Early History of Port Townsend, WA
The City of Dreams, Port Townsend, WA is one of the finest examples of a Victorian Seaport in the United States. It is one of 3 Registered Victorian Seaports in the US. The other 2 are Cape May, NJ and Galveston, TX.
Like many small towns in the Northwest. Port Townsend described itself as the “Key City” and the “New York of the West” It quickly became a bustling seaport and customs gateway of the Pacific Northwest. Located right on the water at the entrance of Puget Sound, it was very visible from the water. Many boaters even today find Port Townsend
by boat. It had an impressive downtown, many of the commercial building were built of brick and stone and many elegant Victorian homes on the hillside above. It must have been very inviting town as you passed by, especially after months at sea.
Port Townsend was a very wild town in the day. Much of downtown was brothels and bars. Tunnels run under the downtown area. Many of the bars had trap doors in them. When a ship needed a crew they would get the sailor drunk and he would then find himself serving as a crew member out at sea.
In the early 1880, because of Port Townsend’s waterfront location, the business men of the day decided to bring the railroad to town. It only made sense to off load and load ships here and then ship the goods by rail. That dream lasted until 1892. At that time the railroad said it was too expensive to travel all the way to Port Townsend. Back then, the largest port was Seattle, so the railroad went there instead. Port Townsend then went into a huge depression because of the railroad.
For more information about Port Townsend visit www.ptguide.com
Port Townsend events www.enjoypt.com
While visiting Port Townsend, stay at our Historic Bed & Breakfast in Uptown www.bluegullinn.com
When you decided you want to live in Port Townsend or Jefferson County, contact John Eissinger at Remax for real estate information, check-out, www.johneissinger.com