Pacific North West: Is there another northwest? Why do we call it the Pacific North West - or Northwest (PNW)? Can I say that I live in the Atlantic North East? Why don't we refer to...

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Is there another northwest? Why do we call it the Pacific North West - or Northwest (PNW)? Can I say that I live in the Atlantic North East?

Why don't we refer to the Pacific South West?

skipwv Loc: West Virginia

Back in the early days, there was a “Northwest Territory” of the U.S. It was essentially what is now Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, etc. Then along came Lewis and Clark, who ventured far beyond the Mississippi to “another” northwest in now Oregon, Washington, etc. My guess is that “Pacific Northwest” was coined to differentiate it from the first “Northwest Territory.” Possible??

jaymatt Loc: Alexandria, Indiana

Ah, semantics--and the uproar they sometimes cause! Another case for the word genealogists; send them some White Rose Petroleum Jelly and let them work it out among themselves and report back.

IDguy Loc: Idaho

jerryc41 wrote:

Is there another northwest? Why do we call it the Pacific North West - or Northwest (PNW)? Can I say that I live in the Atlantic North East?

Why don't we refer to the Pacific South West?

Maybe because there isn’t a ”Southwest Territory”, as there is a very large ”Northwest Territories” (in Canada)?

IDguy Loc: Idaho

jerryc41 wrote:

Is there another northwest? Why do we call it the Pacific North West - or Northwest (PNW)? Can I say that I live in the Atlantic North East?

Why don't we refer to the Pacific South West?

Yes to the first question. Ask a Canadian.

tcthome Loc: NJ

skipwv is rite. Truth be told you live on the alantic nw. & our(USA) pacific is east. When it comes to the Alantic Ocean , Europe is east & the same would be for the USA being on the west of the Pacific Ocean. It should be referenced United States, USNW. As long as we know what we are talking about. it probably doesn't matter.

tomad Loc: North Carolina

skipwv wrote:

Back in the early days, there was a “Northwest Territory” of the U.S. It was essentially what is now Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, etc. Then along came Lewis and Clark, who ventured far beyond the Mississippi to “another” northwest in now Oregon, Washington, etc. My guess is that “Pacific Northwest” was coined to differentiate it from the first “Northwest Territory.” Possible??

DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA

jerryc41 wrote:

Is there another northwest? Why do we call it the Pacific North West - or Northwest (PNW)? Can I say that I live in the Atlantic North East?

Why don't we refer to the Pacific South West?

So Russia might be called the Pacific Northeast?

Dannj

skipwv wrote:

Back in the early days, there was a “Northwest Territory” of the U.S. It was essentially what is now Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, etc. Then along came Lewis and Clark, who ventured far beyond the Mississippi to “another” northwest in now Oregon, Washington, etc. My guess is that “Pacific Northwest” was coined to differentiate it from the first “Northwest Territory.” Possible??

Makes sense to me👍

Sendai5355 Loc: On the banks of the Pedernales River, Texas

I'm still trying to figure out why Maine is referred to as "Down East." Or why isn't Asia referred to as the far west?

DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA

"Down east" was downstream along the ocean current. Was a seafaring term.

Picture Taker Loc: Michigan Thumb

Because it just up the road a piece from you.

goofybruce

downwind east of Massachusetts is the eastern part of Massachusetts -- what is now called Maine. It was split off and made a state in 1820. The eastern (Maritime Provinces) part of Canada was also called "downeast".

Sendai5355 Loc: On the banks of the Pedernales River, Texas

Picture Taker wrote:

Because it just up the road a piece from you.

I can't get there from here.

JFCoupe Loc: Kent, Washington

I live in Seattle area and don't think there is an official designation. My input would be that the NW includes Western Montana, Northern Idaho, Washington and at least the Northern part of Oregon or all of Oregon. In my mind the Pacific NW is a smaller area of Western (west of the Cascades) WA and the Western part of Oregon. (Think along the Pacific Coast.)

Again, just my opinion.

Also, at times eastern WA, No Idaho, NE Oregon is also referred to as the Inland Empire, for one more area designation.