West Point (Seattle)

West Point

*paq̓ac̓aɬčuʔ* (Lushootseed)
West Point paq̓ac̓aɬčuʔ (Lushootseed)
Point
	Aerial photo of West Point
Location	Seattle, Washington, United States
Native name	paq̓ac̓aɬčuʔ (Lushootseed)

West Point (Lushootseed: paq̓ac̓aɬčuʔ)^[1] is the westernmost point in Seattle, Washington, United States, jutting into Puget Sound from the Magnolia neighborhood. It also marks the northern extent of Elliott Bay; a line drawn southeastward to Alki Point marks the western extent of the bay. At the point itself is the 1881 West Point Lighthouse, the first staffed light station on Puget Sound. Just to the east is the West Point Treatment Plant, and beyond that, Discovery Park, formerly the U.S. Army's Fort Lawton.

The original Lushootseed name for West Point, paq̓ac̓aɬčuʔ, means "brush spread over water."^[1]^[2] West Point was given its English name in 1841 by U.S. Navy lieutenant Charles Wilkes, commander of the United States Exploring Expedition.

In 1992, construction of an expansion to the sewage treatment plant unearthed the archaeological remains of early Coast Salish peoples, including thousands of artifacts from 4,200 years ago.^[3]^[4]

Notes

^ ^a ^b Hilbert, Vi; Miller, Jay; Zahir, Zalmai (2001). sdaʔdaʔ gʷəɬ dibəɬ ləšucid ʔacaciɬtalbixʷ - Puget Sound Geography. Original Manuscript from T.T. Waterman. Lushootseed Press. ISBN 979-8750945764.
^ Steve Wilke and Karen James, An Archeological Evaluation of the Fort Lawton Historical District, Seattle, Geo-Recon International (Seattle), July 1984. A report submitted to the City of Seattle Department of Parks and Recreation. p. 11.
^ Schwarz, Joel (November 13, 2000). "New archaeology kits will recreate 4,200-year-old Puget Sound Life". University of Washington. Retrieved May 4, 2021.
^ Torvik, Solveig (May 8, 1994). "A History at West Point: Metro a model for saving 'lost' Indian artifacts". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. p. E1.