Water

Water. Hidden History. , Where does your water come from?, Nestled in the "rainshadow" of the Olympic Mountains, Port Townsend gets surprisingly little rain and is surrounded by salt water. In the late 1800s water was scarce and expensive. Early residents used local springs, but still had to conserve water. They also had different bathing habits and hygiene standards - and many wore more perfume. In 1904, Port Townsend saloon keepers paid monthly fees ranging from $3.50 to $7.50 for each water closet, while each beer pump cost $1. Bakers paid water fees of $0.50 per barrel of flour per day., Port Townsend's water is still supplied by the system developed in 1928 by the National Paper Products Company. In 15 months, engineers for the pulp and paper mill built a 30-mile wood stave pipeline connecting the city and mill with the Big and Little Quilcene Rivers in the Olympic National Forest. Fresh water brought new life and stability to the city. This pipeline, with steel pipe replacing the wood pipe in the 1950s, is still in use and one of the oldest water systems in Washington State., [Photo captions, top to bottom, read] , . First wood water pipe in Port Townsend, . Image of men doing laundry at Fort Flagler.