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History echoes in this community
Thursday, February 05, 2009 | No comments posted.
The World’s feature, “I Want to Know,” is great. Regarding its recent answer about the Hollering Place in Empire (The World, Jan. 29), I have more information and a few minor corrections.
Nearly 80 years ago Princess Lottie (Evanoff) of the Coos Tribe gave the original location of the Hollering Place while testifying at a U.S. Court of Claims hearing in North Bend. She said, “It was right across from Empire (on North Spit). They called it Ellekatitch. When anybody comes there they holler, that is what it is named after.”
I’m indebted to Don Whereat, former historian of the Confederated Tribes of the Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw, for that story.
The first settlers adopted the same practice of hollering across the bay. Esther Lockhart and her husband, Freeman, were among the founders of Empire. With their husbands leading the mules, Esther and two other women rode sidesaddle down the beach 20 miles from Winchester Bay to North Spit. Each woman had a child on her lap and another one behind her. They all arrived opposite Empire on Oct. 18, 1853. Esther said, “The people at the settlement had been expecting the arrival of the families, and soon after some loud shouting by our men, we perceived two large canoes coming across the bay. The mules, greatly frightened and somewhat unruly, were finally induced to swim over and before long we were all safely landed on the other side.”
“I Want to Know” stated early travelers approached the Coos Indian village at Empire from the east. Actually there were four villages here and most travelers came from the south or north. For example, explorer Jedediah Smith with 19 men came up from California in 1828 with 300 horses and crossed the bay at Empire to North Spit.
The Concerned Citizens of Empire will sponsor a Clamboree in Empire June 27-28. Its history committee — Jim Hillar, Andi Jensen and myself — is preparing a self-guided tour of historic places in Empire, including the Hollering Place, historic houses and buildings and sites, such as the old county courthouse, the Cape Arago Lumber Co. mill and Empire’s first downtown, which had its buildings atop wharves only a few feet above high tide. Meanwhile for more history and information, please go to http://www.theholleringplace.com.
Frank Walsh
Coos Bay
Nearly 80 years ago Princess Lottie (Evanoff) of the Coos Tribe gave the original location of the Hollering Place while testifying at a U.S. Court of Claims hearing in North Bend. She said, “It was right across from Empire (on North Spit). They called it Ellekatitch. When anybody comes there they holler, that is what it is named after.”
I’m indebted to Don Whereat, former historian of the Confederated Tribes of the Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw, for that story.
The first settlers adopted the same practice of hollering across the bay. Esther Lockhart and her husband, Freeman, were among the founders of Empire. With their husbands leading the mules, Esther and two other women rode sidesaddle down the beach 20 miles from Winchester Bay to North Spit. Each woman had a child on her lap and another one behind her. They all arrived opposite Empire on Oct. 18, 1853. Esther said, “The people at the settlement had been expecting the arrival of the families, and soon after some loud shouting by our men, we perceived two large canoes coming across the bay. The mules, greatly frightened and somewhat unruly, were finally induced to swim over and before long we were all safely landed on the other side.”
“I Want to Know” stated early travelers approached the Coos Indian village at Empire from the east. Actually there were four villages here and most travelers came from the south or north. For example, explorer Jedediah Smith with 19 men came up from California in 1828 with 300 horses and crossed the bay at Empire to North Spit.
The Concerned Citizens of Empire will sponsor a Clamboree in Empire June 27-28. Its history committee — Jim Hillar, Andi Jensen and myself — is preparing a self-guided tour of historic places in Empire, including the Hollering Place, historic houses and buildings and sites, such as the old county courthouse, the Cape Arago Lumber Co. mill and Empire’s first downtown, which had its buildings atop wharves only a few feet above high tide. Meanwhile for more history and information, please go to http://www.theholleringplace.com.
Frank Walsh
Coos Bay
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