Blake Island
Encyclopedia
Blake Island is an island in Washington state in the United States
. It lies in the middle of Puget Sound
, north of Vashon Island
, south of Bainbridge Island and east of Manchester
.
Blake Island is a 475 acres (1.9 km²) marine camping park with five miles of saltwater beach shoreline providing unobstructed views of the Olympic Mountains
and the Seattle skyline. There is a small marina
and limited mooring buoys. The park is only reachable by tour boat or private boat. On the northeast end of the island is Tillicum Village
, a showcase for Northwest Coast Indian arts, culture, and food. The island is home to a variety of wildlife, including deer that sometimes swim from the mainland to the island from Manchester.
Blake Island was used as a camping ground by the Suquamish
tribe. In 1786, it was the birthplace of Chief Sealth
, for whom the city of Seattle was named. The island was first noted by British explorer George Vancouver
in 1792, as part of his exploration of Puget Sound, though it was not named.
In 1841, Lt. Charles Wilkes
of the United States Exploring Expedition
named it Blake Island for George Smith Blake, the officer in charge of the United States Coast Survey between 1837 and 1848, although it was known locally as Smuggler's Island for some time. In the mid 19th century, the island was logged for its timber.
During the Prohibition
, it was frequently used as a refuge for bootleggers smuggling alcohol from Canada
.
William Pitt Trimble, a Seattle millionaire, purchased Blake island, and renamed it Trimble Island for a time. By 1917 he and his family lived there in a magnificent estate.
The Trimble family invited Camp Fire Girls from Seattle, and throughout Washington State to hold their first summer resident camp on Trimble Island, in 1920. The girls named their camp, Camp Sealth
, in honor of the birthplace of Chief Sealth. They paid for a delivery of logs, but soon found them floating away at high tide. They scrambled to haul them back, and soon found themselves dealing with a fire on the island. Due to other plans by the Trimble Family, Camp Fire Girls of Seattle searched for a new, and permanent location for Camp Sealth. By the next summer the camp was moved to Vashon Island
, where it remains today.
In 1929, the Trimble family's occupation of the island came to an end when William Trimble's wife Cassandra died in an accident in Seattle. After that, the island was abandoned and the house was left to decay. Trimble sold Blake Island to an investment company in 1936, and retired in Seattle.
During World War II
, a unit of the Coastal Artillery
of the US Army was garrisoned in the Trimble mansion. The mansion burned during this time, leaving only the foundations visible today.
In 1959, the state of Washington made the entire island a State Park.
In 1993, U.S. President Bill Clinton
invited member economies' leaders to Blake Island for the first APEC Leaders' Meeting.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It lies in the middle of Puget Sound
Puget Sound
Puget Sound is a sound in the U.S. state of Washington. It is a complex estuarine system of interconnected marine waterways and basins, with one major and one minor connection to the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Pacific Ocean — Admiralty Inlet being the major connection and...
, north of Vashon Island
Vashon Island
Vashon is a census-designated place in King County, Washington, United States. It covers an island alternately called Vashon Island or Vashon-Maury Island, the largest island in Puget Sound south of Admiralty Inlet. The population was 10,624 at the 2010 census. At , it is about 60 percent larger...
, south of Bainbridge Island and east of Manchester
Manchester, Washington
Manchester is a census-designated place in Kitsap County, Washington, United States. The population was 4,958 at the 2000 census.-History:...
.
Blake Island is a 475 acres (1.9 km²) marine camping park with five miles of saltwater beach shoreline providing unobstructed views of the Olympic Mountains
Olympic Mountains
The Olympic Mountains is a mountain range on the Olympic Peninsula of western Washington in the United States. The mountains, part of the Pacific Coast Ranges, are not especially high - Mount Olympus is the highest at - but the western slopes of the Olympics rise directly out of the Pacific...
and the Seattle skyline. There is a small marina
Marina
A marina is a dock or basin with moorings and supplies for yachts and small boats.A marina differs from a port in that a marina does not handle large passenger ships or cargo from freighters....
and limited mooring buoys. The park is only reachable by tour boat or private boat. On the northeast end of the island is Tillicum Village
Tillicum Village
Tillicum Village is a Puget Sound area visitor attraction located on Blake Island just off the shore of Seattle, WA. It is believed that this attraction dates to the time period immediately preceding the 1962 Seattle World's Fair. The Tillicum Village attraction features a scenic cruise from...
, a showcase for Northwest Coast Indian arts, culture, and food. The island is home to a variety of wildlife, including deer that sometimes swim from the mainland to the island from Manchester.
History
Suquamish
The Suquamish are a Lushootseed-speaking Native American Tribe, located in present-day Washington in the United States.The Suquamish are a southern Coast Salish people; they spoke a dialect of Lushootseed, which belongs to the Salishan language family. Like many Northwest Coast natives, the...
tribe. In 1786, it was the birthplace of Chief Sealth
Chief Seattle
Chief Seattle , was a Dkhw’Duw’Absh chief, also known as Sealth, Seathle, Seathl, or See-ahth. A prominent figure among his people, he pursued a path of accommodation to white settlers, forming a personal relationship with David Swinson "Doc" Maynard. Seattle, Washington was named after him...
, for whom the city of Seattle was named. The island was first noted by British explorer George Vancouver
George Vancouver
Captain George Vancouver RN was an English officer of the British Royal Navy, best known for his 1791-95 expedition, which explored and charted North America's northwestern Pacific Coast regions, including the coasts of contemporary Alaska, British Columbia, Washington and Oregon...
in 1792, as part of his exploration of Puget Sound, though it was not named.
In 1841, Lt. Charles Wilkes
Charles Wilkes
Charles Wilkes was an American naval officer and explorer. He led the United States Exploring Expedition, 1838-1842 and commanded the ship in the Trent Affair during the American Civil War...
of the United States Exploring Expedition
United States Exploring Expedition
The United States Exploring Expedition was an exploring and surveying expedition of the Pacific Ocean and surrounding lands conducted by the United States from 1838 to 1842. The original appointed commanding officer was Commodore Thomas ap Catesby Jones. The voyage was authorized by Congress in...
named it Blake Island for George Smith Blake, the officer in charge of the United States Coast Survey between 1837 and 1848, although it was known locally as Smuggler's Island for some time. In the mid 19th century, the island was logged for its timber.
During the Prohibition
Prohibition in the United States
Prohibition in the United States was a national ban on the sale, manufacture, and transportation of alcohol, in place from 1920 to 1933. The ban was mandated by the Eighteenth Amendment to the Constitution, and the Volstead Act set down the rules for enforcing the ban, as well as defining which...
, it was frequently used as a refuge for bootleggers smuggling alcohol from Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
William Pitt Trimble, a Seattle millionaire, purchased Blake island, and renamed it Trimble Island for a time. By 1917 he and his family lived there in a magnificent estate.
The Trimble family invited Camp Fire Girls from Seattle, and throughout Washington State to hold their first summer resident camp on Trimble Island, in 1920. The girls named their camp, Camp Sealth
Camp Sealth
Camp Sealth is owned and operated by Camp Fire USA, a non-profit youth organization, and located on Vashon Island, Washington. Sealth hosts resident and day camp during the summer, environmental education for school groups during the spring and fall, and is a year-round conference and retreat center...
, in honor of the birthplace of Chief Sealth. They paid for a delivery of logs, but soon found them floating away at high tide. They scrambled to haul them back, and soon found themselves dealing with a fire on the island. Due to other plans by the Trimble Family, Camp Fire Girls of Seattle searched for a new, and permanent location for Camp Sealth. By the next summer the camp was moved to Vashon Island
Vashon Island
Vashon is a census-designated place in King County, Washington, United States. It covers an island alternately called Vashon Island or Vashon-Maury Island, the largest island in Puget Sound south of Admiralty Inlet. The population was 10,624 at the 2010 census. At , it is about 60 percent larger...
, where it remains today.
In 1929, the Trimble family's occupation of the island came to an end when William Trimble's wife Cassandra died in an accident in Seattle. After that, the island was abandoned and the house was left to decay. Trimble sold Blake Island to an investment company in 1936, and retired in Seattle.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, a unit of the Coastal Artillery
Coastal artillery
Coastal artillery is the branch of armed forces concerned with operating anti-ship artillery or fixed gun batteries in coastal fortifications....
of the US Army was garrisoned in the Trimble mansion. The mansion burned during this time, leaving only the foundations visible today.
In 1959, the state of Washington made the entire island a State Park.
In 1993, U.S. President Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
invited member economies' leaders to Blake Island for the first APEC Leaders' Meeting.
External links
- Blake Island State Park Washington State Parks web site
- Blake Island Visitor Information
- Blake Island History Information from historylink.org
- Tillicum Village
- The Yukon Harbor Historical Society