Place Names T-Z

Thompson Cove
This cove is on the southeast corner of Anderson Island, facing the Nisqually Reach. It may have been named for the Rev. Robert Thompson, chaplain of the HMS Fisgard, who served on the Northwest Station of the Royal Navy between 1844 and 1847.

Tillicum
Tillicum is located on the south shore of American Lake, north of Interstate Highway Five. Tillicum is said to mean “the common people, as distinguished from the chiefs of the tribe." Camp Murray, headquarters of the Military Department of Washington, is west of Tillicum and Fort Lewis is south.

Toliva Shoal
Also Scarboro Shoal
This shoal is in Puget Sound between the mainland and McNeil Island, north of Steilacoom Bay. The present name, Toliva, was assigned to the shoal by the Wilkes expedition with no origin given.

To-whee-whu-da-ub
Also McNeil Island
Local Indians gave this name to McNeil Island. It had two meanings: "morning star" and "bull-head."

University Place
This community, west of Tacoma on Puget Sound, was named for the projected campus of the University of Puget Sound, which was to be built there near the turn of the century. The area was platted by the University Land Company on September 23, 1895. The campus was never completed; Herbert Hunt wrote "... a large tract of land, partly donated, was acquired at Lemon's Beach where hopeful promoters expected to establish a second Evanston but the dream failed for a lack of money."

Wallace Island
Also Anderson Island, Fisgard Island
Anderson Island was sometimes called Wallace Island for Leander C. Wallace, who was killed in the Indian attack on Fort Nisqually on May 1, 1849. Wallace, an American citizen, did not heed the summons given by the ringing of the alarm bell at the Fort and was outside the fort walls when firing commenced and he was killed.

Waughop Lake
Also Mud Lake
Located in Fort Steilacoom County Park. John W. Waughop was superintendent of Western State Hospital from 1880 until 1897. Many of the trees and shrubs on the grounds of the hospital were acquired by Dr. and Mrs. Waughop. Mrs.Waughop was postmaster of the Fort Steilacoom post office for several months in 1881. Some maps call the place Mud Lake in confusion with a shallow, muddy lake to the southeast.

West Passage
Also Colvos Passage
Colvos Passage, in Puget Sound west of Vashon Island, is shown on some charts as West Passage, named for its location.

West Tacoma
West Tacoma is an industrial area near the mouth of Chambers Creek. Its industrial history reaches back to the 1850s, when the Chambers Mill was built. The 1915 Pierce County Directory reports a population of twenty-five.

Wyckoff Shoal
One of the shoals in Puget Sound north of McNeil Island was named for Ambrose B. Wyckoff, commandant of the Puget Sound Naval Station. Wyckoff, after a long career in the navy, took command at Bremerton on September l6, 1891. He was in charge of a number of surveys of the Puget Sound.

Yoman
Yoman and Yoman Dock are on the north east shore of Anderson Island. Like Quartermaster Harbor on Vashon Island, they appear have been named after a naval officer rank.

Researchers
Historical research by: Gary Fuller Reese, Tacoma Public Library