Historical Markers and War Memorials in Port Townsend, Washington
Port Townsend is the county seat for Jefferson County
Port Townsend is in Jefferson County
Jefferson County(76) ► ADJACENT TO JEFFERSON COUNTY Clallam County(11) ► Grays Harbor County(12) ► Island County(46) ► Kitsap County(21) ► Mason County(4) ► San Juan County(0) ►
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The čičməhán Trail is comprised of 16 sites that naturally divide into a 3-mile, a 6-mile, or a 12-mile loop. The 3-mile loop includes downtown historical sites; the 6 mile loop extends uptown; and the 12-mile loop (best for . . . — — Map (db m179367) HM
For more than 50 years, the bell was used to call volunteer fire fighters to their posts. It is the only known tower of its kind in the United States. It was restored in 2003 by the Jefferson County Historical Society and the City of Port Townsend . . . — — Map (db m155268) HM
Early settlers to the Port Townsend area found a S'Klallam Indian community well established on the protected shores of Port Townsend Bay. This settlement, known as Kah Tai, meaning "to carry" or "pass through," was located on the portage route . . . — — Map (db m179612) HM
The S'Klallam people made their canoes from Western Red Cedar trees ranging from 300-800 years of age. Seats and brackets were made of Yew wood, and paddles carved from Yellow Cedar.
Canoes Came In All Sizes
A freight canoe of good . . . — — Map (db m179378) HM
Commemorating Capt. George Vancouver’s discovery, landing & naming of Port Townsend in honor of the Marquis of Townshend, May 7, 1792.
Donated Dec 1, 1986, by the DeLeo Family, residents of Port Townsend since 1883. — — Map (db m91334) HM
Tucked away in what was once a secluded corner, the cemetery was to be the final resting place for those soldiers and their immediate family members who died at Fort Worden. The first burial in the 360 plots was that of Pvt. Elisha Webb, in . . . — — Map (db m179754) HM
Chief of the Clallam Indians
A Friend of the White People
From this rock
he gave warning of danger
and saved them
from massacre in 1856 — — Map (db m179770) HM
Many in Port Townsend have heard of Chief Chetzemoka (Cheech-Ma-Ham), chief of the S'Klallam. At Point No Point in 1855, he signed the treaty giving up all S'Klallam land for a reservation to be shared with another tribe. Such treaties, pushed . . . — — Map (db m179408) HM
"Blessed are the peacemakers:
for they shall be called
the children of God." Matthew 5:9
"If I am seen coming to you I will not be able to help you further. But each morning I will sit on top of the big rock on the east side of Kai Tai . . . — — Map (db m179771) HM
What was the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882?
Like many other cultural communities in early Port Townsend, Chinese and Chinese American merchants, families, farmers, and laborers were an important part of the cultural and economic . . . — — Map (db m179707) HM
Who was the "Crimper King" of Port Townsend?
The practice of forced maritime service was known as "crimping" in the 19th Century. Early fortunes were made provisioning out-bound ships with sailors. Maxwell Levy, the "Crimper King" of . . . — — Map (db m179358) HM
What did Port Townsend look like in the 1860s?
You are standing near the site of Port Townsend's first settler cabin. The area was often flooded with seawater. Alfred A. Plummer, age 29, arrived in 1851 with Charles Bachelder and . . . — — Map (db m179690) HM
This is the last remaining
wooden fire bell tower in the
United States.
Port Townsend’s Fire Bell Tower is a 75-foot wooden structure built in 1890 to hold a 1,500 pound brass bell and the city's new $900 fire engine.
. . . — — Map (db m83775) HM
How was early Port Townsend affected by fire?
Port Townsend's earliest buildings were tightly packed wooden structures, that were both lit and heated by fire. The threat of disastrous, multi-building fire was ever-present. Entire . . . — — Map (db m179736) HM
Port Townsend's first stone building was completed in 1874 for Enoch S. Fowler. It served as the Jefferson County Courthouse from 1880-1892 (and was also used as a store, performance hall, Masonic Temple, seamen's chapel, and, since 1916, home . . . — — Map (db m179527) HM
The Haller Statue and Fountain was donated to the city by Theodore N. Haller "in memory of early pioneers."
After the dedication speech in 1906, Mr. Haller read a poem about the Greek sea nymph, Galatea, and the statue has been known . . . — — Map (db m179703) HM
Under the provisions of the
State Historic Preservation Act of 1967,
this property possesses particular value
in commemorating, or illustrating
American History
Placed on the State Register
Feb. 11, 1972 by the Governor's Advisory . . . — — Map (db m179516) HM
In 1891 architects Batwell & Patrick designed a multi-purpose civic structure to house administrative offices, council chamber, courtroom, fire hall and jail to serve the needs of a city of 20,000.
Port Townsend's city council still meets . . . — — Map (db m129357) HM
Founder of Admiralty Aububon
who led the effort to save
Protection Island as a
sanctuary for nesting seabirds
A gift from Audubon members & friends,
Eleanor's family, Friends of the Arts, and the
City of Port Townsend Public . . . — — Map (db m179412) HM
Chetzemoka's Big Heart, a story by Mary Ann Lambert (1879-1966, also the author of The 7 Brothers of the House of Ste-Tee-Thlum) of the Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe's Lambert/Reyes family, illustrates Chetzemoka's heart, and the power and respect . . . — — Map (db m179745) HM
In 1989, the Canoe Culture was revitalized with the inception of the Intertribal Canoe Journey. The S'Klallam/Klallam Tribes participate in the Intertribal Canoe Journeys in which Canoe Families from dozens of Tribes travel to one destination . . . — — Map (db m179387) HM
For centuries, the S'Kallam people traded with other Tribes within the continental U.S. and across the Strait in Canada. Direct trade was the Native method of food and materials redistribution across geographical bounds, and from great . . . — — Map (db m179381) HM
Under the provisions of the National
Historic Preservation Act of
October 15, 1966, this property
possesses exceptional value in
commemorating, or illustrating
American history
Placed on the National Register on
July 24, 1973 by . . . — — Map (db m179757) HM
Dedicated May 21, 1948
as a lasting tribute
in honor of those from
Jefferson County
who sacrificed their lives
for their country
in the two World Wars
1917 • World War I • 1918
James A. Anderson · Fred W. Anderson · John W. . . . — — Map (db m179733) HM
Here in the wind-buffeted rain shadow of the Olympic Mountains grow colorful relics of the last ice age. The tiny prairie before you is a remnant of once extensive grasslands that followed the retreat of continental ice over 10,000 years ago. . . . — — Map (db m179767) HM
Dedicated to all the men and women
of Jefferson County who served in
the Korean War
and most especially to
those who made the supreme sacrifice
Herman Felhoelter Capt U.S. Army KIA 16 July 1950
Donald A. Bare Cpl U.S. Army KIA 01 . . . — — Map (db m179752) WM
Begun in 1892 by Port Townsend pioneer Joseph A. Kuhn, this building represented the latest ideas of the time in architecture. Construction was directed by Jonas Guise, then the best known contractor in the area. Bricks came from the yards of . . . — — Map (db m91331) HM
Marvin Shields was a product of the Northwest. He graduated from Port Townsend High School and then went to work in Alaska for the Mineral Basin Mining Company. He enlisted in the Navy in 1962 and joined Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 11. . . . — — Map (db m179361) HM WM
The Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe, like the Northwest Maritime Center, is a 21st century organization with a tremendous appreciation of our seafaring history and respect for those who have preserved and shared their knowledge throughout the . . . — — Map (db m179410) HM
For over 8,000 years Native Americans camped at Point Hudson while migrating from summer camps to winter lodges.
The American explorer, Captain Charles Wilkes, named the area in honor of Commander William L. Hudson in 1841. . . . — — Map (db m179370) HM
Before the shoreline was filled to create the marina, Point Hudson was a popular clamming beach for S'Klallams and a landing point for tribes from locations across the Olympic Peninsula.
Change began as soon as settlers arrived, but grew . . . — — Map (db m179751) HM
It is believed that for thousands of years Point Hudson was used as a seasonal home by the Native American tribes, particularly Klallam and Chemakum. Presence of a freshwater lagoon, a wide variety of shellfish and other seafood easily obtained . . . — — Map (db m179746) HM
This point of land is formed of rocks and sand constantly in motion carried here by wind and waves. These sediments, eroding from nearby glacial bluffs, converge here from the northwest and the south before moving along the spit into deeper . . . — — Map (db m179749) HM
Activated on 15 Dec. 1879, the original light was located atop the lightkeepers house. It was moved to its present position when this structure was built in 1913. The lighthouse has been closed to the public since its automation in Nov. 1976. . . . — — Map (db m197213) HM
Hidden Histories
Port Townsend's architectural history is so well preserved, it's easy to overlook the stories that remain hidden. Our city, community, and daily lives are defined by what came before. Today's Port Townsend is in . . . — — Map (db m179704) HM
[(Top plaque)] Under the provisions of the National
Historic Preservation Act of
October 15, 1966, this property
possesses exceptional value in
commemorating, or illustrating
American history.
Placed on the National Register on . . . — — Map (db m197156) HM
In the early 1890s, Port Townsend expected to be the major seaport for the northwest coast, and built to serve a huge population that never came. By 1896, the economic tide reserved, and the town was left high and dry. A century later, historic . . . — — Map (db m179624) HM
Why are there so many Victorian buildings here?
Many of the historical buildings around you were built in the 1880s and 1890s. The facades of these ornate stone, brick, and cast iron structures memorialize the names of their . . . — — Map (db m179442) HM
This site is the last remaining vestige of the natural prairie that spanned the qatáy Valley, between wetland areas. Relatively dry, upland areas of the valley provided camas bulbs (qʷɬúʔi in Klallam and Camassia quamash in Latin) . . . — — Map (db m179762) HM
Did Port Townsend have a railroad?
1880s Port Townsend was a booming seaport and Washington's Port of Entry. Great efforts were made to connect the city with the nation's expanding railway systems. Local business owners and . . . — — Map (db m179536) HM
Under the provisions of the National
Historic Preservation Act of
October 15, 1966, this property
possesses exceptional value in
commemorating, or illustrating
American history
Placed on the National Register on
Sept 29, 1974 by . . . — — Map (db m177418) HM
Port Townsend's strategic location at the entrance to Puget Sound won it the U.S. Customs Service headquarters in 1854, just three years after the town was established.
Every vessel entering Puget Sound from any foreign port was . . . — — Map (db m179374) HM
After signing the 1855 Point No Point Treaty, it was clear that there had been some misunderstandings, and the federal government was failing to follow through on its funding promises. Some of the Tribes of Washington rose up against what they saw . . . — — Map (db m179769) HM
Was there smuggling in Port Townsend?
Until 1911 Port Townsend was a Customs Port of Entry for the United States. Goods from foreign ports arriving in Puget Sound had to stop in Port Townsend and pay taxes. Avoiding customs was . . . — — Map (db m179593) HM
Starrett House Under the provisions of the National Historic Preservation Act of October 15, 1966, this property possesses exceptional value in commemorating, or illustrating American History Placed on the National Register on September 29, . . . — — Map (db m129376) HM
In 1885, George Sterming realized his lifelong dream. On this site he erected the building which still bears his name. The upper floor was devoted to office suites and the ground floor housed the soon to be famous Belmont Restaurant and . . . — — Map (db m179673) HM
The Haller Fountain was brought to Port Townsend by resident Theodore N. Haller to honor his deceased father and brother. After the dedication speech, Mr. Haller read a poem about the Greek sea nymph, Galatea, and the statue has been known by that . . . — — Map (db m91294) HM
Under the provisions of the National
Historic Preservation Act of
October 15, 1966, this property
possesses exceptional value in commemorating, or illustrating
American History
Placed on the National Register on
Sept. 29, 1970 by the . . . — — Map (db m179530) HM
For thousands of years, the S'Klallam ("strong") people lived in villages along the north coast of the Olympic Peninsula, moving with the seasonal resources and living in harmony with nature. In addition to hunting in the mountains and . . . — — Map (db m179376) HM
Steven C. Brown, in his essay "Vessels of Life: Northwest Coast Dugouts," from The Canoe: A Living Tradition, by John Jennings published in 2002 by Firefly Books wrote: "The Coast Salish canoe incorporates features that make for a successful and . . . — — Map (db m179379) HM
Welcome
2019
Designed by: Dale Faulstich
Carved and painted by: Dale Faulstich,
Tyler Faulstich, Tim O'Connell, Andy Pitts
——————————
Representing from the top:
Supernatural Carpenter
Spirit of the . . . — — Map (db m179433) HM
Fin Fish included salmon, halibut, smelt and euchalon (a kind of smelt). Fish were taken with reef nets, dip nets, trawl nets, harpoons, gaff hooks, spears, basket traps, weirs, tidal pounds (rows of underwater stakes), hooks, and herring rakes . . . — — Map (db m179383) HM
☆
☆ Marvin G. Shields ☆
Construction Mechanic Third Class
☆United States Navy ☆
"For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the
risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty
while serving with . . . — — Map (db m179363) HM WM
Why was Union Wharf so important?
Port Townsend's shores boast shallow waters, frequently less than 10 feet deep, dozens of feet out into the bay. As shipping became central to the boomtown's economy, this asset to early settlers . . . — — Map (db m179597) HM
Looking south, view Kilisut Harbor and Indian Island, now Naval Magazine Indian Island. Archeological evidence shows that Indian Island was an important location to the ancestors of the S’Klallam and Chimacum people for over 1,500 years. For . . . — — Map (db m179600) HM
Evolving over the years to meet Port Townsend's changing needs, Union Wharf has served sailing vessels and steamships, ferries and fish processors.
It continues to anchor the axis of historic Port Townsend.
1867-1890:
Built by Henry . . . — — Map (db m179628) HM
The village of qatáy once sat near the bluff at what is now the corner of Monroe and Water Streets. It was the principal village of S'Klallam people at the time of the treaty signing, and home to their Chief, čičməhán . . . — — Map (db m179731) HM
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 . . . — — Map (db m179693) HM
In 1792, Captain George Vancouver sailed his ship, the HMS Discovery, up the Strait of Juan de Fuca. He named this harbor Port Townshend, in honor of the English Marquis of Townshend.
Originally a small settlement, Port Townsend . . . — — Map (db m179633) HM
James A. Anderson · Chimacum • Fred W. Anderson · Port Hadlock
John W. Anderson · Center • Edwin A. Bartlett · Port Townsend
George W. Chadwick · Nordland • Allen W. Clements · Brinnon
Richard C. Hill · Irondale • John Hreczuck · Port . . . — — Map (db m179761) HM
