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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2015
Vol. CXXIV, No. 231
OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE CITY OF TACOMA Devoted to the Courts, Real Estate, Finance, Industrial Activities, and Publication of Legal Notices
Published Published Since Since 1890 1890
Vancouver Notch
DNR Board approves proposal to name Mount Rainier foothills feature Posted online Tues., Dec. 1 By Todd Matthews, Editor The Washington State Board of Natural Resources on Tuesday approved a Pierce County resident's proposal to officially name a v-shaped mountain pass in the foothills of Mount Rainier in honor of the late British Navy Captain George Vancouver. In the spring of 1792, Vancouver was aboard the H.M.S. Discovery in Puget Sound and surveying the natural environment when he noticed the geological feature. Vancouver, whose ship was anchored at Restoration Point on the southern end of Bainbridge Island, noted the feature in his journal—"The appearance of a very abrupt division in the snowy range of mountains immediately to the south of Mount Rainier, which was very conspicuous from the ship, and the main arm of the inlet appearing to stretch in that direction from the point we were then upon"—and boarded one of two smaller boats that headed south, past Vashon Island, and into Commencement Bay, only to find what he bePuyallup resident and maritime historian Barbara Reid in the Mount Rainier foothills and the heart of the proposed Vancouver Notch, where the Mowich River and the Puyallup River meet. (PHOTO BY TODD MATTHEWS)
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lieved to be a dead end. Vancouver noted: "We were excessively anxious to ascertain the truth, of which we were not long held in suspense. We found the inlet to terminate here in an extensive circular compact bay, whose waters washed the base of mount Rainier." Vancouver would go on to name dozens of mountains, waterways, and islands in the Puget Sound area—but the v-shaped notch remained nameless and largely elusive. Many historians believe Vancouver wondered if the large, concave feature could have signaled an opening to The Northwest Passage.
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Vancouver Notch is visible from downtown Tacoma. In 1792, British Navy Captain George Vancouver thought the conspicuous, v-shaped geographical feature might lead to the Northwest Passage. (PHOTO BY TERRY RISHEL / COURTESY BARBARA REID) A proposal to formally name Vancouver Notch was submitted earlier this year by Puyallup resident, retired Army veteran, and maritime historian Barbara Reid. On maps, Reid was able to pinpoint the heart of the notch to land owned by Hancock Forest Management and located approximately 12 miles west of Mount Rainier, where the Puyallup River and Mowich River intersect. It is bounded on one side by an 1,800foot ridge known as "The Divide." In July, the Tacoma Daily Index was first to publish a feature article about Reid and her proposal (see "Vancouver Notch: Mount Rainier foothills could soon honor the late explorer," Tacoma Daily Index, July 31, 2015) and it proved to be a popular article among our readers (see "Tacoma Daily Index Top Stories — August 2015," Tacoma Daily Index, Sept. 1, 2015). In August, the Tacoma Daily Index wrote to Hancock Forest Management requesting to visit the proposed Vancouver notch area. In October, the timber company invited Reid and the Tacoma Daily Index onto the property to visit and photograph The Divide, the notch, and the Puyallup River and Mowich River confluence (see "Vancouver Notch: In Mount Rainier's foothills, Barbara Reid completes one famous explorer's journey," Tacoma Daily Index, Oct. 21, 2015; and "Tacoma Daily Index Top Stories — October 2015," Tacoma Daily Index, Nov. 2, 2015). CONTINUED The Washington State ON PAGE 2 Committee on Geographic