Ranald MacDonald

Ranald MacDonald (HM255M)

Location: Astoria, OR 97103 Clatsop County
Buy Oregon State flags at Flagstore.com!
Country: United States of America
Buy United States of America flags at Flagstore.com!

N 46° 11.291', W 123° 49.637'

  • 0 likes
  • 0 check ins
  • 0 favorites
  • 351 views
Inscription
Birthplace of
Ranald MacDonald
First Teacher of English in Japan
The son of the Hudson's Bay Co. manager of Fort George and Chinook Indian Chief Comcomly's daughter, MacDonald theorized that a racial link existed between Indians and Japanese. He determined to enter Japan although it was closed to foreigners for over 200 years. Sailing in 1848 as a deckhand on an American whaler, he marooned himself on Rishiri Island near Hokkaido.
While awaiting his deportation, he was allowed to teach English to 14 Japanese scholars, some of whom became leaders in the modernization of Japan.
He spent his active life in Europe, Canada, and Australia. He is buried in an Indian cemetery near Curlew, Washington.
Details
HM NumberHM255M
Tags
Year Placed1988
Placed BySusanna Von Reibold, Shokookai of Portland and others; Clatsop County Historical Society
Marker ConditionNo reports yet
Date Added Thursday, February 1st, 2018 at 4:01pm PST -08:00
Pictures
Sorry, but we don't have a picture of this historical marker yet. If you have a picture, please share it with us. It's simple to do. 1) Become a member. 2) Adopt this historical marker listing. 3) Upload the picture.
Locationbig map
UTM (WGS84 Datum)10T E 436159 N 5115288
Decimal Degrees46.18818333, -123.82728333
Degrees and Decimal MinutesN 46° 11.291', W 123° 49.637'
Degrees, Minutes and Seconds46° 11' 17.46" N, 123° 49' 38.22" W
Driving DirectionsGoogle Maps
Area Code(s)503
Which side of the road?Marker is on the right when traveling West
Closest Postal AddressAt or near 401-499 15th St, Astoria OR 97103, US
Alternative Maps Google Maps, MapQuest, Bing Maps, Yahoo Maps, MSR Maps, OpenCycleMap, MyTopo Maps, OpenStreetMap

Is this marker missing? Are the coordinates wrong? Do you have additional information that you would like to share with us? If so, check in.

Nearby Markersshow on map
Check Ins  check in   |    all

Have you seen this marker? If so, check in and tell us about it.

Comments 0 comments

Maintenance Issues
  1. Is this marker part of a series?
  2. What historical period does the marker represent?
  3. What historical place does the marker represent?
  4. What type of marker is it?
  5. What class is the marker?
  6. What style is the marker?
  7. Does the marker have a number?
  8. This marker needs at least one picture.
  9. Can this marker be seen from the road?
  10. Is the marker in the median?
© 2025  Historical Marker Project.  All Rights Reserved.
All registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
HMP is owned and operated by 3RiverDev (Fort Wayne, Indiana).
Terms and Conditions   |   Privacy Policy   |   Disclaimers   |   About   |   Contact Us