2015: Phase 2 of the Lt Peter Puget Memorial Project

Phase 1: The projects at Blake Island and Olympia Port Plaza are considered long term projects.
Phase 2: Beginning January 2015, we will be helping the town of Steilacoom create 3 Memorial reader boards  to document their rich history in the Balch Passage area.
Anderson Island has dedicated their Jacob's Point Park which overlooks Oro Bay. They will have a marker to dedicate Puget's party camping in the area.
I realized the community of Allyn in Case Inlet is also a very important historical site that can perhaps create a memorial of their own. I am in communication with them and informing them Puget explored Case Inlet but Vancouver did too and dined one afternoon.There is a dock and Pavilion that could be the site for a small memorial.
We were delighted to learn that the Thurston County Historical Commission had placed a historical reader board at Mud Bay, Eld Inlet. Having communities identify possible sites and creating their own memorials is the future focus of our Project.
At the end of May 2015 we are closing the fund raising for the project, so get your donation in as soon as you can.

Peter Puget Haiku

In my recent cruise with Too Tall Tom, he began instructing me in the art of writing Japanese Haiku Poetry with particular references to cruising. From modern day cruising we slipped easily into the Exploration of Peter Puget and the Southern Waters and the Voyage of Discovery. Too Tall Tom was crew for me when we replicated Puget's Route.

The first line is 5 syllables.
The second line is 7.
The third line is 5.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Four years to explore
Voyage of Discovery
Peter Puget's Sound
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Row, Row, Row your boat.
Hungry, Thirsty, Hot and Cold
The Men of the Oar.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Master Whidbey sees
Deception Pass is the Key
To Whidbey's Island.

Artwork by Steve Mayo

My Puget Memorial Dream Grows

Shatoosh, Pashmina and I cruised to Gig Harbor this weekend.. I met Hans Schumacher and his wonderful family cruising on a Mac Greggor 25 named Trapiche.  They introduced themselves and stated they had seen The Lt Peter Puget Memorial Project write-up in April 48 North and had also read Carol MacKinnon's Article in May.

They had 3 days off in May so took our suggestions to heart and headed out to do Puget's Route for 3 days. Congratulations to you. They had the history books on board and read them along the way. This is part of my dream coming true. Replication and learning history along the route. Hans please share this with your MacGreggor groups.

This brings up a new question: What do we call ourselves when we follow in Puget's Wake?
Puget Wakers
Puget Routers
Puget Explorers
Puget Followers
What are your thoughts?

June 4, 1792; June 4, 1915; and June 4, 2014

What Do These Dates Have In Common?

June 4, 1792: It was King George's 54th birthday and Captain George Vancouver rowed ashore to celebrate it by taking Possession of all waters and land they had mapped and surveyed since April. He named these waters, Possession Sound. It is the home waters of Everett, WA.

June 4, 1915: The Marcus Whitman Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution paid tribute by installing a bronze and stone Memorial to commemorate his landing. It is 99 years old.

June 4, 2014: I make my way to Everett today to see the memorial and to pay my tribute to Captain Vancouver and his Voyage of Discovery. The Memorial is located high on a bluff overlooking the Port of Everett in a small, but beautiful park, aptly named Grand Avenue Park. The Memorial is located at Grand Avenue and 18th Street. Many people were being walked by their dogs in  the small park, but no one I spoke to knew nothing of this great event, no one had ever stopped to read the plaque. Everyone got a brief history lesson and departed, pleased to know about it. I had a pocket full of Lt Peter Puget Memorial cards to pass out.

The Park has other noted Memorials, A bronze Bust for Senator Scoop Jackson, who lived across the street in a beautiful home. A mosaic Compass Rose and a tribute to Becky Fauver.

I ventured down to the Port and celebrated by having  a lovely lunch at Anthony's Home Port Restaurant.
What a wonderful day and I am so happy I took the time to honor these explorers on this famous day in Washington's History.

Carol MacKinnon Honors Lt. Peter Puget

Carol is an avid sailor and historian who seems to love The Voyage of Discovery 1792, as much as I do. Richard Hazelton, the editor of 48 North has introduced us recently as the May issue of 48 North has Carol's article on Retracing Puget's Route. She does a wonderful job of weaving Puget's history with her own journey and challenges Puget Sound boaters to get out on the Sound this May and rediscover his famous route for themselves. Great work Carol.

Please go to link to read her article:
48 North

Captain Vancouver Memorial Stone in Possession Sound is Found

The other day, my boating/ history buff side-kick, Too Tall Tom came to my rescue.
I have been looking for this monument for quite a while. See March 2014 posting.

He had located Captain Vancouver's Memorial Stone in Everett, WA. which commemorated the day he landed and took possession of all waters and land he had surveyed in April and May 1792. On King George III's birthday, June 4, 1792, Captain Vancouver, Lt. Broughton rowed ashore with several of the officers at 1 PM and in keeping with royal traditional, planted the British flag, fired off muskets from the Discovery. The men were served the best meal he could provide, an extra portion of grog and finally a day of rest for all the men, especially for the men of the oar.

He named all the waters north of 39 degrees, 20 minutes N, the Gulph(Gulf) of Georgia and the land southward, to 45 degrees N, New Georgia. This sound was named Possession Sound.


The Marcus Whitman Chapter of the DAR dedicated this monument.
It is located in the Grand Avenue Park, 1800 Grand Avenue, Everett, WA 98201
N 47° 59.633 W 122° 12.764

Erected June 4, 1915

Too Tall found it on a site: www.waymarking,com

I will have to get north and see it for myself. Thanks Too Tall for  finding this 99 year old monument. I wonder if they will re-dedicate it next June for its 100th Anniversary.

Steilacoom History Museum, WA

Looking west through Balch Passage
Puget and his party transited from Pitt Passage thru  Balch
and arrived Ketron Island

 The sun was out in all its glory as Barbara Reid spoke to the Steilacoom History Museum yesterday. I was back on the "Friend Raising" trail to gather interested supporters for the Lt Peter Puget Memorial Project. Steilacoom and I have been in 48 year love relationship. It is a small town located on the eastern shore of Puget Sound south of the Tacoma Narrows. It overlooks Balch Passage, Anderson, Eagle, McNeil, Fox and Ketron Islands. You have breath taking views, ferry rides to Anderson and Ketron Islands, kayaking, fishing, bike riding and the list goes on and on. It is historic, beautifully maintained and a fun place to live and visit.

Friend Raising

It is filled with The Voyage of Discovery adventures as The Puget Expedition and the Vancouver Expedition plied these waters in May of 1792. I am calling Steilacoom, The Crossroads of the Voyage of Discovery now that I have had time to savor the historical tidbits that are continually being placed in my simmering and thickening soup that I am cooking. The Puget party crossed from Pitt Passage to Balch Passage to Ketron Island to get a noon sight and bearings up the Narrows for Mr. Whidbey. Lt Manby tried to shoot a bear and his double-barreled gun exploded. The sun dripped day resulted in lightening and thunder storms which forced them into Oro Bay on Anderson Island where they spent the night. Trading with the Nisqually Indians in the evening provided them with salmon, raspberries and a bear skin. The Vancouver Expedition also crossed through this area and camped on Ketron Island. That evening Puget's expedition returned from their southern exploration and passed Ketron making their way back to the HMS Discovery. They see a camp fire on shore and believe it to be Indian. Vancouver fires muskets upon seeing boats pass in the darkness of night. Since there was no return of muskets firing, they, too thought the boats were Indian.

The Steilacoom group was excited to hear this history, are most supportive, have become new "Friends of the Puget Memorial Project" and are eager to look at other possibilities of embracing the Puget Expedition into their projects list. I look forward to seeing them again in the near future. What a wonderful group of people. Stop by and visit the town and their beautiful history museum. Tell them Puget sent you.

http://www.steilacoomhistorical.org/

http://www.townofsteilacoom.com/