Blake Island
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Blake Island is an island in Washington state. It lies in the middle of Puget Sound, north of Vashon Island, south of Bainbridge Island and east of Manchester.
Blake Island State Park is a 475 acre (1.9 km²) marine camping park with five miles of saltwater beach shoreline providing magnificent 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.
History
Blake Island was used as a camping ground by the Suquamish tribe. In 1866, 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, 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 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. This came to an end in 1929, when his 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.
In 1959, the state of Washington made the entire island a State Park.
External links
- [Blake Island State Park] Washington State Parks web site
- [Blake Island Visitor Information]
- [Blake Island History] Information from historylink.org
- [Tillicum Village]
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