Day 15. May 22, 2019 Gilberton Washington

From Poulsbo, we would move camp to Bremerton Washington. More specifically...Gilberton Washington.

Why Gilberton?

A quiet little community about 6 miles northwest of Bremerton...Gilberton has a fascinating history.

The story of Gilberton starts early on, in 1888, when Thor and Olive Gulbranson, a family of Norwegian immigrants, claimed land and settled a farm near Brown's Bay (now Burke Bay), south of the growing community that became Brownsville.

The Gulbransons had joined a boom in Scandinavian settlement on the inlets, bays, and fjords of the Kitsap Peninsula.

In the early 1900's they would change their name to Gilberton. They then subdivided their property, filing a plat for Gilberton on April 15, 1908.

They were running ads for their development "Gilberton-on-the-Sound" even before that in the Seattle Times.

Gilberton-on-the-Sound was marketed as a half mile of beachfront perfect for vacation homes and complete with fresh water ready to tap.

At a time well before the first Narrows Bridge, and the Washington State Ferry System that services the area today...Transportation around the sound, and access to areas like Gilberton looked a little different.

Around the same time the Gilbertons were advertising their development, The Hanson Transportation company would form and later grow into the Kitsap County Transportation Company.

The company operated a fleet of steam ships and ferry's. At it's height it would operate over 100 vessels with runs and access points all over the Puget Sound

The most popular of which would be the runs between Seattle and Tacoma. Not far behind would be the runs linking the Kitsap Peninsula with the mainland.

The fleet often times contained rag-tag, jerry riggged vessels but for the most part reliable, and got the job done. The rag tag fleet would become known as the Mosquito Fleet, and serve the area well into the 1920's

With the Mosquito fleets ability to move supplies, and people...up to 250 per passage on their larger steamships, pioneers in the area could now pick their spot anywhere on the over 1300 miles of Puget Sound coastline...and stay connected with the rest of the world.

The Mosquito Fleet's era came to an end with the advent of better road and rail infrastructure, and the transition to the modern day Washington State Ferries system. T

The Mosquito Fleet is remembered as a vital part of the region's history and a testament to the pioneering spirit of the Pacific Northwest.

So what does all this history have to do with me? It all comes down to a little stretch of waterfront property on Washington Street, in Gilberton. That little piece of Washington street belongs to a family that has lived there for 3 generations, and I'm lucky enough to count them among my very best friends...in fact...they are family.

And over the years...so they would introduce me to the rest of the neighborhood....a group of folks that each have their own generational claim....to the land....and to each other. To me...they are "The Washington Street Gang"

It's a special place.....

So what better place to continue the adventure?

We would spend the next two weeks on an RV pad....tucked into the backyard of one of founding members of the Washington Street Gang.

Imagine waking up, cool part is, I don't have to "imagine".......grabbin a cup of coffee and headin out for that morning walk with Dougie.

These weren't just walks at dawn...they were experiences.

The early morning views, smells, the sounds of the Puget sound lapping the shoreline to our east...and literally everywhere...the thick green shades of fir and cedar tree's bringing their contribution to the morning.

It would take only a walk or two for Dougie to map his route. A quick check in at nearly every door step for a quick snack...or at the very least a pat on the head and scruff of the neck...which lets face it....for Dougie....better than a snack!

Then it's off to plan the day.

At the top of the list of favorites...and it's a long list...was an afternoon spent at the United States Naval Undersea Museum in Keyport Washington.

The Museum was established on July 23, 1979, by the Secretary of the Navy.

With over 39,000 artifacts, the museum is an important repository for information and items related to undersea weapons, submarine technology, diving and salvage artifacts, and undersea vehicle technology. The museum’s 68,000 square foot building contains 18,000 square feet of exhibition space and over 19,000 square feet of collections and archival storage.

All starting with the striking exhibitions of the Trieste ll, the first deep submergence vehicle built by the Navy in 1964

As well as the sail of the USS Sturgeon, an attack (salmon class) commissioned in 1938 as one of the first "fleet" submarines commissioned for use by the US Navy during WW2.

These two gems greet you at the entrance as you pull into the parking lot.

Other worthwhile stops if doing a museum tour in the area...

The USS Turner Joy Museum Ship. The historic Navy destroyer, known for it's involvement in the Gulf of Tonkin incident. Impeccably preserved and maintained. It's a well marked, self guided tour giving you unrestricted access to what it must have been like as one of up to 300 officers and enlisted men that served on any given mission. Including climbing up and down the narrow staircases, sitting in the mess hall, or standing on the bridge. With the smell of diesel all throughout to this day...you can almost imagine what it might have been like engaging in anti submarine...or even anti aircraft warfar during the Vietnam war.

And of course, The Puget Sound Navy Museum.

As one of only ten museums funded and administered by the U.S. Navy, this museum offers a look into life onboard one of the US Navys nuclear aircraft carriers.

Additional exhibits walk you through the role the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard has played in the development, building, and maintaining of the US Pacific Naval Fleet for over 125 years.

Next up on the list would be day long outings for a drive around the peninsula exploring every nook and cranny we could find.

On the days I would venture out on our own for a bit of sight seeing....it was always fun to come home and find a post it note on the door from Pete announcing that the "first seating at 5 pm". Always put smile...cause that was code for The BBQ is on...dinner on the deck!

A one hour ferry ride from downtown Seattle. Or a 40 minute drive from Tacoma,

Will land you smack dab in the middle of all this.

Bremerton, itself, is the largest city on the Kitsap Peninsula with a population of just over 40k.

It is also, as I mentioned, home to Puget Sound Naval Shipyard.

The Puget Sound Naval shipyard is on 179 acres and has been in uninterrupted use since it was established in 1891.

That places it firmly as the third oldest naval shipyard, in continuous operation, in the United States.

No small feat given that the first and second oldest shipyards in continuous operation are both on the east coast, one of which, began it's operation under the British Flag.

So how did Bremerton happen?

The city was platted in 1891 and occupied part of the homesteads of Warren Smith and Theodore Williams on the north side of Port Orchard Bay. The vision for the town was conceived by William Bremer, a German immigrant who had come to the Port Orchard Bay region three years prior.

Bremer saw the strategic location of the bay region as a potential site for a naval station. His efforts played a significant role in the establishment of the present Naval Shipyard.

The history of Bremerton and the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard have always been wound together.

and got off to a rocky start when shortly after incorporation in 1901, the city’s progress faced a major set back.

The Assistant Secretary of the Navy moved all repair work from Bremerton to Mare Island Navy Yard in California.

He cited reports from his commanders that the Bremerton waterfront was rife with prostitution, opium houses, and frequent strong armed robberies of sailors.

Politics were likely also at play, as local newspapers reported that the city’s incorporation left the shipyard essentially landlocked without room to expand.

A dispute ensued between Bremerton’s Mayor, who wanted to shutter all saloons, and three members of the city council, who attempted to block these efforts.

The Mayor eventually won out, and the city council voted to revoke all liquor licenses in June of 1904.

So, with prohibition in place, the naval shipyard was reestablished as a port of call.

No big surprise that within a couple years saloons had begun to return to the area and the ban was eventually lifted.

But enough time had elapsed for Bremerton to begin work on a submarine base that would eventually become one of only a handful of nuclear sub bases in the country, as well as adding a third dry dock to the naval shipyard.

These activities all lead up to Bremerton being pivotal, to this day, in US Naval Operations through out the Pacific Ocean.

Today the city continues to grow and evolve as folks find life on the Kitsap Peninsula the perfect balance between the beauty of the Pacific Northwest, and the offerings of the big city just a ferry ride across the sound.

When a towns economic health, is so closely tied to, and dependent upon US Military operations...it can have some pretty significant ups and downs over the years. Bremerton is no exception. For most of the 20th century, Bremerton made it through the ups and downs of a military-dominated economy.

But Bremerton would barely survive the 1980's when almost every major business enterprise moved to Silverdale

and simultaneously with a significant shift in military spending from Bremerton...to the new Trident submarine base at Bangor.

dating back to the 50's and 60's...driving on the main Bremerton to Poulsbo highway became the primary means of transportation from Bremerton to Silverdale.

As a result, Silverdales shopping district moved away from the waterway...and toward the hiway. This combined with Silverdales rapid growth at the time, made the area highly attractive to business that would benefit from having access to such higher traffic counts. The shift created a virtual retail desert along what once had been a thriving business hub.

In spite of these challenges Bremerton managed to hold on through the 90's....

Moving into the next couple of decades, the city, with the help of state would work hard on infrastructure opening up roadways into, and out of the city...and in fact a freeway expansion between Bremerton and Silverdale would help to open up traffic between the two cities, reducing commute times and enabling residents to live and work freely in either community.

In addition, the city has invested millions in their historic water front creating an open air setting in which visitors and residents alike, can enjoy long walks along the water, meals at cafe eateries and even a play, all within walking distance.

Bremertons art scene today is considered one of the most vibrant in the entire Pacific Northwest region.

With such strong historic ties to the nations naval past, the entire area will always be closely linked to US naval activity.

In face, today...the Department of Defense's spending, including U.S. Navy centers at Bremerton, Keyport, and Bangor, continues to dominate the economy of the county, demonstrated by an annual military and civilian payroll in excess of $2.1 billion.

Similar to what I had learned about Tacoma....Bremerton has taken it's knocks, and managed to come out the other side as vibrant as ever.

Check it out for yourself!

As for us....I wonder what the next stop will teach us?