Near Port Angeles in Clallam County, Washington — The American West (Northwest)
Juan de Fuca
Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, June 26, 2021
1. Juan de Fuca Marker
According to a seventeenth century account, Apostolos Valerianos discovered a waterway through the northwest corner of North America in 1592 a Northwest Passage. He reputedly sailed for the Spanish under the name Juan de Fuca.
For a century and a half, no one tested the claim. Finally, in the late eighteenth century, explorers of many nations sailed their tall ships to the Pacific Northwest to chart, claim, and trade. In 1787 Charles William Barkley, an Englishman commanding the Imperial Eagle and seeking sea otter pelts from Indian people, sighted a major inlet at 48°20' north latitude. He honored the, perhaps imaginary, ancient mariner by giving de Fuca's name to the strait.
From 1790 to 1792, the Spanish charted the Strait and met its residents, the Makah and Klallam tribes.
George Vancouver included the title supposed Strait of Juan de Fuca on his charts, which were published in London in 1798 and widely distributed.
Erected by Washington State Parks Washington State Historical Society Washington State Department of Transportation Washington State Conservation Corps.
Topics. This historical
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Location. 48° 5.968′ N, 123° 32.08′ W. Marker is near Port Angeles, Washington, in Clallam County. It is at the intersection of Olympic Highway (U.S. 101) and Laird Road, on the right when traveling west on Olympic Highway. Marker is in the park and ride lot. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Port Angeles WA 98363, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Washington’s Olympic Peninsula. It is also on the American Pacific Coast, in the Pacific Northwest, and in the Lewis & Clark Corridor. Globally, it is in North America, the Pacific Rim, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere.
Other nearby markers. At least 6 other markers are within 9 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Lincoln Park (approx. 2.8 miles away); Pioneers of Port Angeles (approx. 4.8 miles away); President Lincoln Reserved This Building Site (approx. 4.8 miles away); Discovery of Port Angeles Harbor
Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, June 26, 2021
2. Juan de Fuca Marker
Also see . . . Juan de Fuca. Wikipedia entry on the Greek explorer, whose name was Ioannis Phokas. Juan de Fuca was the Spanish translation of his name. (Submitted on July 16, 2021, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)
Credits. This page was last revised on January 4, 2023. It was originally submitted on July 16, 2021, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 613 times since then and 38 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on July 16, 2021, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
