"Essington (town), not Port Essington" was adopted in the 9th Report of the Geographic Board of Canada, 30 June 1910; so-labelled on BC map 1H, 1917, and on 1916 & 1921 editions of BC Land's pre-emptor map 3M. Name changed to Port Essington (settlement) 4 November 1948 on 103/NE, to conform to the name of the Post Office (file P.1.48); confirmed 6 July 1950 on C.3756 and 4 October 1951 on 103I. Form of name changed to Port Essington (community) 29 November 1984.

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

"Also known locally by the Tsimshian name of Spok-sut. The estuary of the Skeena River was named Port Essington in 1793 by Captain Vancouver, after his friend Captain William Essington, RN (1753-1816), commander of the 64-gun Sceptre...."

Source: Walbran, John T; "British Columbia Coast Names, 1592-1906: Their Origin and History"; published for the Geographic Board of Canada, Ottawa, 1909 (republished for the Vancouver Public Library by J.J. Douglas Ltd, Vancouver, 1971)

Robert Cunningham pre-empted land here in 1871, just in time for the Skeena gold rush, and built a trading post that he called Port Essington; his partner Thomas Hankin acted as postmaster. HBC purchased 3 lots at Port Essington and established Skeena Post, Matthew Feak, postmaster; Skeena Post was not as profitable as Cunningham's trading post, and by 1877 HBC transferred their stores on hand to Port Simpson. Cunningham went on to build a cannery, hotel & town hall, and had built a cold storage plant, the first in the north, in 1892. (see additional descriptions of Port Essington in "The Skeena - River of Destiny", by R. Large, Mitchell Press, 1957.)


In 1871 what is now the town of Essington (sic) was pre-empted by Robert Cunningham, who established a (trading post) there, and later a salmon cannery and saw mill.

Source: included with note

Skeena Post Office was opened here early in 1873, almost immediately renamed Skeena River Post Office, 1 July 1873; name changed to Port Essington Post Office 1 May 1890 [note that Topping's 1991 PO reference indicates name was changed 22 April 1898.] Port Essington Post Office was closed 31 August 1944, re-opened 16 October 1944, and was closed permanently 20 July 1955. (letters, file 38460s)

Source: BC place name cards, files, correspondence and/or research by BC Chief Geographer/Geographical Names Office.

Traditional name is Spok shute, meaning "fall camp ground", referrring to this stopping place for the Tsimpsean returning from fishing and trapping forays up the Ecstall River.

Source: BC place name cards, files, correspondence and/or research by BC Chief Geographer/Geographical Names Office.