Chinook Story

Statement No. 16 Rolls of Certain Indian Tribes in Oregon and Washington, 59th Congress, 2nd session, House of Representatives Document #133. Known as the “McChesney Rolls,” 1906.

The following is transcribed from the 1906 McChesney Rolls:

STATEMENT NO. 16.

STATE OF WASHINGOTN, Pacific County, ss:

Catherine George, of Bay Center Wash., being duly sworn, deposes and says she is about 78 years of age and belongs to the Wheelapa band of Chinook Indians.

My maiden name was Catherine Was-se-quah. I have been married twice; frist time to Tom Hawks, or Huckswelt, a Lower Chinook Indian chief, who was alive in 1851 and one of the signers of the treaty of that year. He died about twenty years ago, aged about 60 years, and left surviving him, myself, Catherine George, his widow, and our children, as follows: John Hawks, son, 50 years old. Bay Center, Wash.; Adam Hawks, son, 45 years old, Granville, Wash.; Josephine Hawks Pope, daughter, 33 years old, Granville, Wash., who are his *?*sole*?* heirs. I am now married to an Indian named Wynooche George.

I have no brothers or sisters. I have a half-sister, named Catherine Dawson, living at Bay Center, Wash. I knew Cumcumley, who dies many years ago, and he was a chief of the Lower band of Chinooks. He had five children , all of whom are dead, and there are no issue or heirs of his now living. I knew Kulchute also, who died before Cumcumley died. There were two Kulchutes, both Lower Chinook Indians, and they were cousins. The elder Kulchute died without any issue or heirs surviving him. The younger Kulchute, who was also alive in 1851, left surviving him one daughter named Tahshuck, who is also dead, leaving as *?*sold*?* heirs one son and one daughter, viz. Edward Smith and Maggie Smith Pete, both whom reside on the Chehalis Reservation, Oakville, Wash.

I knew Ahmoosamoose, a chief of hte Lower Band of Chinook Indians, alive in 1851, but how is now deceased. He left three children surviving him and who are his *?*sold*?* heirs, viz, Ahmoosamoose, son, who is dead and left surviving him a daughter named Katy, now Mrs. Kate Walkowsky, and she lives near Oysterville, Wash. Another son was named Jack, who is dead without issue. Ahmoosamoose also left a daughter named Looks, who is also dead, leaving as issue two sons, named joe and Frank Hyasman, both of whom are not living at Granville, Chehalis County, Wash. I knew Quewish also, who is dead. He was a Lower Chinook Indian, alive in 1851. No children survived him, but at the time of his death he had grandchildren, as follows: Wahpoaya, who is now dead, leaving as *?*sole*?* heirs Caroline, a daughter now living at Georgetown, Wash., and married to George Charley, and Matthew John, son, now living at *?*the*?* same place. Narcotta, who is also dead, leaving as issue and sole heir Joseph Narcotta, whose whereabouts I do not now know. Jones, who is dead, leaving a son Paul Jones, living at Bay Center, Wash., as sole heir. I know of no other heirs of Quewish.

I knew Selahwish, who is dead. He had two children, but they never married. Selahwish had a sister named Cahlast, who is dead also, leaving a daughter named Ellen, who is dead also, leaving two children and sole issue and heirs, viz. Archie Pallard, who lives at Altoona, Wash., and Adelaine, now signer of the 1851 treaty. He died without issue. He has two sisters who survived him as sole heirs. One of the sisters died without issue and the other left as sole issue and heir a son named James Julius, now living at Oakville, Chehalis County, Wash. I do not remember the name of James Julius’s mother. I knew Chakinpon, who is dead. He had children who are also dead. *?*and*?* I know of no issue or heirs now alive. I do not remember Kahluckmuck. I knew Schoo, a Lower Chinook chief who signed the 1851 treaty. He is dead and all his children are dead, and there are no heirs.

I knew Tychawin, who is dead. He has children, but they are all dead and without issue. All died of smallpox. I knew Narcotta, who was a grandson of Quewish, deceased. Yahmauts died about fourteen years ago. He has a wife and children who died before he did and without issue. He has a sister named Kahmuck, who was alive in 1851 and left surviving her as sole heirs a daughter named Julia Lussier, one named Marry Petite, and Isabel Bertrand, all of whom are, or were recently, alive. Julia Lussier I am told died a few years since and she left as issue and heirs several children, as follows: Alex Lussier, who lives at Bay Center, Wash.; aslo Mary Lussier who lives somewhere in Oregon; also Luln Price, who is married to George Pryor and lives at Nema, Wash., and Sterling Price, who lives at Portland, Oreg. There are no other heirs of Yahmauts now alive.

I knew Kaase, who is deceased. He left no issue, and his wife died before he did and there are no heirs to my knowledge. I knew Wahqueon, a Lower Chinook chief also, and he is dead. his wife is dead, and there was no issue. A sister survived him, named Willegas, who is dead, leaving as heir a son named Samuel Jackson, who lives at Bay Center, Wash., aged about 21 years. I knew Seekumtyee, who is dead. he was also a Lower Chinook Indian and one of the signers of the 1851 treaty. His wife is dead and all his children are dead and there was only a sister who survived him and who was his sole heir, and her name was Ahkiack, who is now dead. she had a son named John Cliff, who lives at Humptulips, Wash., about 40 years of age, and who is the sole surviving heir of Ahkiack and Seekumtyee. I knew Kadock, who is dead. all his children died before he did, and there are no heirs living.

I knew Yahwisk, and he is dead and his wife is dead. he left surviving him as sole heir his son, Tyee John, who is also dead and who left surviving him as sole heirs his son, Johnny John and Sampson John. Johnny lives at Georgetown, Wash., and Sampson lives at Oyhut, Wash. There are no other heirs of Yahwisk, deceased. I knew Elaspah, who is dead. he died unmarried and without issue. He had brothers, but they died without issue. He had no sisters, and there is no heir. I knew Chacolitch, who is dead. he was never married and left no issue, and there are no heirs.

NOTE.–All the foregoing were signers to the Lower Chinook treaty of 1851. I knew Elaspah’s father, who was a Lower Chinook Indian and was alive in 1851 when the treaty was signed. His name was See yak que kak, who left surviving him besides Elaspah, his son, a brother named Whah sa quah, who is dead, leaving a daughter (being myself), Catherine George, and another daughter (my half-sister), Catherine Dawson, now living at Bay Center, Wash., as his sole heirs.

I knew Mooyahuts, who was a Lower Chinook woman, alive in 1851 when the treaty was made, who is now dead and left as her sole heir her son, Jack Pisk, who died about twenty years ago, leaving as issue and sole heir one son named Henry Pisk, who is about 30 years of age and lives at Bay Center, Wash. There is no other heir alive of Mooyahuts, deceased. I knew Totillicum, who was a chief of the Kalhtamets, who is dead. He had a number of children, but they are all dead. he had a brother named Klowsum, who survived him and was his only heir. Klowsum is also dead, and his heirs are Samuel Mallet, Elizabeth (Klowsum) Springer, and Jason Mallet, grandson, all of whom live at Bay Center, Wash. There are no other heirs of Totillicum, deceased. I did not know John. I knew Kaisht, who is dead. He was not married and died without issue–no heirs. I knew Lahoho, who is dead, and he has no issue or heirs now alive. I knew Moses, who is dead, and he has no issue or heirs now alive.

I knew Kalup, who was Klowsum’s son. He is dead, and had not children, and the only persons surviving him as relatives are his half-brother, Samuel Mallet, and half-sister, Elizabeth (Klowsum) Springer, and Jason Millet, son of his half-brother, James Mallet, deceased, all of whom live at Bay Center, Wash. I knew Wakotsuck, who is dead and left no children or heirs–all are dead.

Clatsops.–I knew Tostow, who is dead, a Clatsop Indian chief, who was alive in 1851. He left surviving him as issue and sold heirs a son and a daughter. The daughter’s name is Kate Tostow, who is now alive and lives at Skipanon, Oreg. I think she is married. The son is dead. His name was Baker and he died without issue, and Kate is the sole surviving heir of her father, Tostow, deceased.

I knew Colata, who is dead. He had seven children (five are dead, having died unmarried and without issue). Two daughters are now alive, one named Grace Swawa, living at Tillamook, Oreg., and the other named Filly Cotata, unmarried, and lives at Garibaldi, Tillamook County, Oreg., aged about 40 years. Filly is the older sister. I knew Twilts, a Clatsop chief, who is dead, and there is no issue or heir to my knowledge. I do not remember Tickahah. I knew Washington, who is dead, and his wife is dead. A son, named Joseph Lane, survived him as issue and sold heir. Joseph is dead, leaving as sold heirs his wife, Jennie, now Jennie Williams, living at Bay Center, Wash., and son, James Lane, of Tokeland, Wash., aged about 21 years, and also a daughter named Louisa Lane, who is dead and left surviving her a daughter named Nina Bobb, married and living at Tokeland, Wash., also. I knew Skotchlechie, a Clatsop chief, who is dead, and his wife and children are all dead–no issue and no heirs alive.

I knew Dunkle, who is dead. He left two children, Joseph and Mary Dunkle, who live at Nehalem, Oreg. I knew Winawox, a Clatsop, who is dead, and his children are all dead–no issue or heirs alive. I do not remember Hulleh. I Knew Waucakie, a Clatsop, who is dead. He had one daughter, who died without issue, and there are no heirs now alive. Bob Silackie is a Clatsop Indian, alive, at Georgetown, Wash., whose father and mother were both Clatsops, who died about fifty years ago, but were alive when the 1851 treaty was made. the father’s name was Queanequah. I do not now recall the mother’s name.

I know Joseph and Howard Cultee, of Bay Center, who are Clatsops. They are sons of Kularsen, who was alive when the 1851 treaty was made, and he was a Clatsop Indian. I do not know any of the Tillamook Indians. I knew Wahmaskie, who as a Lower Chinook woman, who died about thirty-five years ago, aged about 55 years. She left as issue a son named Dixie James, now living at Bay Center, Wash., and also her husband, James Huckquist, now living at Bay Center, Wash., aged about 80 years.

CATHERINE GEORGE (her x mark).

Sworn and subscribed to before me at Bay Center, Wash., this 2nd day of January, 1906. CHAS. E. MCCHESNEY Supervisor of Indian Schools.