In 2023 the Sunday Olympian’s theme for its Looking Back feature was the origins of area place names. Ellis Cove in Squaxin Park is named for Isaac “Ike” Ellis, pictured here. Ellis was a logger, racetrack developer, and mayor of Olympia in territorial days. Photograph selected and captioned by Deborah Ross on behalf of the Olympia Historical Society and Bigelow House Museum, olympiahistory.org.
photo mid to late 1800s, Courtesy State Capital Museum collection, Washington State Historical Society, catalog C2018.0.10
Text © Deborah Ross and The Olympian 2023