Saturday Travel Feature
1914 Clallam County Courthouse
Port Angeles, Washington
"The Clallam County Courthouse was built in 1914 and is located in Port Angeles, Washington. The court house has a bell tower containing a bell which was shipped from Boston all the way around the horn. The building has had at least one addition since it was built. The building uses 126 solar panels, which were installed in 1979, to produce an estimated 20 percent of the electric power needed for the building. (Link 1.)
"Since it was officially established as the location of the Custom House in 1861, Port Angeles has had a long and colorful history. But its history started long before that when the Lower Elwha S'Klallam Tribe used what is now called Hollywood beach as a fishing village. This site is now frontage for the waterfront trail and City pier.
"Don Francisco de Eliza discovered the deep-water harbor in 1791. All trade in and out of Port Angeles came through the harbor and today the Port of Port Angeles still maintains a vigorous harbor for trade and commerce.
Port Angeles was established as a townsite by Abraham Lincoln in 1862 by executive order which led the Board of Trade in 1890 to call it the "Second National City", Washington DC being the first. Most of the land was held as a military reserve until 1894. Pioneers "jumped the Reserve" in 1890 and congress agreed to sale of lots in 1894. Tributes to Lincoln's influence are found in the naming of Lincoln Street in the heart of town, Lincoln school, and Lincoln Park.
"The forest and fishing industries played major roles in the boom and bust economy of Port Angeles. The regenerative forest around Port Angeles supplied the building materials for Seattle, San Francisco and beyond. Trees of mammoth proportions were shipped through the Port as old-fashioned saws cut down the forest. Salmon was king of the Strait and plentiful for all to fish. Commercial fisherman, charter boats, and sport fisherman took their limits easily and returned year after year just as the salmon did. Both industries have slowed some, as concerns over habitat for bird and salmon are analyzed and protective zones and regulations have been developed.
"Olympic Forest Reserve was established in 1897. In 1908 President Theodore Roosevelt established the Mt. Olympus National Monument. Olympic National Park was established in 1938 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Generations of tourists and travelers have come to the Olympics for rest and rejuvenation. Two hot springs in Olympic National Park were touted for their medicinal value early in the 1900s and folks from Seattle made the 3-5 day journey by boat and wagon to spend a week at Olympic and Sol Duc Hot Spring Resorts. They would arrive in Port Angeles or Port Crescent on the "Mosquito Fleet" (independent ferries that were the major transport in Puget Sound) and then travel by wagon through the forest." (Link 2.)
A-Port Angeles, Washington (Mapquest)
The Blackball Ferry Connects Port Angeles, Washington, USA with Victoria, B.C., Canada. The Blackball Ferry line has been going for 50 years. The trip from Port Angeles to Victoria on this older picturesque ferry takes 90 minutes. (See Link 3.) At Christmas time Santa may even be on board.
