 There
are several totem poles touted as the “world’s tallest” located
in the  Pacific Northwest. One contender is Kalama’s 140-foot pole,
carved from a single tree and free-standing. But wait.
Alert Bay in British Columbia has a taller one, at 173 feet. It is made
of three pieces, however, and has guy wires to keep it from falling.
In 1994, Victoria, B.C., erected a 180-foot, one-piece totem pole, but
it was also held up by guy wires. After it was declared an air
traffic hazard in 2001, the top 140-foot section was cut off and moved
to the Songhees Indian Reserve.
Kake, Alaska, has a 137-foot, one-piece totem pole carved by Chilkat
Indians in 1967. They claim their pole is the world’s tallest “properly
sanctioned” pole. Kalama’s 140-foot totem pole is a copy of
authentic Indian poles, but a “real” Native American didn’t
carve it. Chief Lelooska’s real name was Don Smith and he was adopted
by the Nez Perce when he was 12 years old. Who can say for sure where the “tallest” pole
is?
Kalama’s 140-foot pole was commissioned for the 1962 Seattle World’s
Fair. However, the carving was not completed in time, so that pole, along
with three shorter ones, lay on the ground in Kalama for 12 years before
a group of local citizens and Native Americans finished it. In 1974,
enough money had been raised to move the four poles to their present
location. By 1997, they were becoming severely weathered, so workers
erected scaffolding and made repairs in place.
Chief Lelooska carved many totem poles before his death in 1996. You
can see examples at the Portland Zoo, downtown Longview, the Skamania
Lodge and the Camas Public Library. And he did more than carve
totem poles. His Cultural Center originated in Kalama in the
early 1960s and was subsequently built in Arial, Washington. No longer
regularly open to the public, it still offers a variety of educational
programs aimed at preserving the cultural heritage of North American
Indians. Tens of thousands of school children visited Lelooska over the
years and remember the master storyteller who could hold his audiences
in awe for hours.
Last month, I wrote that, in 1902, the Ostrander Sawmill cut a 16-inch
by 16-inch, 142-foot long beam. In 1905, their loggers cut down a 240-foot
tree to be used as a flagpole at the Lewis and Clark Centennial Exhibition
in Portland.
If you have trouble trying to visualize such long timbers, make the trip
to Kalama’s Marina Park to see the 140-foot tall totem pole – which
by at least some criteria qualifies as the “world’s tallest
totem pole.” Imagine a 16” x 16” beam two feet taller. Then,
imagine a flagpole 100 feet taller than Kalama’s totem pole!
•••
Photo by Michael Perry
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If
you go to Kalama
 Take
I-5 to Exit #30 or Exit #36 at the Longview Wye and follow signs to Carrols
to drive the Old Pacific Highway to Kalama (as illustrated above in this
1925-vintage postcard)
3rd Annual Days of Discovery
Mark August 25-26 on your calendar and plan
to attend Kalama’s celebration of both Native Hawaiian and American
Indian cultures at the Marina Park and downtown Kalama. To learn about
Kalama’s name see the article below called "Why a town luau."
Events include Hula and Tahitian shows, a parade, a Pow Wow, a canoe regatta,
music and dancers, food, arts and crafts vendors and a farmers market. There
will be a luau and concert on Saturday from 7 to 10 pm. There should be plenty
of fun and special activities with something for everyone.
Antique lovers haven, Downtown Kalama’s biggest attraction is its dozen
antique shops. You can enjoy an afternoon browsing through yesterday’s
trash and today’s treasures.
Food
A visit to Kalama isn’t complete without a meal. There are several
cafes to chose from, including the Kalama Burger Bar (49 Ivy St.) and the Columbia
Inn Restaurant (698 Frontage Road), which have been around for years. Dr. Munchie
liked the atmosphere of the original burger bar better, but it didn’t
have indoor dining, so most folks appreciate the new location. Dr. Munchie also
frequents the quaint Fireside Café (5055 Meeker Drive, in Camp Kalama
north of town). The Antique Deli (413 N First) rarely disappoints, and
always has great cookies.
Picnicking is looking up For those who prefer to eat outdoors, the Toteff Park
at First and Elm has a nice covered picnic area and playground. Or, enjoy
your picnic at the Kalama Marina Park near the world’s “tallest” totem
pole. There are restrooms, walking/bicycling paths, ball fields, and a playground,
too. Use the pedestrian overpass to cross the railroad tracks or drive
to Exit 27 or 30 to reach the riverfront park. |
Why a town luau?
Where Kalama’s name came from
by Michael Perry
While many towns have names that can be traced back to their source, others are
a little more obscure. Native Hawaiian, as well as Native American threads intertwine
in the tapestry of Kalama’s heritage.
Most residents of Kalama will tell you their city was named after John Kalama,
a full-blooded Hawaiian born in Kula, Maui, about 1814. He came to the Pacific
Northwest around 1830 and worked for the Hudson Bay Company on their Cowlitz
Farm (near Toledo, Washington) in 1847. He married the daughter of a Nisqually
Indian Chief and lived for a while at the mouth of today’s Kalama River.
Many people believe the river was named after John Kalama, and that later,
in 1871 after the Northern Pacific began laying tracks from Kalama towards Tacoma,
a railroad official named their new town after the nearby river.
Sixty-five years earlier, however, in 1806, the Lewis and Clark Expedition
passed by the present-day Kalama River.
Sgt. Joseph Whitehouse wrote they “passed the Mouth of a River called by
the Natives Calamus.” In 1811, Gabriel Franchere (a French-Canadian
explorer) wrote in his journal that he “arrived at a large village called
Thlakalamah… built on a little river.” Both men were describing
the Kalama River and were simply trying to record the Indian name phonetically.
In 1923, in his book Origin of Washington Place Names, Edmond Meany (a history
professor at the University of Washington in the late 1800s and early 1900s)
stated that “Kalama” came from the Indian word “calamet” and
meant either “pretty maiden” or “stone.”
It appears to be just a “happy coincidence” that John Kalama’s
name sounded similar to the Indian name for the river. But it’s easy to
see how the story got its start and why ties to Hawaii have become part of the
fabric of Kalama’s history.
•••
Michael Perry’s column highlights historical sites around the Columbia
River significant in the Western expansion following Lewis and Clark’s
Expedition. During the Bicentennial Commemoration, his 33-installment series, “Dispatch
from the Discovery Trail,” re-counted Lewis and Clark’s adventures
month-by-month. He lives in Kelso and enjoys bicycling and travel. |
