Island County history

The first known overnight stay on Whidbey Island by a non-native American was made on May 26, 1840 by a Catholic missionary during travel across Puget Sound.

In 1850, Colonel Isaac N. Ebey became the first known white settler on Whidbey Island, claiming a large swath of prairie with a southern shoreline on Admiralty Inlet.

Island County was created out of Thurston County on December 22, 1852, by the legislature of Oregon Territory, and is the eighth-oldest county in Washington.

Island County, the eighth oldest county in Washington, was created on January 6, 1853, by the Oregon Territorial Legislature from a portion of Thurston County and was named for the myriad of islands in Northwestern Washington.

The first settlers came to Camano Island in 1855, filing timber claims.

On August 11, 1857, Colonel Ebey was killed and beheaded by Haida, a Native American Tribe that traveled from the Queen Charlotte Islands when he was 39 years old.

In 1888, a group of land developers platted Coveland and changed the name to San de Fuca, chosen because of its proximity to the Straits of Juan de Fuca.

A post office was established in 1891 with Anthes as postmaster.

Activated in 1901, this imposing fortification was one of three major Coast Artillery forts built to protect Puget Sound from invasion by sea.

In 1906, Coupeville resident Captain Howard B. Lovejoy purchased the sternwheeler Fairhaven and ran on a schedule between Penn’s Cove and Seattle with stops at points on South Whidbey Island.

In July 1920, the “Oak Harbor Fire” destroyed much of the town.

In 1927, the Puget Sound Navigation Company, doing business as the Black Ball Line, bought out all the minor steamship companies servicing Island County, establishing its own routes and schedules.

The bridges were financed with funds from the federal Public Works Administration and the Washington Emergency Relief Administration, along with county funds, and were dedicated on July 31, 1935.

The actual construction of the field began on March 1, 1942, and the first plane, a single-engine SNJ trainer, piloted by Lieutenant Newton Wakefield, landed there on August 5, 1942.

In 1949, Washington State Parks and Recreation developed 134 acres of land on the west side of Camano Island, overlooking Saratoga Passage, for use as a state park.

In 1955, Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission acquired 100 acres of Fort Casey’s battery area for use as a state park and historical monument.

On December 12, 1973, the National Park Service listed Central Whidbey Island (also known as Ebey’s Landing National Historic Reserve) on the National Register as a Historic District (listing No.

The Indian name for Coupeville was reported to be P't-sa-tl-y, meaning "snake basket." According to the 2000 United States Census, Coupeville had a population of 1,723.

Today (2005) nearly 88 percent of all economic activity in Island County is directly and indirectly linked to the navy’s presence, which includes employment, payrolls, retiree pensions, health care, and purchases of goods and services from local vendors.

Kenmore Air Express restarted scheduled airline service to Whidbey Island in 2006, serving the Oak Harbor airport.