Cape Flattery facts for kids
Cape Flattery is the most northwestern point of the contiguous United States. It is located in Clallam County, Washington, on the Olympic Peninsula. This is where the Strait of Juan de Fuca meets the big Pacific Ocean.
Cape Flattery is also part of the Makah Reservation, which is land belonging to the Makah people. It marks the northern edge of the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary, a special protected ocean area. You can reach Cape Flattery by taking a short walk, much of which is on a wooden boardwalk.
The Cape Flattery Lighthouse stands on Tatoosh Island, a small island just off the cape. Makah Bay and Neah Bay are on either side of the cape. Neah Bay, Washington is the town closest to Cape Flattery.
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History of Cape Flattery
Naming by James Cook
Cape Flattery is the oldest place in Washington state that still has its original name. It was named by Captain James Cook on March 22, 1778. Cook wrote that he saw "a small opening which flattered us with the hopes of finding an harbour." Because of this hope, he called the land to the north "Cape Flattery."
Japanese Sailors in 1834
In 1834, some of the first Japanese people known to reach what is now Washington state arrived near Cape Flattery. Their ship had lost its mast and rudder and ran aground. The three survivors, including a man named Otokichi, were cared for by the local Makah people.
Later, a man named William H. McNeill learned about them. He took them to British officials at Fort Vancouver. This was done under orders from John McLoughlin of the Hudson's Bay Company, which was in charge of the area at that time.
Fuca Pillar Rock
The Fuca Pillar is a tall, almost rectangular rock formation. You can find it on the west side of Cape Flattery. It is named after Juan de Fuca, a Greek sailor who explored for Spain.
Juan de Fuca claimed to be the first European to see this pillar and to explore the Strait of Juan de Fuca, which is also named after him. However, the first widely accepted mention of the Fuca Pillar was by John Meares in 1788.
Cape Flattery in Books and Movies
Movies
Cape Flattery, Washington, was the fictional hometown of the characters Ma and Pa Kettle. They were famous from the "Ma and Pa Kettle" movie series.
Literature
- The children's book Ghost Canoe (1998) by Will Hobbs takes place on Tatoosh Island and in Neah Bay in 1874.
- Parts of the young adult novel Freaky Green Eyes (2003) by Joyce Carol Oates are set here in modern times.
- The novel When Wolf Comes (2009) by John Pappas is set in Cape Flattery in the year 1801.
- D.G. Driver's novel Echo of the Cliffs (2017) includes parts that happen at Cape Flattery and Fuca Pillar. This book is the third in the Juniper Sawfeather series for young adults.
See also
In Spanish: Cabo Flattery para niños
