1896: Levi Ankeny and Chinook
One old Settler got a lot of attention for being able to speak Chinuk Wawa…
And this seemed faintly ridiculous to the many around him who also spoke it.
Today is the first of 3 devoted to Levi Ankeny…
The papers of the Northwest are making a great deal of fuss over the fact that Levi Ankeny recently demonstrated that he could read and understand Chinook. We see nothing very strange in this. Milton has a half dozen pioneers with like accomplishments, and the mere fact that Mr. Ankeny is very wealthy should in nowise cause him to forget knowledge obtained in the early days no more than those who travel in humbler walks of life.
— from the Athena (OR) Press of March 13, 1896, page 4, column 2
Bonus fact:
Growing up in Spokane, I always knew that one of the swankest joints in town was Ankeny’s, high atop the Ridpath Hotel. Some of us snuck in there during high school to hear some good jazz 😁 The smart money says the place was named after Levi Ankeny’s wealthy family…
