Olympic Peninsula & Washington Coast - Washington, Oregon and the Pacific Northwest - page 250

European sailors were exploring the Northwest coast as early as 1592, but contact with
the local people didn't occur until some two centuries later, when the land was claimed
by the Spanish, who subsequently planted a colony at Neah Bay.
Port Townsend was established as the peninsula's premier settlement in 1851 and the
first expanses of virgin forest began to fall to the saws in the 1880s when the mill towns
of Aberdeen and Hoquiam sprang up in the south.
Early attempts to explore the interior were limited until the 1930s, when US 101
pushed through the deep forests, linking longtime coastal communities by road for the
first time. Finally, in 1938, following a 40-year struggle among conservationists, indus-
trialists and logging companies, the Olympic National Park was established in the heart
of the peninsula.
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Northeastern Olympic Peninsula
Hugging the protected coast of the Strait of Juan de Fuca, the northeastern corner of the
Olympic Peninsula is the region's most populated enclave and provides a popular gate-
way to the national park. It's famous for its dry climate (courtesy of the Olympic rain
shadow), and outdoor activities such as sea kayaking and whale-watching abound, while
a rare historical treat awaits travelers in time-warped Port Townsend. Thanks to numer-
ous ferry connections (Port Angeles to Victoria, Canada; Port Townsend to Whidbey Is-
land; and Seattle to Bainbridge Island), the area is easily accessible from the population
centers of Puget Sound.
Port Townsend
pop 8925
Inventive eateries, elegant fin de siècle hotels and an unusual stash of year-round fest-
ivals make Port Townsend an Olympic Peninsula rarity: a weekend vacation that doesn't
require hiking boots. It's cut off from the rest of the area by eight bucolic miles off US
101, so don't come here to base yourself for national-park exploration unless you don't
mind driving a lot. Instead, settle in and enjoy one of the prettiest towns in the state.
History
Back in the 1880s a number of nascent settlements were vying to become Washington's
preeminent city (Walla Walla, Ellensburg and eventual winner Seattle to name but three).
An early casualty in the battle for urban supremacy was Port Townsend, a speculation-