- Port Orchard — Thumbnail History (historylink.org)
Port Orchard, located in south Kitsap County, was platted as Sidney in 1886 by Frederick Stevens, who wanted to name the future town after his father, Sidney Merrill Stevens. He chose a site on the southern shore of the Sinclair Inlet, part of Port Orchard Bay. Sidney quickly became became known for its lumber industry, pottery works, small businesses, and agricultural opportunities…