McAdams ~ McNeil Island Origin Washington Geographical Names

McAdam, a town in the eastern part of Franklin County, named for the old settler who owned the land at that point. (L. C. Gilman, in Names MSS., Letter 590.)

McAleer Creek, a small stream which drains Lake Ballinger, in the southern part of Snohomish County, into Lake Washington. Both lake and creek were named for Hugh McAleer, patentee of the lands surrounding the lake. See information under the heading, Lake Ballinger, as to the change in the lake's name.

McAllister Creek, a small stream rising at Mc Allister Springs in the northeastern part of Thurston County and flowing into Puget Sound near the mouth of Nisqually River. This creek or part of it was once known as Medicine Creek and under that name because famous when Governor Isaac I. Stevens held an Indian council on its banks and made the treaty with the Nisqually and other tribes on December 26, 1854. That treaty gives the Indian name of the creek as "She-nah-nam." Ezra Meeker says She-nah-nam is the Indian name of McAllister Creek and that Medicine Creek is a tributary having the Indian name "Squa-quid." (Pioneer Reminiscences, page 233.)

McCarthy Point, the northwest cape of Mc Neil Island, in the northwestern part of Pierce County. The Government charts do not carry a name for this point. The shoal which is an extension off shore of the point is charted as Wyckoff Shoal. On the British Admiralty Chart 1947, R. N. Inskip mapped McCarthy. Point, thus honoring Lieutenant Henry H. McCarthy on the "Fisgard," in 1846.

McCleary, a town in the eastern part of Grays Harbor County, named in honor of Henry McCleary, President of the Henry Mc Cleary Timber Company in 1910. The post office was moved from Summit and the name changed to Mc Cleary on January 1, 1911. (L. M. Craft, in Names MSS., Letter 121.)

Mc Cormick, a town in the western part of Lewis County, named about 1898 in honor of H. Mc Cormick of the Mc Cormick Lumber Company. (Mc. Cormick Lumber Company, in Name MSS., Letter 119.)

McCredie, a town in the southeastern part of Klickitat County, named in honor of Judge W. W. McCredie of Vancouver who was known as Portland's baseball magnate. (L. C. Gilman, in Names MSS., Letter 590.)

McDonough's Island, see Camano Island.

McDonald, see Ewaha River. Before the name was changed it was an honor for W. D. Mc Donald, first settler and postmaster. (H. B. Herrick, in Names MSS., Letter 267.)

McGees, a town on Port Discovery in the northeastern part of Jefferson County, named by A. Loasby in September, 1906, in honor of Samuel McGee, a citizen of the place. (Postmaster at Port Townsend, in Names MSS., Letter 311.)

McGowans, a town on the Columbia River in the southwest era part of Pacific County, named in honor of P. J. McGowan, a pioneer settler. (Postmaster, in Names MSS., Letter 55.)

McGregor, see Gregor.

McInnis Mills, a former town in the central part of Pend Oreille County, opposite Jared on the Pend Oreille River. About 1902 John McInnis and two sons built a mill there but it was dismantled and the site abandoned in 1907. (C. B. Penfield, in Names MSS., Letter 165.)

McLaughlin, a railroad station on the Spokane, Portland & Seattle Railway in Clarke County, named in honor of Dr. John McLoughlin, Chief Factor of the Hudson's Bay Company. (L. C. Gilman, in Names MSS., Letter 590.)

Mc Laughlin Island, see Lummi Island.

McMurray, a town on the shore of Lake McMurray in the southwestern part of Skagit County. The town was platted by Dr. Marcus Kenyon when the railroad came in 1890. The name is in honor of a pioneer settler. (History of Skagit and Snohomish Counties, pages 241-242.)

McNeil Island, in the northwestern part of Pierce County. It was named by the Wilkes Expedition, 1841, in honor of Captain William Henry McNeill of the famous British steamer "Beaver." See Anderson Island for a discussion of reasons why Wilkes honored the two officers at Fort Nisqually. Captain R. N. Inskip sought to change the name of the island to "Duntze Island" in honor of Captain John A. Duntze of the British frigate "Fisgard." (British Admiralty Chart 1947.) That was in 1846 and the following year another British officer, Captain Henry Kellett, restored the name of Mc Neil Island. (British Admiralty Chart 1911.) That name has persisted though one "l" is dropped from the man's name. Captain Mc Neill was a Yankee, born in Boston in 1803. He had a remarkable career in the Northwest. After resisting the Hudson's Bay Company in 1832 he sold his brig "Llama" to the company and entered its employ, rising later to the rank of Chief Factor. He became master of the steamer "Beaver" in 1837, remaining in her until 1843. The old steamer was undergoing repairs at Fort Nisqually when the Wilkes Expedition arrived there in 1841. Captain McNeill died at his home near Victoria on September 4, 1875. (Captain John T. Walbran: British Columbia Coast Names, pages 391-393.)

Washington AHGP | Geographic Names

Source: Washington Historical Quarterly, Volume 8 - 14