Exhibition: Jefferson County 101
- Jefferson County Historical Society
- Apr 29
- 1 min read
On view: April 3 – December 31
Location: Museum of Art + History, Marshall's Office
For several thousand years, Native Peoples of the Olympic Peninsula possessed rich social and religious cultures based on the abundant natural resources of the Northwest Coast, wintering at permanent village sites, and moving seasonally to other locations in their traditional territory for fishing, hunting and gathering.
European and American immigrants began to settle Jefferson County in the mid-19th Century, establishing villages at easily accessible, deep-water bays. The Donation Land Act of 1850 gave acreage to enterprising white men (320 acres if single, 640 acres if married), and heavy timber stands provided an immediate income from logging. While a few adventurous individuals chose property inland for homesteading and farming, most activity was concentrated on the coast, where ships transported people and goods with increasing frequency and seafood was abundant.
This exhibit tells the stories of early settlement throughout Jefferson County, from Port Townsend to Brinnon to Irondale to the Westside, and all communities in between.
Plan your visit to the Museum of Art + History here.
