File:"Musmus” is the Chinuk Wawa word for “cow.” It is pronounced “MOOS-moos.” Though it might seem like this word is derived from (e6f22431-1f34-450c-ac99-c4768e2c7d8f).jpg

Photo of cattle accompanied by the Chinuk Wawa word "musmus" and translation.

"Musmus” is the Chinuk Wawa word for “cow.” It is pronounced “MOOS-moos.” Though it might seem like this word is derived from, well, the sound a cow makes, it actually originated from similar words in the Chinookan, Salishan, Molala, and Klamath languages. Musmus can also mean “ox” or “buffalo.” Cattle were an important part of life at Fort Vancouver. To feed its employees, Hudson’s Bay Company forts established gardens, raised livestock, and grew crops. In the spring of 1825, just after Fort Vancouver was established, hogs and cattle were brought here from Fort George, in present-day Astoria, Oregon. Chief Factor Dr. John McLoughlin wrote that this first herd of cattle consisted of “only 3 Bulls, 23 Cows, 5 Heifers, and 9 Steers.” By 1836, the herd had grown to 400 to 450 cattle!