< PreviousCASCADE LOOP SCENIC BYWAY 2. Past and Present Conditions 70 REGION 8 Skagit Valley & Fidalgo Island Geography As SR 20 extends from the western slope of the North Cascades following the Skagit River into the lower Skagit Valley and coastal environment, the topography changes dramatically. The Skagit River makes its way to Puget Sound via an expansive delta, also known as “Skagit Flats.” The broad, flat terrain and rich soils of this area have contributed to making it one of the largest and most diverse agricultural centers west of the Cascades. Extending from the small town of Lyman through the larger towns and cities of Sedro- Woolley, Burlington, Mount Vernon, and Anacortes, this segment of the byway crosses the Swinomish Channel to Fidalgo Island and Anacortes and ends at Rosario Strait and Deception Pass. Along the way the quintessential coastal town of La Conner, located a few miles south of SR 20, makes for a great side trip. Anacortes is the only incorporated community on Fidalgo Island, Highway bridges link Anacortes to the mainland and to Whidbey Island to the south. This region provides a wide variety of venues where visitors can learn about agriculture, natural and cultural history, as well as the marine environment, and there are also extensive recreation opportunities. As the Cascade Loop Scenic Byway descends from the North Cascades, it enters the broad, open Skagit Valley, the lower basin of the Skagit River and a vast agricultural land as well as Fidalgo Island, in the Puget Sound. Native American Life The Coastal/Northern Straits Salish peoples have lived throughout the area since time immemorial. Before Euro-American settlement, these tribal groups largely included extended families living in villages of cedar plank houses and active communities that socialized and traded beyond the region. The rhythm of Salish life aligned with the seasonal round of food gathered from spring through fall followed by communal living in villages during the winter months. Villagers thrived off the bounty of Puget Sound, fishing for salmon and other fish, collecting clams and mussels, and harvesting shellfish from the muddy tideflats. They also gathered plants and used fire to cultivate the thick growth of bracken fern and camas on natural prairies throughout the area. In summer, gathering of berries became a focus, including red huckleberry, salmonberry, blackberry, and even cranberry among others. They also hunted mammals such as deer, elk, bear, and waterfowl for food, fur, hides, and feathers. But the most important food was the salmon, which was both plentiful and nutritious. When a trader with the Hudson’s Bay Company, John Work, came through the area in 1824, he recorded encounters with several “Scaddchet” villages as he crossed Skagit Bay and proceeded up the Swinomish Channel. The Skagit Tribe formed as a branch of the Lushootseed linguistic group of Coast Salish with the Skagit Valley as their ancestral homelands. The tribe’s identity eventually split into two divisions, known as the Lower 2. Past and Present ConditionsCORRIDOR MANAGEMENT PLAN 71 Skagit and Upper Skagit. The Upper Skagit, who ranged from near today’s Mount Vernon east to the Cascade Mountains, were further subdivided into ten to eleven small bands that lived in close proximity to the river. Those living nearest to present- day Mount Vernon were called the Nookachamps (Nook-wa-cha-mish in the native language), and a creek east of the city still bears that name. Samish bands occupied three villages just north of Fidalgo Island—two on Guemes Island and one on Samish Island. Villages each consisted of several communal longhouses made of cedar, as were the canoes used to travel between the islands and to and from the mainland. In the late 1700s with the arrival of non-native explorers to the region, the first wave of diseases and plagues swept through Puget Sound, significantly affecting native populations. Some tribal groups lost 80 percent of their population, falling from several thousand to a few hundred people. Survivors abandoned smaller villages and gathered together in larger ones. More changes came with the global fur trade in the late 1700s. At first, other native traders brought new European goods such as cloth, blankets, and muskets in exchange for beaver and other pelts. However, by about 1820 the first fur traders and trappers from outside the region were crossing the Cascades and settling in local communities. Now the beaver pelts flowed toward the newly established forts of the Hudson’s Bay Company—Nisqually, Victoria, and Langley, diminishing the tribal trade network. After signing the Point Elliot Treaty of 1855, many of the local tribal groups moved to the Swinomish Reservation located at the southeastern end of Fidalgo Island. Both the Upper and Lower Skagits signed the treaty. The Lower Skagits were consolidated with other Coast Salish tribes and bands into the Swinomish Tribe, and were relocated to the Swinomish Reservation on Fidalgo Island in 1873. The Upper Skagit population was scattered and most were taken to the Tulalip and Lummi reservations, but many drifted back to their traditional lands along the Skagit. Some tribal groups chose not to sign the treaty or could not make the signing due to severe weather. Those who did not sign either continued to live in their villages until being displaced by settlers or eventually moved to other reservations. There was a period of unrest after the 1855 Treaty, which some have called the “1855 War” that involved intermittent conflicts between tribal groups and Euro-American settlers. Historians have surmised that the unrest came about after several tribal leaders felt tricked into signing the treaty or did not fully understand its implications. With the influx of Euro-American settlers and US military troops, tribal groups were outnumbered. Some native people intermarried with Euro-Americans and assimilated into their cultures. In spite of these challenges, Coastal/Northern Straits Salish peoples still maintain active communities throughout the area today. Tribes have worked hard to maintain their individual tribal identities. In 1974 one of the negative impacts of the Point Elliott Treaty was addressed when the federal government granted the Upper Skagits full tribal status. The tribe established a reservation on an 84-acre parcel of land east of Sedro-Woolley, and also bought a 15-acre site adjacent to Interstate 5 north of Mount Vernon and opened the Skagit Valley Casino there in the 1990s and a 103-room hotel and conference center in 2001. All tribes of the region continue to work to preserve their culture and knowledge of traditional ways within younger generations through education and special events. There are currently eight tribal communities in Skagit County, among them the Swinomish, Upper Skagit, Sauk- Siuattle, and Samish. From Exploration to Settlement and Community Growth The Pacific Coast became the focus of many explorations in the 1700s. When Spaniard Juan Francisco de Eliza charted Rosario Strait in 1791, he named it Canal de Fidalgo and made note of the thick forests along the coastline. British Captain George Vancouver explored Rosario Strait in 1792 and named Deception Pass. Later in 1841, the Wilkes Expedition determined that the area north of the pass was an island, and Charles Wilkes called it Perry’s Island (present-day Fidalgo Island). By the mid-1800s, Euro-American settlers made their way to the Skagit Valley and established permanent settlements. Englishman William (Blanket Bill) Jarman came in 1852 with his Coast Salish wife, Alice, settling for a short time near present-day Edison. The earliest Euro-American settlement was located on the long, narrow peninsula of Fidalgo Salish canoes were used to travel across Rosario StraitCASCADE LOOP SCENIC BYWAY 2. Past and Present Conditions 72 Island, later known as March’s Point. Observing the native peoples’ use of the prairies to cultivate camas and bracken fern, early settlers planted crops such as potatoes. Agricultural activities and settlement began to increase more intensively with diking of the marshy flats near present day La Conner in 1863. In the 1860s and 1870s, new settlements and trading posts emerged, including La Conner, which was originally a trading post across from the Swinomish Reservation. John Conner and his wife Louisa managed the trading post, which he named in her honor and later became one of the leading towns in the area. In 1879, Amos Bowman, who dreamed of a Northern Pacific terminus on Fidalgo Island, built a small store and post office in a place he named for his wife, Anacortes. The town incorporated in 1891. Mining camps upvalley on the Skagit River and Ruby Creek were established in 1879. Although the initial hope was for gold mining prosperity, which didn’t occur, the mining camps turned into new settlements when limestone, coal, iron, and talc were found in the Cascade foothills: Lyman, Hamilton, Birdsview, Baker (later Concrete), and Marblemount among others became part of a mining district. In the meantime, massive logjams blocked the Skagit River, preventing river traffic and commerce. By the summer of 1879 the logjams had been cleared, enabling navigation through and above Mount Vernon. With the arrival of sternwheelers, Mount Vernon and other upriver towns started to develop more rapidly. Mount Vernon eventually became the county seat in 1884, after Skagit County was separated from Whatcom County in 1883. The community’s economy and growth were supported by logging and mining to the east and farming in the fertile bottomlands of the Skagit Valley. The timber industry and logging also contributed to the growth of other area communities, and the first shingle mill opened near present day Sedro-Woolley. Sedro-Woolley was incorporated in 1898 after an interesting history of two separate communities, Sedro and Woolley, that eventually merged into one. Mortimer Cook opened the shingle mill and was Sedro’s first postmaster, originally naming the town “Cedra,” the Spanish word for cedar. The name became distorted into Sedro, which stuck. In 1890, Phillip A. Woolley purchased 84 acres north of Sedro and founded the town of Woolley. As the area grew, roads and railroads were built to connect communities. Three railroads served the two towns and were key to development of the area, the Northern Pacific, Great Northern, and the Fairhaven and Southern. Both towns struggled in the late 1800s, and residents decided that a merger would be beneficial. After a spirited debate about which town would give up its name, “Sedro-Woolley” became the official name of the newly merged town. Many descendants of the founding families still live in Sedro-Woolley, and citizens are deeply committed to their history through the preservation of historic buildings in the community. Nearby Burlington began as a logging camp in 1882 and was officially incorporated in 1902. Centrally located between Seattle and Vancouver, British Columbia, Burlington quickly became a crossroads and hub in the Skagit Valley served by the Great Northern railway system. In the early 1900s the town, like others in the region, was sustained by the agriculture (including dairy) and timber industries. In the 1960s, town leaders set the stage for Burlington’s growth as a place for shopping and business activity. With the town’s location on either side of Interstate 5, business growth was inevitable and the town became a commercial destination for the region. In the late 1980s, The Cascade Mall opened, followed by outlet stores and other large commercial stores. Fish canneries opened in Anacortes in the late 1890s, which would become an economic driver into the 1900s for that community. Anacortes grew with an economy based on lumber (logging and milling), fishing and fish processing, and farming. These industries View of the Salish Sea and the San Juan Islands from Fidalgo Island2. Past and Present ConditionsCORRIDOR MANAGEMENT PLAN 73 thrived for many years before facing decline in the mid-twentieth century. Port development helped to maintain the economy and several oil companies selected Anacortes for refineries in the 1950s. Refining, tourism, residential and retirement housing, and commercial retail have come to dominate the local economy. Given the importance of natural resources for recreation, tourism, and wildlife habitat, Anacortes also has made a long-term commitment to preserving large land areas in the vicinity of the community. Agricultural Focus and Development of the Bulb Industry Agriculture has continued to be the main industry for the region from the late 1800s to the present day. A variety of crops were tried over time. Oats and peas were earlier favorites, but eventually seed growing became a focus. Before forming the Puget Sound Seed Garden in 1883, A. G. Tillinghast grew cabbage seed and when other farmers joined him, seeds for beets, flax, spinach, mustard, and other crops were produced. In the 1930s, the Charles H. Lilly Company developed seed production further. At one point Skagit County produced 95 percent of the cabbage seeds in the United States. Tulip bulb production was an extension of the seed production industry. Mary Brown Stewart started growing tulips in 1906 with bulbs from Holland, but at first tulips were “only a small part of the crop and the whole operation was of modest size.” But over time, the industry grew and by 1997, 700 acres were used for bulb farming in the Skagit Valley. In addition to tulips, daffodils and irises also became popular in bulb production. The Skagit Valley also established packing companies (hay and pea crops) and became known as a hub for the dairy industry with as many as 900 dairies in the county at the turn of the century, many as small family operations. As the Skagit Valley grew over time, it maintained its rural, agricultural character, with pockets of light industry in Mount Vernon, Burlington, and other towns. Transportation improvements continued to be a focus as more and more agricultural operations and industries required reliable roads to get products to distributors. The Pacific Highway built by the Federal Government in 1915 was a “hard-surfaced” travelway between Mexico and Canada and later became US Highway 99 in 1926. Then in the 1960s Interstate-5 was constructed to replace US 99, in some places over the top of US 99, but in other places paralleling the old highway. The new freeway brought more people to the valley, including new residents, as well as tourists and visitors. Increases in urban development have put pressure on the valley’s agricultural industry. However, agriculture is still the main economic driver of the region. Modern Characteristics and Communities In 2010 Skagit County was one of the fastest growing counties in the state with a population of over 118,000. Mount Vernon, the county seat, had a population of 31,743 at the time of the 2010 census. Sedro-Woolley’s population in 2010 was 10,540. Burlington has grown at a rapid rate in just a few years and had a population of 8,388 in 2010, which was nearly double its 1990 population. Anacortes had a population of 15,778 in 2010, and La Conner, maintaining its small town charm and character, had 891 people at the time of the 2010 census. Sedro-Woolley is known as a gateway to the North Cascades and continues to benefit from tourism and its location on SR 20, along the banks of the Skagit River. Mount Vernon and Burlington continue to grow and function as the governmental and commercial hubs of the region. Surrounded by parks, protected forests, and the waters of Puget Sound, Anacortes has increasingly appealed to retirees. Of the early industries, the lumber mills have gone and the canneries are closed, but fishing and fish processing remain alive and well at the town’s three large seafood processing plants, and fishing vessels continue to make the annual trek to the cold waters of the north Pacific. Increases in tourism have also benefitted Anacortes. As a “Gateway to the San Juan Anacortes celebrates their cannery history today with functional decor on the streetscapeCASCADE LOOP SCENIC BYWAY 2. Past and Present Conditions 74 Islands” hundreds of thousands of visitors spend time in Anacortes on their way to the ferry terminal. The community continues to promote arts and crafts and honor its history through a variety of commemorative projects and preservation efforts. Overall, the agricultural industry continues to be the main economic driver for Skagit Valley, and the region is a major producer of cabbage, table beet, and spinach seed for the world. Over 90 different crops are grown in the county including blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, pickling cucumbers, Jonagold apples, and vegetable seeds. More tulip, iris, and daffodil bulbs are produced here than in any other county in the US. About half of the world’s beet and Brussels sprout seed are grown in the valley. Fifty percent of the US supply of parsley, cabbage, and parsnip seed and at least 90 percent of the US supply of Chinese kale are also grown in Skagit County. A new development has been in the growth of nurseries, greenhouses, and organic farming, and although Rainy days produce vibrant fields of tulips and rows reflect the sky peas have declined dramatically, the potato is enjoying status as the number one crop in the county (with 95 percent of the red potato crop of Washington now grown in Skagit Valley). The agricultural industry has diversified and merged with tourism, providing extensive opportunities for visitors such as tours of the tulip fields, farm stands, u-pick farms, and various festivals and events. In 2010, the Governor at the time, Christine Gregoire, signed a bill establishing an Agricultural Scenic Corridor from Starbird Road through Bow Hill Road on Interstate 5 in recognition of the agricultural and tourism values of the area. In addition to these industries, Skagit Valley provides habitat for thousands of swans, snow geese, dabbling ducks, and other species and has become a major destination for wildlife watching. 2. Past and Present ConditionsCORRIDOR MANAGEMENT PLAN 75 REGION 9 The Whidbey Scenic Isle Way, the ninth and final region of the Cascade Loop Scenic Highway, is a state designated scenic byway. Extending across the entire length of Whidbey Island from Deception Pass in the north to the Ferry Terminal in Clinton at the south end of the island. This region provides access to extraordinary scenic, historic, and recreational experiences. The name “Whidbey Scenic Isle Way” came about in 2005, with the completion of the scenic byway corridor management plan for the island. Whidbey Scenic Isle Way Geography Whidbey Island is the largest island in Puget Sound, approximately 45 miles long, 10 miles across at its widest point and 1-1/2 miles across at its narrowest. The island has a total area of 235 square miles and boasts five state parks, eight large lakes, and 200 miles of shoreline. Whidbey Island is the second largest island in the continental United States. Narrow necks of land at Penn Cove and Holmes Harbor on Saratoga Passage divide the island into three distinct areas referred to as North, Central, and South Whidbey. State Route 20 connects Whidbey Island to the mainland west of Anacortes via the Deception Pass and Canoe Pass bridges and bisects Deception Pass State Park, a 4,134-acre marine and camping park encompassing the northern tip of Whidbey Island. The landscapes on Whidbey are a combination of broad, open prairies and farmlands, mixed with upland forests. Wet meadows and wetlands are found throughout the lowlands, along with a variety of marine shores and beaches, with many miles of shorelines open to the public. Native American Life Whidbey Island has been home to various Coast Salish peoples for thousands of years. Living in villages of large communal longhouses and subsisting on fish, shellfish, and wild game as well as roots and berries, native islanders were ancestors of today’s Samish, Skagit, and Swinomish Tribes. The Salish name for Whidbey Island was Tscha-kole-chy. With the exception of periodic wars with other tribes, native life was relatively quiet for many centuries. In the late 1700s and early 1800s the Native American population on the island was decimated by disease transmitted through contact with Euro-American explorers. In some areas diphtheria, smallpox, and measles killed 90 percent of the native people. By the time white settlers arrived, some local tribes had populations of only a few hundred and were so depleted they could not effectively resist the intruders. Following the Point Elliott Treaty in 1855, many of the Upper Skagit people were placed on the Tulalip reservation, though a few continued to live in Coupeville and other areas of the island and some intermarried with Euro-American settlers. Early Exploration/How Whidbey Got Its Name Whidbey Island was named on June 10, 1792, by British Captain George Vancouver for Joseph Whidbey, Master of the HMS Discovery . Whidbey had proven it was an island by discovering Deception Pass and was the first documented non-native to set foot on the island, landing at Penn Cove near what was to become Coupeville. CASCADE LOOP SCENIC BYWAY 2. Past and Present Conditions 76 Euro-American Settlement The first settler on Whidbey Island was Thomas W. Glasgow, a farmer, who, in 1848 claimed land on what was to become Ebey’s Prairie. After the US Congress passed the Oregon Donation Land Act in 1850, granting a “donation” of free land (320 acres to each single man and 640 acres to each married couple), Colonel Isaac Neff Ebey (1818- 1857) was the first man to file a legal claim, for 640 acres, in Central Whidbey Island. The land, on the west shore immediately south of Penn Cove, has been memorialized in history as Ebey’s Landing and Ebey’s Prairie. Several other settlers, mostly family and friends, filed for claims in the area shortly thereafter. On August 11, 1857, Colonel Isaac Neff Ebey was shot and beheaded at his Whidbey Island home by a band of Haida Indians who believed he was a white-man’s “Tyee” or chief. The killing was to avenge the death of a Tyee and 27 Indians killed at Port Gamble in November 1856 during a battle with the USS Massachusetts. These conflicts were an unfortunate result of rising tensions between Euro-American settlers and tribes of the region, which escalated after the Point Elliott Treaty of 1855. Settlers farmed the rich black loam of the prairies, planting wheat, oats, and potatoes, and raising some livestock, including sheep. The settlers also engaged in logging. Oak trees were sold for ship decks and planking, and the tall, straight Douglas-fir for masts and spars. Coveland, a small settlement at the head of Penn Cove, served as the Island County seat from 1853-1881 and provided the island’s first trading post. In 1888, a group of land developers platted Coveland and changed the name to San de Fuca, chosen because of its proximity to the Straits of Juan de Fuca. A brief summary of the settlement history of Whidbey Island's communities is provided below. OAK HARBOR—Located on the east shore of North Whidbey Island, the city was named by Dr. Richard H. Landsdale, an early settler on Penn Cove, for the many large oak trees (including the native Garry oak) in the vicinity, an unusual feature in this part of the state. Oak Harbor was founded by three veterans of the California Gold Rush: Zachariah Martin Toftezen, Charles W. Sumner and Ulrich Freund, who came from Olympia by Indian canoe, looking for land. In the 1850s, Irish immigrants began to settle in the Oak Harbor area, followed by Dutch immigrants in the 1890s. The town of Oak Harbor was officially incorporated on May 14, 1915. In July 1920, the “Oak Harbor Fire” destroyed much of the town, and the economy struggled through the Great Depression. In 1941, the US Navy arrived and built an air base, and the once quiet farming community of some 650 residents now became a booming community as thousands of construction workers and US Naval personnel arrived. COUPEVILLE—Located on the south shore of Penn Cove, Coupeville is one of Washington’s oldest towns, founded by Captain Thomas Coupe, who arrived in Puget Sound in 1852 and filed a 320- acre donation land claim on the site. Captain Coupe is the only man known to have sailed a square- rigged sailing ship through treacherous Deception Pass. After its establishment in the early 1850s, several sea captains retired in Coupeville, filing donation land claims there. The town prospered, being advantageously situated in Central Whidbey Island across from burgeoning Port Townsend, and replaced Coveland as the county seat in 1881. The activation of Fort Casey in 1901 spurred efforts for Coupeville incorporation, which finally occurred in 1910. Coupeville shares a common history with nearby Ebey’s Landing and Ebey’s Prairie, and there has been a long-standing commitment to historic preservation in the community. Many of Coupeville’s older structures have survived to this day. Local support for the arts and tourism gave impetus to formation of a National Historic Preservation District and the Ebey’s Landing National Historical Reserve, the first of its kind recognized in the US. Continued support of historic preservation and its related tourism benefits has preserved four blockhouses, historic buildings and homes, and most significantly, the prairie itself. Gift shops, restaurants, businesses, and boutiques in heritage buildings now line Coupeville’s Front Street and the Island County Historical Museum on Main Street interprets Whidbey Island’s past. FORT EBEY AND FORT CASEY—Fort Ebey, located immediately west of Coupeville, on Pigeon Point, was built by the Harbor Defense Command during World War II (1941-1945) to help protect military bases around Puget Sound against attacks by the Japanese Imperial Navy. The property was acquired by Washington state in 1968 and in 1981 became Fort Ebey State Park, a 645-acre campground with three miles of saltwater shoreline. Fort Casey, located three miles south of Coupeville, on Admiralty Head, was built by the US Army at the turn of the twentieth century. The fortification was one of three major Coast Artillery forts built to protect Puget Sound from invasion by sea. Along with Fort Flagler on Marrowstone Island, and Fort Worden at Point Wilson, the three forts formed a “Triangle of Fire” that would destroy any enemy vessel attempting to enter Admiralty Inlet. Fort Casey is also home to the beautiful Admiralty Head Lighthouse, built in 1903. Ebey's Prairie offered choice farming for early settlers2. Past and Present ConditionsCORRIDOR MANAGEMENT PLAN 77 The Department of Defense deactivated Fort Casey in 1953 and transferred the property to General Services Administration for disposal. In 1955, Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission acquired 100 acres of Fort Casey’s battery area for use as a state park and historical monument. Seattle Pacific University purchased 87 acres, which included most of the fort’s administrative buildings and housing, to create the Camp Casey Conference Center. The present Fort Casey State Park also includes the Keystone Spit area. EBEY’S LANDING—Ebey’s Prairie, originally settled by Colonel Isaac Neff Ebey was always an important historical and agricultural area on the island. In 1973, the National Park Service listed Central Whidbey Island (also known as Ebey’s Landing National Historic Reserve) on the National Register as a Historic District. In 1980, Fort Ebey and Fort Casey State Parks, including the Admiralty Head Lighthouse, were incorporated into the listings. The Central Whidbey Island Historic District stretches roughly six miles on either side of Coupeville and encompasses approximately 25 square miles, is one of the largest historic districts in the country, and has more than 100 structures listed on the National Register of Historic Places. GREENBANK/GREENBANK FARM—Surrounded by the rural residential community of Greenbank, the farm is a major landmark on Whidbey Island that was once a favorite gathering place for Coast Salish tribes. The Calvin Philips family owned and operated a family farm at Greenbank in the early 1900s, harvesting trees and maintaining a dairy herd. The main barn at the farm dates from 1904 and the other buildings replicate farm buildings of the early 1900s. In the 1940s the property, which then consisted of 522 acres of fields and woodlands, was sold to John Molz, who introduced loganberries and built the largest loganberry farm in the United States by 1970. Chateau Ste. Michelle acquired the property in the early 1970s in connection with the purchase of the wine company. Then in 1995 the company shocked the local community with plans to sell the property for residential lot development. Islanders worked with a consortium consisting of Island County, the Nature Conservancy, and the Port of Coupeville to purchase the 522-acre property, the Port acquiring the 151-acre operating farm and the other parties acquiring the adjacent woodlands. In 2008, the Greenbank Farm Ag Training Center was established to train new farmers in sustainable agriculture. Participants in the seven-month program study organic crop production, business planning, and sustainable land stewardship as well as grow vegetables for sale. Greenbank Farm has become a unique partnership that brings farmers, artists, and craftspeople together in a cooperative market place that supports local farms, merchants, tourism and recreation, and a place for people to gather for special events. FREELAND—Located at the head of Holmes Harbor in South Whidbey Island, Freeland was originally platted in the 1800s by real estate promoters who called it St. Louis, but the town of St. Louis was never built. At another brief period, the town was called Newell, the name of the nearest post office. Eventually the town was named for the Free Land Association, a group of socialists from South Dakota who intended to make land available to its members practically free of cost, paid for through cooperative enterprises, seeking to create a utopian socialist society. In 1899, George Washington Daniels, Henry L. Stevens, and Henry A. White formed the Free Land Association. They platted a town made up of five-acre lots in 1900. Although they intended that all the members of Freeland would work for the common good, the settlement failed to coalesce as a socialist community, and the Free Land Association went bankrupt in 1920. After that Freeland continued to take shape as a small community in South Whidbey and remains so today. LANGLEY—A small town on Saratoga Passage, on the eastern (mainland) side of South Whidbey Island. The town was platted by Jacob Anthes in 1890 and named for Judge James Weston Langley, a partner in the Langley Land and Improvement Company. A post office was established in 1891 with Anthes as postmaster. Langley called itself “The Hub of the Island” and incorporated in 1913. The town supplied surrounding farmers and residents with mail and dry goods, and was the port for the steamer Camano, which sailed to Everett and Seattle. In the 1900s, South Whidbey Island became a popular summer destination and many residents took in renters for the summer or sold their homes for summer use. Logging and agriculture, including fruits and berries, were South Whidbey Island’s principal industries. A large commercial cannery built at Langley supplied the Puget Sound region with canned fruits and vegetables. The Island County Fair, established in 1924, is also known as the Whidbey Island Fair and is held in Langley every summer. The popularity of Langley as a tourist destination continues to this today. CLINTON—Another small town, Clinton is located on a high bluff overlooking Saratoga Passage, near the southern tip of the island. The town was named for Clinton County, Michigan, by Edward C. Hinman, a Civil War veteran, who came from there in 1883, filing a timber claim. Clinton originally had a hotel and a dock that supplied steamships with wood and water. Fort Casey-soldiers firing gun No.2 at Battery KingsburyCASCADE LOOP SCENIC BYWAY 2. Past and Present Conditions 78 The original landing and nearby post office was called Phinney, after John G. Phinney, an early settler. In 1885, the post office was moved to the Clinton Union Store and, in 1892, renamed the Clinton Post Office. Edward Hinman served as postmaster from 1885 to 1896 and his brother, Henry, from 1898 to 1903. Like other small communities in the area, Clinton’s economy depended primarily on logging, fishing, and farming. In the 1900s, the community became a stop for tourists, campers, and summer dwellers heading up island, which intensified with the start of car ferry service in 1919. Because of the easy ferry commute between Clinton and Mukilteo, South Whidbey Island has become a bedroom community for Mukilteo and Everett, where the Boeing aircraft assembly plant is located, as well as for other areas of the Puget Sound Metropolitan Region. CAMANO ISLAND was charted in 1841 by the Wilkes expedition as “McDonough’s Island” in honor of Master Commandant Thomas McDonough, captain of the USS Saratoga during the War of 1812. In 1847, Captain Kellett of the British Navy, in his effort to restore Spanish names to the area, renamed it Camano Island in honor of Spanish explorer Lieutenant Don Jacinto Camano. The first settlers came to Camano Island in 1855, filing timber claims. The island was densely forested with stands of tall, straight Douglas-fir perfect for masts and spars. There were no towns on Camano Island, but steamboats serviced the small communities of Camano City and Mabana. A horse-drawn ferry operated between the island and Stanwood until a bridge was built in 1909. In the 1920s, tourism became popular and several auto-camps were established, followed by more elaborate resorts that rented cabins, boats, and fishing gear. In 1949, Washington State Parks and Recreation developed 134-acres of land on the east side of Camano Island, overlooking Saratoga Passage, for use as a state park. Camano Island remains a farming and residential community, well-known for its production of fruits and berries. The island had a population of 15,661 as of the 2010 census. Camano Island State Park is a popular destination for recreation. Transportation and Ferry Services In the early years, sailing ships and small steamers served Whidbey Island intermittently. As the population and industries grew on the island, more frequent service was needed. In 1906, Coupeville resident Captain Howard B. Lovejoy purchased the sternwheeler, Fairhaven, and began a scheduled run between Penn Cove and Seattle with stops at points on South Whidbey Island. In 1911, Lovejoy founded the Island Transportation Company, adding the steamers Atlanta, Clatawa, Calista, and Camano, and the community of Port Townsend to the scheduled service. Lovejoy’s company merged with the Sound Ferry Line, becoming the Whidbey Island Transportation Company. Ferries that could carry cars and passengers came into service in 1919, with the growing popularity of automobile touring. The first ferry in Island County specifically designed to carry automobiles was the Whidbey I, operated by the Central Ferry Company between Clinton and Mukilteo. Another car ferry, Central I, was added, running between Clinton and Everett. The Whidbey Island Transportation Company soon entered into direct competition, running car ferries between Langley, Clinton, and Everett. In 1927, the Puget Sound Navigation Company, doing business as the Black Ball Line, acquired all the minor steamship/ferry companies servicing Island County and started its own routes and schedules. The Black Ball Line continued to operate ferry service until 1951, when it was purchased by Washington State Ferries. The island is currently served by two Washington State Ferry routes: Mukilteo-Clinton and Keystone-Port Townsend. During the Great Depression, Whidbey Island benefited from government funds for building projects such as bridges and roads. Whidbey Island projects were supported by federal funds and resources from the National Recovery Act (NRA), the Works Progress Administration (WPA) and the Civilian Conservation Corp (CCC) to further road building and repairs, to extend the water system, and to build the first sewage treatment plant. However, the largest Whidbey Island project was construction of the Deception Pass Bridge and Canoe Bridge. The bridges were financed with funds from the federal Public Works Administration and the Washington Emergency Relief Administration, along with county funds, and were completed in 1935. The surrounding Deception Pass State Park was improved with Civilian Conservation Corps labor. The bridges connected Whidbey and Fidalgo Islands and provided islanders more direct access to the mainland. An earlier bridge had been built to link Camano Island to Stanwood. Auto travel became popular, and the creation of Deception Pass State Park in the 1930s soon made it a national tourist destination. The Deception Pass Bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. Oak Harbor Naval Base continues to be an economic driver today2. Past and Present ConditionsCORRIDOR MANAGEMENT PLAN 79 Continued Growth and Tourism With the development of the Naval Air Station, more people came to the island and significant growth in the 1950s and 1960s brought changes to the rural lifestyle of Whidbey Islanders. Increasingly more dependent on the Naval Air Station at Oak Harbor for jobs, residents also saw plans by large development corporations for multi- family structures and housing additions. Between 1953 and 1979 Coupeville annexed 11 times, bringing the town size to nearly 700 acres. A bridge from Mukilteo to Clinton was being planned in the 1960s but the Boeing recession of the late 1960s and early 1970s stopped these plans and gave islanders a chance to reconsider their future. The county adopted a variety of growth management policies and islanders continue to work hard to preserve the rural quality of life and scenic values of the island, while also encouraging tourism. The growth of bed and breakfast lodging establishments, gift shops, and arts and culture blends well with Whidbey’s strong heritage focus and have added to the island economy in recent decades. Modern Characteristics and Communities Whidbey Island continues to be scenic and rural, and cherished by residents and visitors alike. Important economic activities include farming, fishing, tourism, real estate, and construction. Buying property and building vacation homes on the island has become exceedingly popular. Between 2000 and 2010, the county’s population increased by about 9.7 percent from 71,558 to 78,506, a trend in growth that is predicted to continue. Many retired and self- employed people move here, attracted by the mild weather, beautiful scenery, recreational opportunities, rural setting, and a lower cost- of-living. In North Whidbey Island, the US Navy’s presence continues to drive the local economy, as well as that of the rest of the island and nearby communities, such as Anacortes. The naval base employs more than 10,000 workers, including military personnel, as well as civilian and contract employees. Military personnel are important customers to the many shops, business, restaurants, and services available in Oak Harbor and throughout the area. Oak Harbor’s population at the time of the 2010 census was 22,075. Coupeville had a population of 1,831 and 2,045 people lived in the vicinity of Freeland in 2010. Langley, the only incorporated town in South Whidbey had a population of 1,035 in 2010, and Clinton counted 928 people. Clinton continues to be an important gateway for travelers to Whidbey Island. Several million motorists travel through Clinton each year on their way to and from the ferry terminal. Other population is scattered across the island, with people living in various small scale residential developments or on larger estates. Located less than an hour’s drive from the major population centers of Seattle and Everett, the Whidbey Scenic Isle Way is a unique island experience. This portion of the overall Cascade Loop Scenic Byway offers grand views of Puget Sound with backdrops of the snow-capped peaks of the Olympic and Cascade ranges. After a short drive across the spectacular Deception Pass Bridge or the ferry ride from either Mukilteo or Port Townsend, visitors can enjoy an exceptional array of experiences on the island—art studios and galleries, farms and food artisans, wineries, microbreweries, historic landmarks and preserves, and a variety of recreational opportunities such as beach walking, hiking and biking, kite flying, wildlife watching, and more. Full moon over CoupevilleNext >