Rodney White | |
|---|---|
 Rodney White and his livestock | |
| Born | Missouri, US |
| Died | August 27, 1913 Mason County, US |
| Occupation | Farmer |
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.
While 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]
After 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]
In the English language, the word nigger is a racial slur used against black people, especially African Americans. Starting in the 1980s, references to nigger have been progressively replaced by the euphemism "the N-word", notably in cases where nigger is mentioned but not directly used. In an instance of linguistic reappropriation, the term nigger is also used casually and fraternally among African Americans, most commonly in the form of nigga, whose spelling originated from the phonological system of African-American English.
Mason County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. As of the 2020 census, the population was 65,726. The county seat and only incorporated city is Shelton. The county was formed out of Thurston County on March 13, 1854. Originally named Sawamish County, it took its present name in 1864 in honor of Charles H. Mason, the first Secretary of Washington Territory.
Kitsap County is located in the U.S. state of Washington. As of the 2020 census, its population was 275,611. Its county seat is Port Orchard, and its largest city is Bremerton. The county was formed out of King County and Jefferson County on January 16, 1857, and is named for Chief Kitsap of the Suquamish Tribe. Originally named Slaughter County, it was soon renamed.
Indianola is a census-designated place (CDP) in Kitsap County, Washington, United States, located on the north shore of Port Madison on the Port Madison Indian Reservation, home of the Suquamish Indian Tribe. The population was 3,500 at the 2010 census. It was originally established as a summer community and was a stop for Mosquito Fleet ferries until the 1950s.
Kingston is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Kitsap County, Washington, United States. The population was 2,099 at the 2010 census. Kingston is along the shores of Appletree Cove and Puget Sound, and is home to a major Washington State Ferry terminal linking it to Edmonds.
Manchester is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Kitsap County, Washington, United States. The population was 5,714 at the 2020 census. Manchester is located on the Puget Sound approximately 10 miles from downtown Seattle, and is adjacent to county seat Port Orchard to its east. Today, Manchester labels itself as a village. It is small in size but is home to a Kitsap Regional Library (KRL) branch, a post office, an elementary school, and a beachfront park to serve its residents.
Navy Yard City is a census-designated place (CDP) in Kitsap County, Washington, United States. The population was 2,477 at the 2010 census.
Port Orchard is a city in and the county seat of Kitsap County, Washington, United States. It is located 13 miles (21 km) due west of West Seattle and is connected to Seattle and Vashon Island via the Washington State Ferries run to Southworth. It is named after Port Orchard, the strait that separates Bainbridge Island from the Kitsap Peninsula.
Silverdale is a census-designated place (CDP) in Kitsap County, Washington, in the United States. The population was 20,733 at the 2020 census. Despite many attempts at incorporation, Silverdale remains an unincorporated community.
Shelton is a city in and the county seat of Mason County, Washington, United States. Shelton is the westernmost city on Puget Sound. The population was 10,371 at the 2020 census. Shelton has a council–manager form of government and was the last city in Washington to use a mayor–commission form of government.
Olympic College is a public community college in Bremerton, Washington. It opened as Olympic Junior College on September 5, 1946. Olympic College serves Kitsap and Mason counties in Washington. The college's service area contains two major naval installations: Naval Base Kitsap and Naval Hospital Bremerton.
The English word squaw is an ethnic and sexual slur, historically used for Indigenous North American women. Contemporary use of the term, especially by non-Natives, is considered derogatory, misogynist, and racist.
Tahuya is an unincorporated community in Mason County, Washington, United States. It is located on the Hood Canal at the mouth of the Tahuya River. Tahuya, whose name comes from a Twana term meaning "that done", features a number of recreational areas. The ZIP Code for Tahuya is 98588.
Timothy Markham Sheldon is an American farmer, businessman, and politician who served as a member of the Washington State Senate, representing the 35th District between 1997 and 2023. The district includes all of Mason County and parts of Thurston and Kitsap counties. A member of the Democratic Party, Sheldon caucused with the Republican-dominated Majority Coalition Caucus and afterwards the Republican Caucus from 2012. He previously represented Mason County as a Mason County Commissioner for District 2 from 2005 to 2017 and served as a member of the Washington House of Representatives from 1991 to 1997.
Gold Mountain is a 1,761-foot (537 m) summit in the Blue Hills on the Kitsap Peninsula of Washington state, in the United States' Pacific Northwest. It is the highest point on the Kitsap Peninsula and the highest point in Kitsap County, Washington, and nearby 1,639-foot (500 m) Green Mountain is the second-highest point.
The Ridge Motorsports Park is located near Shelton, Washington, approximately 25 mi (40 km) northwest of Olympia, Washington.
The Blue Hills just west of Bremerton, Washington, also called the Bremerton Hills, Bald Hills, and Wildcat Hills, consist of Gold Mountain, Green Mountain, and several informally named hills. Reaching an elevation of 1761 feet, a thousand feet above the glacial till that fills the Puget Lowland, they form a prominent landmark visible around the region. They are formed of uplifted blocks of marine basalts, the steep-walled canyons between the various summits being the fissures between the blocks. In addition to Gold Mountain and Green Mountain are several other prominent peaks unofficially named according to their elevation :
Homesteaders Gap is a tiny hamlet on North Dakota Highway 16 in McKenzie County, extending across the Montana border as West Squaw Gap.
Tims River, formerly Negro Run, is a 1.8 mile long tributary of the Robinson River within the Shenandoah National Park in Virginia.
Nathaniel J. Sargent was a Black pioneer in Washington who settled in Kitsap County.