SEATTLE — The next Washington state ferry will bear the name “Wishkah” when it sails in 2024.
The Washington State Transportation Commission voted 7-0 to select the name after receiving citizen suggestions.
The name honors the river flowing south from the Olympic foothills into Grays Harbor. It's the ancestral home of the Lower Chehalis people.
The Wishkah River was formerly crossed by a ferry called Wishkah Chief.
The $147 million 144-car vessel is to begin construction next year at Vigor on Seattle’s Harbor Island. It’s the fifth Olympic Class ferry. The M/V Wishkah will be capable of recharging at the dock between trips when chargers are added.
The commission named six finalists from a pool of 19 name proposals from the public in October. The other five names that name the list of finalists included Stillaguamish, Muckleshoot, Enie Marie, Snoqualmie and Stehekin.
Over 5,800 ferry riders were surveyed about the six finalist names between October 28 through November 15 to help select the new ferry name. According to the survey, Wishkah was the most popular name overall. The commission said Enie Marie was the “most polarized name,” receiving the most first and last place rankings.