Adopted in the 1st Report of the Geographic Board of Canada, 1898, as an well-established local name.

Source: BC place name cards, or correspondence to/from BC's Chief Geographer or BC Geographical Names Office

Named after Harry McDame, prospector. McDame was born in the Bahamas c1826, arrived in British Columbia in 1858 and pre-empted near Quesnelmouth. The adjacent property was pre-empted in 1862 by Jamaica-born John Robert Giscome. It's not clear if McDame & Giscome knew each other from the California gold fields or from the emigration of San Fransisco's black community to Vancouver Island in 1858, but from 1862 they remained partners in mining endeavours & exploration throughout northern BC. They located and established "Giscome portage" from descriptions by local Indians, thereby opening a direct route to the Peace and Omineca country from Fort George; explored the Peace, Nation & Smoky rivers and reported on their findings in "Notes of a Prospector" (British Colonist, 15 December 1863, p.3); prospecting on Germansen Creek in the Omineca country by 1870; relocated to the Cassiar in 1874 following reports of rich prospects near Dease Lake. They settled on this particular creek and with other partners formed the Discovery Company. "I learn that a new creek has been discovered...now known as McDame's Creek." (Gold Commission Sullivan, BC Mines Report 1874, p.10-11) "Within 30 days they had extracted gold valued at $6000." (British Colonist, 5 November 1874, p.3). McDame and Giscome mined the area together for several years, then McDame returned to the Omineca in the early 1880s. He discovered gold on Lorne Creek in 1884 (BC Mines Report 1930, p.154), but by late that year was broke and in hospital in Victoria. Following his recovery he returned to the Omineca, staked by a new partner, Sam Booth, and died there sometime before 1901. (BC Mines Report, 1901, p.996). See related article in BC Historical News, vol 18, No 3, 1985.

Source: BC place name cards, or correspondence to/from BC's Chief Geographer or BC Geographical Names Office

The Nahane Indian name for this creek was Kasha (18th Report of the Geographic Board of Canada, 31 March 1924, "Cassiar" entry). Notation on BC name card implies that this creek had also been known as Lang Creek, but map/document title or date not cited.

Source: BC place name cards, or correspondence to/from BC's Chief Geographer or BC Geographical Names Office

After Harry McDame, who discovered gold on this creek in 1874. He was the longtime partner of another black West Indian, J.R. Giscome.

Source: Akrigg, Helen B. and Akrigg, G.P.V; British Columbia Place Names; Sono Nis Press, Victoria 1986 /or University of British Columbia Press 1997

Headwaters at 59 14 - 129 42.

Source: Canadian Geographical Names Database, Ottawa