Tall ships in Port Townsend Bay

This 1891 view of Port Townsend Bay is enchanting for so many reasons - the bay loaded with tall ships (and one hybrid steamer), the impressively crafted buildings and docks, and the streetcar in the near frame, and the sand roadways:

1891 view of Port Townsend and Port Townsend Bay.  Image credit:  Bert Kellogg collection.

I had a harder time than I expected trying to find the photographer's location, and I'm not sure I've got it right...but the modern view shot from about here next to Port Townsend's Fire Bell Tower seems to make sense, as its not difficult to imagine a photographer setting up (at what would have been a newly built tower site) there ~130 years ago:

9 July 2021 photo

Vegetation obscures much of the historic view, but the scale and size of the tall ships in the historic bay give a sense for the types of changes the waterfront of Port Townsend has scene in the last 130 years.

From Craven Peninsula to Port Townsend Canal

 In 1841 explorer Charles Wilkes named the small stretch of gravel connecting Port Hadlock with Indian Island Craven Peninsula after a member of his crew, Lt Charles Craven.

The peninsula was submerged at high tides. Natives and later settlers portaged over the peninsula at high tides.  

As early as the mid 1800's, there was interest in dredging the peninsula to make the channel a channel for shipping.  

Finally in 1915, the peninsula was dredged and a canal was created.  Local residents were promised a bridge that didn't come until 1952.  Prior, residents and later the Navy on Indian Island used a variety of boats and later ferries to cross the channel.  

Read more about the story of Craven Peninsula, the dredging, ferries and the bridge on this link:

Peninsula Daily News