PORT ANGELES — Towns around New Orleans have signs in French and English.

In Oakland, Calif., there are street signs in Chinese and English.

And in Port Angeles, there are now a limited number of signs that honor Klallam tribal history with the names of streets in both English and Klallam.

They are quite possibly the nation’s first bilingual street signs in English and Klallam.

New downtown signs at the intersection of Oak and Front streets and Oak Street and Railroad Avenue have the names inscribed in both English and Klallam.

The signs, said city Director of Public Works Craig Fulton, were the brainchild of Nathan West, the city’s community development director, who worked with tribal representatives.

Honors history

The idea, said Fulton, was to honor the history of the Klallam tribes described on concrete markers and bollards at the new 1.5-acre waterfront park at the intersections of Oak St. and Railroad Ave.

Both the Lower Elwha Klallam and Jamestown S’Klallam tribes took part in the planning of the park.

Port Angeles street crews installed the signs about a week ago, said Fulton.

He said the city already has its own equipment for creating street signs. Letters and words are sprayed onto metal blanks with the use of stencils.

The major change, said Fulton, was getting stencils for the Klallam language.

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Assistant Managing Editor Mark Swanson can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 55450, or mswanson@peninsuladaily

news.com.