Joan of Whidbey: A Little Bit of Whidbey History

Deception Pass Bridge

Joseph Whidbey, master of H. M. S. Discovery under the command of Captain Vancouver, discovered Deception Pass in 1792. In so doing he proved that Whidbey Island, thought by the early Spanish explorers to be part of the mainland, was in reality an island.

The first contact between the island indians and the white man occurred when Whidbey's party landed in Penn's Cove. Here more than 200 Skagit indians stared in rapt astonishment at the white skin of the visitors. Vancouver unbuttoned his tunic and shirt to show the indians that he and his men were not painted with ashes as the indians thought.

For almost a century after Vancouver's arrival there was little historical activity on the island. It remained undisturbed and the indians had continued to live in the manner of their ancestors. They lived in buildings made of split cedar shakes, using Rush mats on the ground. Many of their tools and utensils were contrived from stone and their dug canoes were formed from large cedars. The unusual form of dress was a blanket held around the shoulders by a bone pin, although some wore shirts of skin. Many of the men were tattooed and some women wore nose pieces of polished bone or wood. (still the prevailing style in Seattle to this day)

It wasn't until 1850 that Isaac Ebey took up claims on the prairie outside of what is today, Coupeville. Ebey was so prominent among the pioneers that the indians considered him to be the HYAS-TYEE or great chief. It was because of his importance among the whites that he was murdered by the Haidah's in 1857. This was a case of eye for an eye, Ebey being slain in retaliation for killing of the Haidah chief at Port Gamble. Ebey was shot at night as he opened his door in answer to a knock. Severely wounded he staggered outside, was killed and beheaded by the indians. The Haidahs departed taking his head with them. Two years later the head was covered in Canada; it was interred with Ebay's remains on the family farm where a memorial now stands. The body was later moved to Sunnyside cemetery near Coupeville.

At the turn of the century Whidbey Island became a strategic defense position for the United States. Fort Casey came into being for the defense of Admiralty Inlet. In 1890, construction of, Fort Casey, the last fort of its kind began on the bluffs west of Coupeville. As part of a three-fort defense system, the fort was built by the U.S. Army to protect the entrance to Puget Sound. Along with Ft. Casey, the other two forts – Fort Flagler and Fort Worden on the Olympic Peninsula – made up the "Triangle of Fire;" Fort Casey was best known for its 10-inch disappearing guns that sat high above the head of Admiralty Inlet. Four hundred troops eventually manned the fort after its opening in 1901, however they never fired the guns, which could lob shells more than 10 miles, in warfare. In 20 short years, the fort had become the fourth largest military post and undoubtedly the most beautiful.

Fort Ebey, just north of Fort Casey, was built in 1942-43 to help protect Puget Sound military bases from the Japanese Imperial Navy. Battery 248 was in a perfect position for gun emplacements and provided an important radar site. Six-inch guns were installed to help defend ships heading toward Deception Pass, although no enemy ships ever entered the Sound. Ft. Ebey was decommissioned shortly after the war but remained a place to conduct training. Efforts to prepare the fort as a state park began in 1965.

Just prior to the U.S.'s involvement in World War II, the Office of Chief Naval Operations charged the local naval district with finding the perfect location to re-arm and refuel planes defending the Northwest. Among five contenders, Crescent Harbor in Oak Harbor was chosen as the spot because PBY seaplane takeoffs and landings would be a breeze.

After Dec. 8, 1942, Pearl Harbor's invasion set off the construction frenzy with almost 200 men working through all weather conditions to finish the base. Farmers even turned over titles to ancestral farmlands so that runways and hangars could be built.

Construction of Ault Field, just north of downtown Oak Harbor, began in March 1942. It was far enough from populated areas to conduct operational training flights with live munitions. With favorable weather conditions and room to grow, Naval Air Station Whidbey Island was born.

Dan and I have had the opportunity to see a lot of military activity. Here are a few pictures he has taken on the Island: