Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1917-09-22
AMERICAN
CAMP PLACED ON
HISTORIC GROUND
National Army Men Training in
Country Once Covered
With Indians
IBy Associated P.essl

10y Associated pse&l
| TACOMA, Wash, Sept. l5.-Amerl-
| can Lake, where has been established
Camp Lewis for the training Of many
thousand soldiers Of the new Liberty
! Army" is in a section rich in historic
! lore.
! American Lake is one OF several
! lakes in an expansive OF level coun-
try between Puget Sound and the loot
hills of the Cascade mountains. to the
| south of Tacoma This section Is
known as American Prairie, the name
given to it at the first Fourth OF July
celebration on the Pacific coast in
IlS41. Up to that time it was known
as Missionary Prairie. The celebra-
ton is said to have been the hrst pre-
arranged patriotic observance west OF
the Mississippi river.
There were not many whites in
this region up to 1S41. Fort Nisqually
was maintained as a Hudson's Bay
company post through the early part
of the last century and up to 1870. 1t
was at this fort that Capt. Charles
Wilkes arrived with two schooners
early in 1S41. This was part OF an
expedition on scientific research, au-
thorized by congressional act of May
Is. 1886. Under instructions several
vessels proceeded into southern wa
tiers, and later two schooners, the
Vincennes and the Porpoise Voyaged
along the California coast and the Pa
cifc Northwest section. In the spring
of 1S41 they entered Puget Sound.
1t seems to have been purely
scientific expedition and the several
scientists along operated with Fort
Nisqually as their base.
As the Fourth of July was coming
along arrangements were made for OBJ
serving the day, and this included
a barbecue and program of sports, par.
ticipated in by mariners and the
friendly Indians. This celebration took
place at the head Of Lake Sequaht-
chew, near old For Nisqually. 1t was
on this occasion that Capt. Wilkes and
a small party walked over to the ad.
joining lake, and while this lake had
no important part in the celebration
he named it American. Up to this
time the lake bore the name OF Spoot-
sylth, which suggests the uncanny
reputation it bore among the In
dams. They would for some superb
tious reason never battle in the lake.
Americans are not given to that feel
ing and do so with impuity. ..
Among the early residents there
was some dispute as to how Wilkes
came to name the lake American. The
reason appears obvious, but some re-
counted the fact that DR.. P. ]. Rich.
mond, a missionary in the section, de-
livered the Fourth OF July GRAFTON, and
he and his wife were with Capt.
Wilkes when he named the lake. Mrs.
Richmond's first name was America,
and some have contended the captain
calamity applied it.
Anyhow, it became American Lake
and American Prairie.
A modest monument marks the
spot Of the celebration. The histor.
ians supposed they knew this exact
spot up to II years ago, but to make
certain Slugimas Koquilton, an aged
Indian, was one day taken out, and
while many changes Of vegetation had
taken place since he saw it 40 years
before, he fixed the spot in different
location, and there the monument was
unveiled IS years after the celebra,
ton.
The town Of Steilacoom, about FIVE
miles from American Lake, is the old
est town on Puget Sound A mile to
the east are remnants of the old bar.
racks of Fort Steilacoom, where In
their day Grant and Serman served as
young officers, long before the Civil
war. -..