington Geographical Names

Jack Island, a name given by the Wilkes Expedition, 1841, to two Islands in Puget Sound country. One of these names has been changed to the Indian name of Squaxin Island, in the southeastern part of Mason County. The other name has persisted. Jack Island is northeast of Guemes Island, in the northwestern part of Skagit County. The meaning of the name as applied by Wilkes has not been ascertained.

Jackman Creek, a tributary of the Skagit River at Van Horn, in the northern part of Skagit County. It was named for Jack Jackman, who had a homestead and logged off the land near the mouth of the creek in the early '80s. (H. Clark Ely, Van Horn, in Names MSS., Letter 71.)

Jackson, a settlement in Cowlitz County, named for William Jackson, a member of a pioneer family, on whose donation land claim a post office was established in 1883. (Mrs. E. R. Huntington, in Names MSS., Letter 158.)

Jackson, a station on the Oregon-Washington Railroad & Navigation Company's line in the northeastern part of Columbia County. It was named for an old resident there. (William Goodyear, in Names MSS., Letter 43.)

Jackson's Cove, a small bay on the west side of Hood Canal, seven miles south of Quilcene, in the eastern part of Jefferson County. The Wilkes Expedition, 1841, gave it the Indian name of Hoo Etzen Harbor. Jackson Island, northeast of Puget Island, in the Columbia River, in the southeastern part of Wahkiakum County. By the Wilkes Expedition, 1841, it was charted as "Stutzi Island."

Jackson Prairie, a prairie four miles southeast of Napavine, in the central part of Lewis County, on which John R. Jackson settled in 1845. His cabin was on the main road from Puget Sound to the Cowlitz River. In it the first courts of Lewis County were held. The Daughters of the American Revolution have reconstructed the old cabin so intimately associated with the history of early days. It is mentioned by Theodore Winthrop in The Canoe and the Saddle.

James Island, a small island a little south of the mouth of the Quillayute River, in the southwestern part of Clallam County. It was named in honor of Chief Jimmy of the Quillayute Indians. (Fannie Taylor, Mora, in Names MSS., Letter 307.)

James Island, in Prevost Harbor, on the north side of Stuart Island, in San Juan County. It was named by Captain Richards, H. M. S. Plumper, in 1859, in honor of Captain James Charles Prevost, H. M. S. Satelite, for whom the harbor had been named. See Charles Point, entrance to the harbor. For a biography of Prevost, see Captain John T. Walbran: British Columbia Place Names, p. 400.

James Island, in Rosario Strait, east of Decatur Island, in the: southeastern part of San Juan County. It was named by the Wilkes Expedition, 1811, which also named Decatur Island. It is possible that the name is in honor of Reuben James, an American sailor who saved Decatur's life by interposing his own body before the saber of a Turk, for which incident see E. S. Maclay: History of the United States Navy, consult index.

Jameson, a town in the central part of Douglas County, named in honor of an old settler who lived near a lake, which was also given his name. (B. C. Ferguson, in Names MSS., Letter 77.)

Jamestown, a Clallam Indian village five miles east of Dungeness, in Clallam County. It was named for Chief James of the Clallam tribe. (J. M. Ward, Port Williams, in Names MSS., Letter 206.) The Handbook of American Indians, Volume I., page 575, says the Indian name of the village was Huiauulch.

Jared, a station on the branch of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad, in the central part of Pend Oreille County. Mr. R. P. Jared started a store there about 1908 and the name is in his honor. (C. B. Penfield, in Names MSS., Letter 165.)

Jefferson County, created by the Oregon Legislature on December 22, 1852, and named in honor of President Thomas Jefferson. Jericho, a town in the southern part of Grant County, named by the railroad officials after the famous city in Palestine. (H. R. Williams, Vice-President of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway Company, in Names MSS., Letter 589.)

Jerry, a town in the northeastern part of Asotin County, named by John Knight, on August 1, 1906, in honor of Jerry McGuire, a stock rancher who owned land there since 1875. The former name was Grand Junction, because Asotin and George Creeks joined there. (James Buchan, in Names MSS., Letter 317.)

Jerusalem, a settlement in the southwestern part of Stevens County. The name arose from a joke. Some said there was an Egypt on one side of the Spokane River and there ought to be a Jerusalem on the other. In that way the name came into use. (Mrs. Anna J. Thompson, Postmistress at Fruitland, in Names MSS., Letter 128.)

Jim Crow Creek and Point, at Brookfield, on the Columbia River, Wahkiakum County. A tall tree grew on the point which could be seen far out at sea. Crows often made the tree quite alive while flying about it. The point got its name from this fact and the nearby creek received the same name. (Mrs. J. G. Megler, Brookfield, in Names MSS., Letter 316.)

Joe Brown's Point, see Sandy Point on Whidbey Island.

Joe's Bank, a name given by the Wilkes Expedition, 1841, to a bank just within the entrance to Grays Harbor. It was probably an honor for a half-breed boy named by Wilkes as an interpreter on Puget Sound and elsewhere. The name does not seem to be in use at present.

Joe's Bay, where the town of Home is located on the west shore of Carr Inlet, Pierce County. It was named for a man who was drowned in the bay. (Postmaster, Lake Bay, in Names MSS., Letter 186.)

Joe Hill's Bay, a local name for a bay on Camano Island, opposite Stanwood. The Indian name for the bay is Soh-gwahbt, the meaning of which is unknown. (Charles M. Buchanan, in Names MSS., Letter 155.)

John Day Rapids, in the Columbia River, in the south central part of Klickitat County. The Upper John Day Rapids are near the mouth of John Day River (Oregon), the Middle John Day Rapids one mile and another two miles below the mouth of the river. Lewis and Clark named the river "Lepage's" on October 21, 1805, after a member of their party. John Day was a Virginian or Kentuckian, who joined Hunt's Astoria expedition in the winter of 1811-1812 at his camp on the Missouri River. Like others in that party, he experienced terrible hardships, but reached Astoria alive. On returning up the Columbia River he went insane, and twice attempted suicide in July, 1812. He was sent back to Astoria with some Indians, and died there within a year. His name was given to "Lepage's" River, and was also applied to the rapids. (Elliott Coues: The History of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, Volume II., page 655 and note.)

Johns Creek, in Mason County, see Johns Prairie.

Johns Island, in Mason County, see Hope Island and Johns Prairie.

Johns Island, east of Stuart Island, in San Juan County. It was named by the Wilkes Expedition, 1841. It is not known for whom the honor was intended. The British Admiralty Chart 2840, Richards, 1858-1860, shows the name of John's Pass for the waterway between Johns Island and Stuart Island.

Johns Prairie, on Oakland Cove, Hammersley Inlet, Mason County. An old settler of about 1852, John Gilmore, was familiarly known as "Uncle John." His name was given to this prairie, to a creek and to an island. (Grant C. Angle, in Names MSS., Letter 83.) Johnson, a town in the southeastern part of Whitman County, named in honor of Jonathan Johnson, who purchased the site in 1877. A post office was established in October, 1888, and named Johnson. (Julian Hawthorne: History of Washington, Volume I., pages 476-477.)

Johnson Point, the eastern cape of Henderson Inlet, Thurston County. It was named Point Moody by the Wilkes Expedition, 1841, in honor of William Moody, a quartermaster in one of the crews. In 1853 Ezra Meeker found J. R. Johnson, M. D., living in a cabin which he dignified by the name of "Johnson's Hospital." From that man and his cabin came the name of Johnson Point. (Ezra Meeker: Pioneer Reminiscences of Puget Sound, pages 44-45.)

Johnson Point, the southeast cape of Sucia Islands, San Juan County. It was probably named for P. C. Johnson, Passed Midshipman with Lieutenant Alden in the steamer Active and schooner Ewing, while surveying in 1855. (Report of the Superintendent of the United States Coast Survey for 1855, page 113.) The name appears on the British Admiralty Chart 2689, Richards, 1858-1859.

Johnson Point, see Cape St. Mary on Lopez Island.

Jones Island, southwest of Orcas Island, San Juan County. It was named by the Wilkes Expedition, 1841, in honor of Captain Jacob Jones, United States Navy, who, while Master Commandant of the sloop-of-war Wasp, captured the British brig Frolic on October 18, 1812.

Joseph Creek, in Asotin County, named in honor of the famous Nez Perce Chief Joseph, who before the war of 1877 lived for years on the creek. (Birdie Bly, of Bly, in Names MSS., Letter 266.) Juan de Fuca, see Strait of Juan de Fuca.

Jumbo, a mountain 5,606 feet high in the north central part of Snohomish County. It was named by Knute Nesta. (Charles E. Moore, of Darrington, in Names MSS., Letter 193.)

Juno, a former post office on the Satsop River, in Chehalis (now Grays Harbor) County. The post office is now discontinued. (W. F. Wagner, Satsop, in Names MSS., Letter 218.)

Juno, a station on the Oregon-Washington Railroad & Navigation Company's line in the north central part of Whitman County. The name is of classical origin.

Jupiter Hills, between the Olympic Mountains and Hood Canal. The name apparently originated with the Wilkes Expedition, 1841, whose report. Volume XXIII, page 325, says: "A mile to the north of Quatsop Point lies Tzusated Cove. Its position may be readily known by the Jupiter Hills, which lie just above it." Chart 78 accompanying that volume shows the spelling "Tzecsated." The cove is now known as Pleasant Harbor. It lies nearly opposite Seabeck. Captain George Davidson in the Pacific Coast Pilot, page 629, says: "These high flanking mountains of the Olympus Range are called the Jupiter Hills." He does not say who gave the name, but he named the higher peaks back of the Jupiter Hills, Mount Constance, Mount Ellinor and The Brothers.

Washington AHGP | Geographic Names

Source: Washington Historical Quarterly, Volume 8 - 14