Early History of Salmon and Shilshole Bays in Seattle
Read about the pre-Locks days of this unique and historic waterway in Seattle.
Early History of Salmon and Shilshole Bays in Seattle
Seattle’s Shilshole bay is in the northwest part of the city surrounded by the Magnolia and Ballard neighborhoods.
The Ship Canal which connects Lake Union and Lake Washington drains through the Ballard Locks into Salmon Bay, then Shilshole Bay.
Five miles to the west across Puget Sound is Bainbridge Island with views of Olympic Mountains in the distance.
To the north, the southern shores of Whidbey Island’s Double Bluff and Possession Head stand prominently in the distance.
The Shilshole People
The Shilshole people, also known as the Shilshoolabsh, lived in the area from time immemorial around Salmon Bay, which is now below the Ballard Locks.
The name "Shilshole" comes from the Lushootseed word šilšul, which means "threading a needle" referring to the narrow passageway through which Salmon Bay empties into Shilshole Bay.
Pre-Locks, one could cross the mouth of Salmon Bay at low tide. In later years, ships had to wait for higher tides to enter the bay.
Prior to the completion of the Locks in 1917, Salmon Bay reached up to what is now the beginning of the Fremont neighborhood, providing the Shilshole people protection from winds and raiding tribes such as the Haida and Tllingit.
The Shilshole people had two long houses 60’ x 120’ and one larger for ceremonies. The location of the houses was near the Lock Spot Cafe but was covered with water as the Locks were completed to even out the waterway levels for the Ship Canal. In the 1920’s, archaeologist AG Cooley found artifacts in the shorelines below the Locks of bone, stone, iron and antler.
The last of the Shilshole people to live on the Salmon Bay was ‘Salmon Bay Charlie or Curley’ who was half Samish and half Shilshole. Considering himself the hereditary leader of the Shilshole his native name was Hwelchteed. He and his wife Madeline whose native name was Cheethluleetsa, harvested clams, salmon and berries to sell to the markets in Seattle.
They had a small Salish style shed cabin on a promontory which was later removed during the Locks dredging. See their home in the above composite, before/after. In the second image under Shilshole People, the house was located where the tall conifer and point is middle left. This point and the sandbar across were removed.
When Madeline passed in 1914, Charley was forced to leave his home and was sent to the Port Madison Reservation across the Sound.
Learn more about early Salmon Bay in the following books:
Native Seattle - Coll Thush, UW Press (The book shows village sites in Seattle)
Passport to Ballard - Ballard Historical Society
Waterway - The Story of Seattle's Locks and Ship Canal - Williams/Ott/HistoryLink
Seattle Now and Then - Salmon Bay @PaulDorpat.com
And this Wikipedia link
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