Chief Comcomly

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Chief Comcomly or Concomly (1754? - 1830) was a Native American chief of the Chinookan people. He was the principal chief of the Chinook Confederacy, which extended along the Columbia River from the Cascade Range to the Pacific Ocean.[1] Washington Irving described him in his book Astoria as "a shrewd old savage with but one eye".[1] He was friendly to the European American explorers whom he encountered, and received medals from Lewis and Clark.[1] He also assisted the Astor Expedition and offered to help the Americans fight the British during the War of 1812, but Astoria was sold to the British instead.[1] Comcomly was friendly with the British as well.[1] He was entertained at Fort Vancouver by John McLoughlin and he piloted Hudson's Bay Company ships up the Columbia.[1]

Comcomly's daughter Raven, also known as Princess Sunday, married Duncan McDougall of the Astor Expedition, and after he left she married Archibald McDonald.[1] She was the mother of Ranald MacDonald.[1]

Comcomly died in 1830 when a fever epidemic struck his tribe.[1] In 1834, Comcomly's skull was stolen from his grave by a Hudson's Bay Company physician and sent to England for display in a museum.[1]

There was a station of the Oregon Electric Railway in Marion County named "Concomly" for the chief.[2]

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Cogswell, Philip Jr. (1977). Capitol Names: Individuals Woven Into Oregon's History. Portland, Oregon: Oregon Historical Society, 103. 
  2. ^ McArthur, Lewis A.; Lewis L. McArthur [1928] (2003). Oregon Geographic Names, Seventh Edition, Portland, Oregon: Oregon Historical Society Press. ISBN 0-87595-277-1. 

[edit] External links


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