Books

Poulsbo

Poulsbo is one of the earliest communities on Washington’s Olympic Peninsula. Founded in 1883, it quickly became the destination place for Scandinavian immigrants looking for a fjord-like setting where they could farm, fish, and flourish in a climate...

Gig Harbor

Gig Harbor, located in southern Puget Sound, received its name from the Wilkes Expedition in 1841. History indicates that the captain’s gig led the expedition into this small harbor during a storm that came up quite suddenly, hence the name, “Gig.”...

Jefferson County

Founded by optimistic speculators with dreams of commercial empires that never materialized, Jefferson County is located on Washington’s Olympic Peninsula. It stretches from spectacular Pacific Ocean beaches on the west and the Strait of Juan de Fuca...

Leavenworth

Leavenworth, located in the central Cascades of Washington state, was once known as Icicle, and has been home to Native Americans, settlers, miners, railroad workers, and loggers. The native tribes came to this pristine and bountiful area to hunt game...

Camp Rilea

Camp Rilea, originally named Camp Clatsop, was founded in 1927 and soon became the Oregon National Guard’s preferred training site―a claim that still holds true today. Located on the picturesque Oregon coast in the town of Warrenton, near Astoria,...

Astoria (Postcard History Series)

Fortunate to be located in the northwest corner of Oregon, where the mighty Columbia River flows to the Pacific Ocean, Astoria has always inspired residents and visitors. The town’s spectacular natural beauty and accessible everyday life invites...

Oregon Surfing North Coast

Surfing culture began in Portland, Seaside, Cannon Beach, and Pacific City in the early 1960s. Influenced by surf music and a few California surfers, a handful of skin divers and adolescent boys yearned to engage in the sport. In the beginning, surfing...

Fort Stevens

Fort Stevens State Park, named in honor of Gen. Isaac Ingalls Stevens, is located in Warrenton, Oregon, at the mouth of the Columbia River. In February 1862, the U.S. Congress appropriated $100,000 to build defenses against possible naval invasion. In...

Clallam County

The first settlements of Clallam County were along the coast of the Olympic Peninsula, at the gateway to Victoria, British Columbia, and Puget Sound. When the hardy pioneers arrived, the land was covered by dense forests that had to be conquered for the...

Sequim-Dungeness Valley

Mastodons roamed the plains of Sequim and Dungeness in the years following the recession of the Cordilleran ice sheets. Millennia later, the villages of S’Klallam were home to those who saw settlers disembarking on the periphery of coastal wilderness...

Remarkable Oregon Women

Without the efforts of inspiring, brave women of the past, the progressive and individualistic Oregon we know today might not exist. From native tribes and Oregon Trail pioneers to Victorian suffragists and unlikely politicians, strong female leaders...

A Brief History of Vashon Island

Reachable only by ferry, Vashon Island is a breathtaking rural retreat from the bustling activity of nearby Seattle and Tacoma. The islands first inhabitants, the sx̌ʷəbab, took advantage of its evergreen forests and rich marine resources. In 1792,...