Rodney White (died August 27, 1913) was a Black pioneer in Washington who settled in Tahuya. After his death, the swamp where he built his homestead was named after a racial slur. It was officially renamed the "Rodney White Slough" on October 27, 2022.
Rodney White | |
|---|---|
 Rodney White and his livestock | |
| Born | Missouri, US |
| Died | August 27, 1913 Mason County, US |
| Occupation | Farmer |
Life
editWhile much of White's early life is unknown, he was born into slavery in Missouri sometime in the mid-19th century.[1] After being freed, White made his way to Roslyn, Washington before being hired for a mine construction job in Mason County.[2] He filed a claim under one of the Homestead Acts for land and crossed the Puget Sound, from Seattle to Tahuya, on September 2, 1890. Two members of his party drowned while attempting to land the ferry in heavy winds.[3][4] He quickly built a reputation for being a hard worker with "a heart of gold" and worked on his homestead until his death from pneumonia on August 27, 1913.[5][1] By the time of his death, his homestead had grown to nearly 160 acres.[2] His two donkeys, Baltimore and Babe, were given to the Woodland Park Zoo after his death.[3]
Legacy
editAfter White's death, the swamp where he had built his homestead was given the derogatory name "Nigger Slough." This name appeared on maps until 1992, when the United States Board on Geographic Names renamed the area Grass Lake.[1] On October 27, 2022, the Washington State Committee on Geographic Names renamed the swamp "Rodney White Slough" in White's honor.[6][7] The move followed a campaign by local activists with the Living Arts Cultural Heritage Project.[8] The change was finalized by the Washington State Department of Natural Resources on January 19, 2023, along with changes to several other geographic features to remove references to racial slurs.[9]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c Farley, Josh (2022-08-05). "A Tahuya slough, once named for the N-word, was farmed by Black pioneer born into slavery". Kitsap Sun. Retrieved 2022-10-31.
- ^ a b Fredson, Michael (2007). Hood Canal. Arcadia Publishing. p. 66. ISBN 9780738548012.
- ^ a b Parker, Jan (2022-02-17). "A story of early Tahuya". Shelton-Mason County Journal. Retrieved 2022-10-31.
- ^ "Hood's Canal Sept. 2. 1890". The Mason County Journal. 1890-09-05. p. 5. Retrieved 2022-10-31 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Lee, Mark (1978-02-09). "Bygone days in cosmopolitan Tahuya". Shelton Mason County Journal. p. 33. Retrieved 2022-10-31 – via SmallTownPapers.
- ^ Rodruck, Ryan (2022-10-27). "Committee on Geographic Names Approves Tribal Proposals for Renaming Derogatory Place Names". Washington State Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved 2022-10-31.
- ^ Weeks, Gordon (2022-11-03). "Relabeling racist names on Tahuya lakes". Shelton-Mason County Journal. Retrieved 2023-02-16.
- ^ Farley, Josh (2022-10-28). "Washington renames Mason County swamp for Black pioneer whose home was known by racial slur". Kitsap Sun. Retrieved 2022-10-31.
- ^ Dallas, Julia (2023-02-07). "Washington wetlands are renamed to honor Black, Indigenous history". KIRO7. Retrieved 2023-02-16.