- Kitsap County — Thumbnail History (historylink.org)
Kitsap County, named after a military leader of the Suquamish Tribe, occupies the northern end of the Kitsap Peninsula between Hood Canal and Admiralty Strait. Loggers cleared the dense forests and fed sprawling mills and thriving company towns. Even before the mills went out of business, the U.S. Navy founded the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard at Bremerton, which became the centerpiece of the county’s economy and the largest single employer…
- Slaughter County is renamed Kitsap County on July 13, 1857. (historylink.org)
On July 13, 1857, the recently organized Slaughter County is renamed Kitsap County to honor Chief Kitsap, a Suquamish military leader. The county seat is at Port Madison and will remain there until 1893, when it will move to Port Orchard.
Washington Trails Association
- Fort Ward Park (wta.org)
Fort Ward Park has a rich history and a variety of trails. This park used to be a military fort to protect the navy yards in Bremerton. It was closed in the ‘60s and has been public land ever since, first as a state park and now as a local city park. You will find a few remnants of this military past along the beach, but the majority of the park is in a natural setting.
- Fort Ward to Blakely Harbor (wta.org)
This trail links Fort Ward Park to Blakely Harbor Park via a forested corridor. These two areas are great destinations, but this trail in-between is a beautiful journey on its own.
- Kitsap County, Washington (Wikipedia)
Kitsap County is located in the U.S. state of Washington. As of the 2020 census, its population was 275,611. Its county seat is Port Orchard, and its largest city is Bremerton. The county was formed out of King County and Jefferson County on January 16, 1857, and is named for Chief Kitsap of the Suquamish Tribe. Originally named Slaughter County, it was soon renamed.
