La Push, Washington
Encyclopedia
La Push is a small unincorporated community
in Clallam County, Washington, United States
. It is home to the Quileute tribe and is located along the Quileute River. La Push is known for its whale-watching and natural beauty.
. It describes the town's location at the mouth of the Quileute River.
La Push is home to the westernmost ZIP Code
in the Contiguous United States
, 98350.
, is home to the Quileute Tribe. Tribal members built cedar canoes that ranged in size from two-man to ocean-going freight vessels capable of carrying three tons. They ranked second only to the Makah as whalers, and first among all the tribes as sealers. Special woolly-haired dogs were bred, and their hair spun into prized blankets. According to the stories, the Quileutes only kin, the Chimakum
, were separated from them by a great flood that swept them to the Quimper Peninsula
on the other side of the North Olympic Peninsula, where they were wiped out by Chief Seattle
and the Suquamish
Tribe in the 1860s.
First official contacts with the white man occurred in 1855, when the Quileutes signed a treaty with representatives of Territorial Governor Isaac Stevens
. A treaty a year later would have moved them to a reservation in Taholah, but the Quileute territory was so remote it was not enforced. In February 1889, an executive order by President Grover Cleveland
established a one mile square reservation at La Push which, at the time, had 252 inhabitants. While villagers were picking hops in Puyallup, the town was destroyed by arson in 1889.
The Quileute Tribe has recreated its traditional skills and crafts, which are taught at school along with the unique language, which is unrelated to any root language in the world, and one of only five in the world without nasal sounds.
The popular Quileute Days takes place July 17–19 in La Push. The tribal celebration of cultural heritage and modern lifestyle includes a fireworks display, a traditional salmon bake, dancing and songs, a softball tournament, and other field sports, a slo-pitch tournament, a horse show tournament, arts and craft display and food concessions
La Push and the Quileute Tribe have been recently featured in author Stephenie Meyer
's Twilight series.
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
in Clallam County, Washington, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is home to the Quileute tribe and is located along the Quileute River. La Push is known for its whale-watching and natural beauty.
Geography
The name La Push is an infusion of the French la bouche, meaning "mouth", into Chinook JargonChinook Jargon
Chinook Jargon originated as a pidgin trade language of the Pacific Northwest, and spread during the 19th century from the lower Columbia River, first to other areas in modern Oregon and Washington, then British Columbia and as far as Alaska, sometimes taking on characteristics of a creole language...
. It describes the town's location at the mouth of the Quileute River.
La Push is home to the westernmost ZIP Code
ZIP Code
ZIP codes are a system of postal codes used by the United States Postal Service since 1963. The term ZIP, an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan, is properly written in capital letters and was chosen to suggest that the mail travels more efficiently, and therefore more quickly, when senders use the...
in the Contiguous United States
Contiguous United States
The contiguous United States are the 48 U.S. states on the continent of North America that are south of Canada and north of Mexico, plus the District of Columbia....
, 98350.
History
La Push, 14 miles from ForksForks, Washington
-Government:The City is organized under Washington State law as a Non-charter Code City. Its structure is that of an elected Mayor and a five member elected City Council...
, is home to the Quileute Tribe. Tribal members built cedar canoes that ranged in size from two-man to ocean-going freight vessels capable of carrying three tons. They ranked second only to the Makah as whalers, and first among all the tribes as sealers. Special woolly-haired dogs were bred, and their hair spun into prized blankets. According to the stories, the Quileutes only kin, the Chimakum
Chimakum
The Chimakum, also spelled Chemakum and Chimacum , were a Native American people who lived in the northeastern portion of the Olympic Peninsula, between Hood Canal and Discovery Bay through the mid-19th century...
, were separated from them by a great flood that swept them to the Quimper Peninsula
Quimper Peninsula
The Quimper Peninsula is a narrow peninsula forming the most northeastern extent of the Olympic Peninsula of Washington state in the northwestern United States of America....
on the other side of the North Olympic Peninsula, where they were wiped out by Chief Seattle
Chief Seattle
Chief Seattle , was a Dkhw’Duw’Absh chief, also known as Sealth, Seathle, Seathl, or See-ahth. A prominent figure among his people, he pursued a path of accommodation to white settlers, forming a personal relationship with David Swinson "Doc" Maynard. Seattle, Washington was named after him...
and the Suquamish
Suquamish
The Suquamish are a Lushootseed-speaking Native American Tribe, located in present-day Washington in the United States.The Suquamish are a southern Coast Salish people; they spoke a dialect of Lushootseed, which belongs to the Salishan language family. Like many Northwest Coast natives, the...
Tribe in the 1860s.
First official contacts with the white man occurred in 1855, when the Quileutes signed a treaty with representatives of Territorial Governor Isaac Stevens
Isaac Stevens
Isaac Ingalls Stevens was the first governor of Washington Territory, a United States Congressman, and a brigadier general in the Union Army during the American Civil War until his death at the Battle of Chantilly...
. A treaty a year later would have moved them to a reservation in Taholah, but the Quileute territory was so remote it was not enforced. In February 1889, an executive order by President Grover Cleveland
Grover Cleveland
Stephen Grover Cleveland was the 22nd and 24th president of the United States. Cleveland is the only president to serve two non-consecutive terms and therefore is the only individual to be counted twice in the numbering of the presidents...
established a one mile square reservation at La Push which, at the time, had 252 inhabitants. While villagers were picking hops in Puyallup, the town was destroyed by arson in 1889.
Tourism
Today, La Push has oceanfront resorts, a seafood company, fish hatchery, and a revamped marina.The Quileute Tribe has recreated its traditional skills and crafts, which are taught at school along with the unique language, which is unrelated to any root language in the world, and one of only five in the world without nasal sounds.
The popular Quileute Days takes place July 17–19 in La Push. The tribal celebration of cultural heritage and modern lifestyle includes a fireworks display, a traditional salmon bake, dancing and songs, a softball tournament, and other field sports, a slo-pitch tournament, a horse show tournament, arts and craft display and food concessions
La Push and the Quileute Tribe have been recently featured in author Stephenie Meyer
Stephenie Meyer
Stephenie Meyer is an American author known for her vampire romance series Twilight. The Twilight novels have gained worldwide recognition and sold over 100 million copies globally, with translations into 37 different languages...
's Twilight series.