Weekly Chemawa American., August 21, 1908, Image 1

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VOL. 11
AUGUST 21, 1908.
NO. 9
Legend of "Great
Skockum" Lake.
The following interesting Indian Leg
end of -."Great, Skookum" Lake, Tilla
mook county, was told in Sunday's Ore
gonian: The only party ever known to have
passed a night by the shores of "Great
Skookum" Lake without being disturbed
and frightened out of seven years' growth
was a party consisting of the father of
Sheriff Crenshaw, of Tillamook; Charles
Ladd, the Portland banker, 'and J. D.
Edwards, now with the Whitney Land
Company, who camped there one night
some years ago. Mr. Edwards states'
that thev were not disturbed, but he has
heard from others, who have had the
most trying experiences there. -
The Indian Legend connected with the
lake is as follows: Old Killums, the
chief of the Tillamook (or as it used to
be spelled, Killamook) Indians used to
get terribly excited when telling the
story. ;
Indian tradition tells that in the days
of long ago, many, many moons before
ever a white man was known on the
Coast, the lake was the favorite camping,
hunting and fishing ground, in the Fall,
of the powerful Killamook tribe.
It was their custom to visit the lake,
which swarmed with fish, and the shores
of which were overrun with deer, elk,
bear, panthers and other animals. The
squaws would pick immense quantities
of berriesespecially the blueberry, and
dry the fish caught, while the bucks
would go off and kill their winter supply
of deer, elk and other game.
One day while the bucks were away
hunting this "Big Skookum," an im
mense monster, came out of the lake and
dragged one of the most, prominent and
best favored of the squaws back to his
haunt in the center of the lake and dis
appeared. The rest of the squaws raised
a great alarm which reached and brought
back the hunters, who, when they heard
the tale, immediately struck camp, and
packed everything out that night.
The lake was given the name of the
"Great Skookum'' and has been held by
t,he Indians as haunted and accursed
ever since. t .
Young Killum, the son of old Chief
Killum, is on the Grande , Ronde reser
vation now, and nothing would induce
' any Indian on the reserve to go ne.tr
"Great Skookum" Lake. -