1903: Old Settlers Send Chinook Invitations
We’ve seen this event covered before…
John Paul Judson (1840-1910) (image credit: findagrave)
Today, here’s additional information about it.
(To read more about the custom of event invitations in Chinuk Wawa, click here.)
I’d love to look through Mr. Kuhn’s papers for the Chinook Jargon material that must be there!
John Paul Judson, a native of Köln (Cologne) in the German empire, came to Washington Territory deep in frontier times (1853). His family was said to have been the first settlers of Tacoma, on Puget Sound, so he must have spent nearly all of his 70 years talking Jargon.
OLD SETTLERS SEND
CHINOOK INVITATIONSCorporation Counsel Judson, who
will have been in this state 60 years
in October, has received an invitation
printed in the Chinook language to
attend the 24th annual clambake of
old settlers near Port Townsend, on
August 15.Mr. Judson taught school in the
neighborhood where the clambake is
to be held in the winter of 1865-66,
and many of those who are to be
present on August 15 were his pu-
pils.The invitation came to Mr. Jud-
son from J. A. Kuhn, chief of the old
settlers’ association, and in answer-
ing Mr. Judson has replied in the
Chinook language.Mr. Judson arrived at Tacoma with
his parents from Illinois in 1858 [actually 1853].
Tacoma was at that time Indian
land, and the Judsons were the first
white people to arrive. Later Mr.
Jndson sold his farm to the North-
ern Pacific railroad for a termimus
and the city has grown up on the
property.
— from the Spokane (WA) Press of August 10, 1903, page 3, columns 1&2
