Nemah, Washington
Nemah, Washington | |
|---|---|
  Nemah Location within Washington (state)  Nemah Location within the United States | |
| Coordinates: 46°30′43″N 123°53′10″W / 46.51194°N 123.88611°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Washington |
| County | Pacific |
| Elevation | 46 ft (14 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-8 (Pacific (PST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (PDT) |
| ZIP code | 98586[a] |
| GNIS feature ID | 1511178[1] |
Nemah is an unincorporated community in Pacific County, in the U.S. state of Washington, lying on the mainland bordering Willapa Bay.
Indigenous history
Prior to Euro-American settlement, the Nemah area was home to a small Chinook band known as the "Marhoo" or "Nemar," who fished the rivers for salmon and gathered clams and oysters along the shores of Willapa Bay.[2] Ethnographic records identify the band's principal village, known as Ma'hu, as situated at the mouth of the Nemah River.[3]
The Nemah band formed one of several recognized divisions of the broader Chinook people. Other recorded Chinook divisions along Shoalwater Bay included the Gitlapshoi, Nisal, Palux, and Wharhoots, with the bay-area villages collectively referred to as the Atsmitl.[4]
The Chinook and Lower Chehalis were the original inhabitants of the lower Columbia River region encompassing present-day Pacific County, with more than 40 Chinook settlements recorded at the mouths of the Nemah, Naselle, Willapa, and Bone rivers, among other locations. Salmon and oysters formed the core of their economic base, and they were skilled navigators of sea-going canoes.[5]
The broader Chinook Nation, headquartered in Bay Center, Washington, consists of five tribes — the Lower Chinook, Clatsop, Kathlamet, Wahkiakum, and Willapa — who share the Chinookan language. The Chinook Nation is not currently federally recognized; tribal members achieved recognition briefly in 2001, but that status was rescinded after 18 months, and efforts to restore recognition are ongoing.[6]
History
The name Nemah is thought to derive from the name of the Nemar band of Chinook people who inhabited the area. The place was once spelled "Nema" before a post office was established in December 1894, at which point the spelling was changed to its present form.[7] The post office remained in operation until 1923.[8]
The area is a popular hunting ground for wild elk.
Notes
- ↑ USPS designates South Bend as the accepted city name for ZIP code 98586; "Nemah" is listed as not acceptable for mailing purposes.
References
- 1 2 U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Nemah, Washington
- ↑ "Around the Bay: The Nemah". Chinook Observer. April 22, 2003.
- ↑ "Chinook Indians". Access Genealogy.
- ↑ "Chinook Tribe". Access Genealogy.
- ↑ "Pacific County — Thumbnail History". HistoryLink.org. October 26, 2006.
- ↑ "Tribes of the Columbia River System". Confluence Project. October 10, 2019.
- ↑ "Around the Bay: The Nemah". Chinook Observer. April 22, 2003.
- ↑ "Post Offices". Jim Forte Postal History. Retrieved August 19, 2016.
Municipalities and communities of Pacific County, Washington, United States | ||
|---|---|---|
| Cities |  | |
| CDPs | ||
| Other communities | ||
| Ghost towns | ||
| Indian reservation | ||