Lilliwaup, Washington
Encyclopedia
Lilliwaup is a small unincorporated community
in Mason County, Washington, United States
. It is located on the west shore of Hood Canal
at the mouth of Lilliwaup Creek. US Highway 101 passes through the town.
ted in 1890. The Olympic Exploring Expedition of 1890, led by Joseph O'Neil, made one of the earliest explorations of the Olympic Mountains
and the first crossing of the southern part of the range. The expedition began at Lilliwaup, bringing men and supplies up Hood Canal. O'Neil hoped to find a practical route between Hood Canal and the Pacific Ocean. The party left Lilliwaup in June 1890, west to the North Fork Skokomish River and Lake Cushman
. From there a number of smaller parties explored in various directions, including one group that made the first recorded ascent of Mount Olympus
. The main contingent of the expedition reached Hoquiam
in October 1890. O'Neil did not find the practical route he had hoped for, but advocated for the creation of a national park
.
When O'Neil's exploring expedition first arrived at Lilliwaup in early 1890 they found the town almost non-existent. A member of the part described Lilliwaup as "a town with one house". But in September of the same year, when O'Neil again traveled to Lake Cushman via Lilliwaup more than 30 families had moved in. Soon after there was a store and two hotels. However, the townsite company went bankrupt a short time later and most of the people moved away. By the 1920s tourism was bringing new life to the region. The Lilliwaup Land and Resort Company was founded. A trail to Lilliwaup Falls was built. There were reports that movie stars such as Mary Pickford
, Charlie Chaplin
, and others were interested in buying homes in Lilliwaup, but they never came and the resort company folded.
, which draws fishing enthusiasts to the area in the fall.
A stairway provides public access to the round-rock beach, where picnicking, shellfish harvesting, fishing, and beachcombing are popular. Hood Canal oysters plucked from the shores are a local favorite.
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
in Mason County, Washington, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is located on the west shore of Hood Canal
Hood Canal
Hood Canal is a fjord forming the western lobe, and one of the four main basins, of Puget Sound in the state of Washington. Hood Canal is not a canal in the sense of being a man-made waterway—it is a natural waterway.-Geography:...
at the mouth of Lilliwaup Creek. US Highway 101 passes through the town.
History
The area was settled by early pioneers by 1854. The town was officially platPlat
A plat in the U.S. is a map, drawn to scale, showing the divisions of a piece of land. Other English-speaking countries generally call such documents a cadastral map or plan....
ted in 1890. The Olympic Exploring Expedition of 1890, led by Joseph O'Neil, made one of the earliest explorations 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 first crossing of the southern part of the range. The expedition began at Lilliwaup, bringing men and supplies up Hood Canal. O'Neil hoped to find a practical route between Hood Canal and the Pacific Ocean. The party left Lilliwaup in June 1890, west to the North Fork Skokomish River and Lake Cushman
Lake Cushman
Lake Cushman is a lake and reservoir on the north fork of the Skokomish River in Mason County, Washington. The lake originally was a long narrow broadening of the Skokomish River formed in a glacial trough and dammed by a terminal moraine from the last ice age, during the Vashon stade.The lake was...
. From there a number of smaller parties explored in various directions, including one group that made the first recorded ascent of Mount Olympus
Mount Olympus (Washington)
Mount Olympus is the tallest and most prominent mountain in the Olympic Mountains of western Washington state. Located on the Olympic Peninsula, it is the central feature of Olympic National Park. Mount Olympus is the highest summit of the Olympic Mountains, however, peaks such as Mount Constance,...
. The main contingent of the expedition reached Hoquiam
Hoquiam, Washington
Hoquiam is a city in Grays Harbor County, Washington state, United States. The town borders the city of Aberdeen at Myrtle Street with Hoquiam to the west. The two cities share a common economic history in lumbering and exporting but Hoquiam has maintained its independent identity...
in October 1890. O'Neil did not find the practical route he had hoped for, but advocated for the creation of a national park
National park
A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns. Although individual nations designate their own national parks differently A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or...
.
When O'Neil's exploring expedition first arrived at Lilliwaup in early 1890 they found the town almost non-existent. A member of the part described Lilliwaup as "a town with one house". But in September of the same year, when O'Neil again traveled to Lake Cushman via Lilliwaup more than 30 families had moved in. Soon after there was a store and two hotels. However, the townsite company went bankrupt a short time later and most of the people moved away. By the 1920s tourism was bringing new life to the region. The Lilliwaup Land and Resort Company was founded. A trail to Lilliwaup Falls was built. There were reports that movie stars such as Mary Pickford
Mary Pickford
Mary Pickford was a Canadian-born motion picture actress, co-founder of the film studio United Artists and one of the original 36 founders of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences...
, Charlie Chaplin
Charlie Chaplin
Sir Charles Spencer "Charlie" Chaplin, KBE was an English comic actor, film director and composer best known for his work during the silent film era. He became the most famous film star in the world before the end of World War I...
, and others were interested in buying homes in Lilliwaup, but they never came and the resort company folded.
Recreation
A nearby fish hatchery keeps the local waters stocked with salmonSalmon
Salmon is the common name for several species of fish in the family Salmonidae. Several other fish in the same family are called trout; the difference is often said to be that salmon migrate and trout are resident, but this distinction does not strictly hold true...
, which draws fishing enthusiasts to the area in the fall.
A stairway provides public access to the round-rock beach, where picnicking, shellfish harvesting, fishing, and beachcombing are popular. Hood Canal oysters plucked from the shores are a local favorite.
External links
- Lilliwaup, Hood Canal & South Puget Sound Tourism