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74-628: Whidbey Island (historical spellings Whidby , Whitbey , or Whitby ) is the largest of the islands composing Island County , Washington , in the United States, and the largest island in Washington state. Whidbey is about 30 miles (48 km) north of Seattle , and lies between the Olympic Peninsula and the I-5 corridor of western Washington. The island forms the northern boundary of Puget Sound . It

148-577: A blockhouse for protection against raiding Indians. Isaac and Jacob Ebey's land would prove to be some of the most productive in the area and word of this fortune traveled, drawing settlers from the east into the region and starting a rush of settlers who claimed most of the prairie-land by the beginning of 1853. By 1860, all of the best farmland had already been claimed. Like other American farmers of European descent on Whidbey Island, Ebey grew wheat and potatoes, as well as onions, carrots, cabbages, parsnips, peas, barley and other grains. Taking advantage of

222-604: A fare-free/pre-paid bus service called Island Transit . The county government is led by a board of commissioners with three elected members that represent geographical regions of Island County. Island County is divided politically between its north and south. While the north ( Oak Harbor ) is conservative – Donald Trump received almost 55 percent of the 2016 vote and carried most precincts – most southern and central precincts voted for Hillary Clinton . The south-central area ( Coupeville , Langley ) voted over 50 percent for Clinton, just over 30 percent for Trump. Juniper Beach,

296-433: A female householder with no husband present, 32.3% were non-families, and 25.9% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.81. The median age was 43.2 years. The median income for a household in the county was $ 57,190 and the median income for a family was $ 68,106. Males had a median income of $ 46,801 versus $ 35,189 for females. The per capita income for

370-640: A historical marker at Ebey's Landing). Traditional stories of the Keex' Kwáan (Kake) tribe of Tlingits tell of the raid being led by a female relative of the slain chief in the Massachusetts attack. Those stories also tell that the female leader of the raid was a member of the Tsaagweidí clan. In fact, the Puget Sound Herald of Steilacoom published an article fifteen months after Ebey's assassination stating

444-457: A liberal reward of "six blankets, 3 pipes, 1 cotton handkerchief, 6 heads of tobacco, 1 fthm. cotton," and gave it to A. M. Poe, Esq. to be returned to Ebey's brother, Winfield. On April 5, 1860, Winfield Ebey noted in his diary the much awaited return of his brother's "poor head": Captain Coupe got over from Port Townsend bringing my friend A. M. Poe, Esquire. Mr. P. brings my brother's scalp which

518-524: A move west with their sons. The remainder of Ebey's family followed in October 1854. Among those of Ebey's family who came to the Pacific Northwest were: Ebey's parents, Jacob and Sarah; siblings, Mary, Winfield, and Ruth; Mary's two children, Almira and Polk Wright; a cousin, George Beam. Jacob Ebey claimed ridge land overlooking what is today called Ebey's Prairie. On the same ridge, Isaac Ebey built

592-656: A representative in the Oregon Territory Legislative Assembly, as Island County's first Justice of the Peace, as a probate judge and as Collector of Customs for the Puget Sound District. On August 11, 1857, at age 39, Colonel Ebey was murdered and beheaded by Native Americans, said to be Haida who had traveled to this area from Haida Gwaii . Some sources however, refer to his killers as "Russian Indians called Kakes or Kikans, [from] Kufrinoff Island, near

666-564: A retreat center near Coupeville , which was once the barracks for the adjacent Fort Casey . The only bridge that reaches Whidbey Island is the Deception Pass Bridge , State Route 20 , which connects the north end of Whidbey to the mainland via Fidalgo Island . Prior to the completion of the bridge in 1935, Whidbey Island was linked to Fidalgo Island by the Deception Pass ferry , which ran from 1924 to 1935. Modern ferry service

740-433: A total land area of 168.67 square miles (436.9 km), making it the 40th largest island in the United States . It is ranked as the fourth longest and fourth largest island in the contiguous United States, behind Long Island , New York ; Padre Island , Texas (the world's longest barrier island); and Isle Royale , Michigan . In the state of Washington, it is the largest island, followed by Orcas Island . Whidbey Island

814-579: A wedding ceremony locale in past years, has given its name to the Juniper Beach Water District. 48°09′N 122°35′W  /  48.15°N 122.58°W  / 48.15; -122.58 Isaac N. Ebey Colonel Isaac Neff Ebey (January 22, 1818 – August 11, 1857) was the first permanent white resident of Whidbey Island , Washington . Ebey was born in Columbus, Ohio in 1818. During his childhood Ebey's father, Jacob, moved

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888-521: A widow with a daughter named Anna. In 1857, a party of northern (possibly Haida ) natives from the Kake Tribe of Alaska traveled by canoe into Puget Sound on a mission of vengeance. Following the death of one of their chiefs and 27 other tribal members in an attack by the USS Massachusetts the previous year, the party searched for a white Hyas Tyee (great chief) in retaliation. Originally,

962-467: Is Oak Harbor's largest employer; thus, Oak Harbor has a predominantly service-based economy and several national chain stores have been attracted to the Oak Harbor area. The economy of Whidbey Island south of Oak Harbor relies heavily on tourism, small-scale agriculture, and the arts. Tourism is especially important for both Whidbey and Camano Islands. On Whidbey, tourists find a wide range of amenities in

1036-455: Is a two-runway airport located at Whidbey Island Naval Air Station north of Oak Harbor . In addition, the Navy also operates a flight training facility named Naval Outlying Landing Field Coupeville (Coupeville OLF) located just southeast of Coupeville . The Navy named USS Whidbey Island (LSD-41) in honor of the island. Island County, Washington Island County is a county located in

1110-630: Is also a series of county operated parks throughout the Island including: Earth Sanctuary is a nature reserve, sculpture garden and retreat center on Whidbey Island. The ponds and bog fen complex have been designated as a "habitat of local importance" by the Whidbey Audubon Society and Island County Critical Areas program. The Price Sculpture Forest opened in October 2020 in Coupeville. Whidbey Island hosts many festivals and celebrations throughout

1184-531: Is available via State Route 20 on the Coupeville to Port Townsend ferry, and via State Route 525 on the Clinton to Mukilteo ferry service on the southern east coast. Travel on the island involves use of an extensive county road system, or city infrastructure depending on location, all of which act as feeders to the two state highways State Route 525 and State Route 20 . Whidbey Island's State Routes 525 / 20

1258-463: Is divided economically into two different regions: the northern end of the island (encompassing Oak Harbor and Whidbey Island Naval Air Station ), and the remainder of the island (encompassing Coupeville, Greenbank, Freeland, Langley, Clinton and the smaller communities in-between). The economy of the northern end of Whidbey Island is strongly influenced by the presence of Whidbey Island Naval Air Station near Oak Harbor (N.A.S. Whidbey). N.A.S. Whidbey

1332-436: Is found more in the northern part of Whidbey Island along with Sitka spruce and shore pine . There are three open prairie areas on Whidbey Island – Smith Prairie, Crockett Prairie and Ebey Prairie. Some patches of prickly pear cactus are found along the slopes near Partridge Point. Gray whales migrate between Whidbey and Camano Islands during March and April and can be seen from both ship and shore. Orca also make use of

1406-459: Is home to Naval Air Station Whidbey Island . The state parks and natural forests are home to numerous old growth trees. According to the 2000 census , Whidbey Island was home to 67,000 residents with an estimated 29,000 of those living in rural locations. This increased slightly to 69,480 residents as of the 2010 census . Whidbey Island is approximately 37 miles (60 km) from north to south, and 1.5 to 10 miles (2.4 to 16.1 km) wide, with

1480-543: Is listed as a 3-A school. Coupeville School District operates in Coupeville, Washington and Greenbank, Washington . Within the district, there is one high school, one middle school, and one elementary school. Within the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association , Coupeville High is listed as a 1-A school. South Whidbey School District serves the southern end of the island, including Freeland , Langley , and Clinton . Within

1554-515: Is located 2 miles (3.2 km) southwest of Langley with a 2,470 feet (750 m) long runway. A.J. Eisenberg Airport is located 3 miles (4.8 km) southwest of Oak Harbor with a 3,265 ft (995 m) long runway. In addition, there are approximately half dozen private dirt strips on the island. Kenmore Air Express ran a scheduled airline service to Whidbey Island serving the Oak Harbor airport from 2006 to 2009. The United States Navy operates two airports on Whidbey Island. The largest

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1628-716: Is located in the town of Coupeville on Whidbey Island. Population centers of Whidbey Island include the City of Oak Harbor , the Town of Coupeville , the City of Langley , the Village of Freeland , the Community of Greenbank , the Village of Clinton and the Community of Bayview . Only Oak Harbor, Coupeville and Langley are incorporated, the others (with the exception of Greenbank and Bayview) are all census-designated places , and all but Bayview have their own post offices and ZIP codes. Whidbey Island

1702-452: Is the federally protected Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve , named in honor of Isaac Ebey. On September 25, 1959, a U.S. Navy P5M antisubmarine aircraft with an unarmed (it carried no nuclear material at the time) nuclear depth charge on board crash-landed into Puget Sound near Whidbey Island. The Mark 90 nuclear bomb casing was never recovered. On August 8, 1970, the infamous Penn Cove capture of several orcas along with

1776-561: Is the only nationally designated Scenic Byway on an island. It is appropriately named the "Whidbey Island Scenic Isle Way." It is also a part of the Cascade Loop . Public transportation is provided by Island Transit , which provides a zero-fare bus service paid for by a 6/10th of 1% sales tax within the county. There are currently 11 bus routes serving Whidbey Island. No service is available on Sundays or major holidays. Two public airports provide service to Whidbey Island. Whidbey Air Park

1850-568: The Princesa Real . Captain George Vancouver fully explored the island in 1792. In May of that year, Royal Navy officers and members of Vancouver's expedition, Joseph Whidbey (master of HMS Discovery ) and Peter Puget (a lieutenant on the ship), began to map and explore the areas of what would later be named Puget Sound . After Whidbey circumnavigated the island in June 1792, Vancouver named

1924-626: The Boeing Everett Factory is located, and Seattle . Commuters to and from those areas use the Washington State Ferries system's run between Clinton and Mukilteo . Whidbey Island is often claimed to be the longest island in the continental United States (or another similar claim), but according to the Seattle Times it cannot be correctly considered so. The island has several bays, including on its east side Oak Harbor with

1998-798: The Port Townsend - Coupeville ( Keystone ) ferry route from the West, and departs via the Deception Pass Bridge in the North. SR 525 enters Island County from the East/South via the Mukilteo - Clinton ferry and terminates at an intersection with SR 20, South of Coupeville. SR 532 begins on Camano Island at Terry's Corner and departs Island County to the East via the Camano Gateway Bridge . These islands are also served by

2072-408: The U.S. state of Washington . As of the 2020 census , its population was 86,857. Its county seat is Coupeville , while its largest city is Oak Harbor . The county's name reflects the fact that it is composed entirely of islands. It contains two large islands, Whidbey and Camano , and seven smaller islands (Baby, Ben Ure, Deception, Kalamut, Minor, Smith , and Strawberry ). Island County

2146-504: The United States Census Bureau , the county has a total area of 517 square miles (1,340 km ), of which 208 square miles (540 km ) is land and 309 square miles (800 km ) (60%) is water. It is the second smallest county in Washington by land area after San Juan , and second smallest by total area after Wahkiakum . As of the 2020 census , there were 86,857 people, 35,917 households, and 24,229 families living in

2220-542: The 640 acres offered free of charge to each married couple, the first to do so, on October 15, 1850. In the fall of 1851, his children, his wife, three of her brothers and the Samuel Crockett family arrived to join Ebey. In addition to farming potatoes and wheat, Ebey was also the postmaster for Port Townsend, Washington and rowed a boat daily across the inlet in order to work at the post office there. Colonel Ebey also served as

2294-621: The California gold-rush and then headed north to Oregon Territory . After arriving in the Puget Sound region he went to work for the U.S. Customs service. While with the service, Ebey spent some time in Olympia, the city he is credited with naming in honor of the Olympic Peninsula mountains to the west of Puget Sound. Ebey also sponsored a statute to name King County, Washington . Hearing of

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2368-585: The Ebey family is officially interred at Sunnyside Cemetery, 50 feet (15 m) from the burial place of Isaac. Captains Swanston and Charles Dodd of the Hudson's Bay Company steamer Beaver attempted to purchase Ebey's scalp about a year after his death, but were unsuccessful when the Kake Nation took the request as a first step in an attack of their village. It is rumored the Kake refused to sell Ebey's scalp because it

2442-464: The Kake and Stikine nations, "numbering a couple hundred," were responsible for the "cold blooded murder." However, it was never known which particular tribe perpetrated the death and beheading of Ebey. Isaac Ebey's headless remains were interred in the original Ebey family cemetery located at Ebey's Prairie on the bluff overlooking Isaac and Rebecca's home. Ebey's first wife Rebecca was already interred there, along with their daughter Hetty. The rest of

2516-510: The Whidbey Audubon Society, Approximately 230 bird species are reported to take advantage of the diverse habitats on the island. Whidbey Island is served by three public school districts . Oak Harbor School District operates in Oak Harbor . Within the district, there is one high school , one alternative high school, two middle schools, and five elementary schools. Within the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association , Oak Harbor High

2590-436: The children fled to Jacob Ebey's blockhouse on the ridge, and George and Lucretia Corliss (in-laws of Phoebe Judson ) escaped into the forest. Unwilling to remain on the farm, Emily abandoned it, leaving forever with her daughter Anna. Isaac Ebey's relatives raised Ellison and Eason, and the two brothers later divided their father's farm between them. There is question whether the raiders were actually Haida (as inscribed on

2664-421: The county was $ 29,079. About 5.7% of families and 8.0% of the population were below the poverty line , including 12.1% of those under age 18 and 4.0% of those age 65 or over. The primary islands of Island County, Whidbey Island and Camano Island are served by a total of 3 Washington State Routes , those being SR 20 and SR 525 on Whidbey Island, and SR 532 on Camano Island. SR 20 enters Island County via

2738-411: The county was 86.1% white, 4.4% Asian, 2.2% black or African American, 0.8% American Indian, 0.5% Pacific islander, 1.5% from other races, and 4.5% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 5.5% of the population. The largest ancestry groups were: Of the 32,746 households, 27.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.6% were married couples living together, 7.9% had

2812-444: The county. The population density was 416.6 inhabitants per square mile (160.9/km ). There were 41,922 housing units at an average density of 201.1 inhabitants per square mile (77.6/km ). The racial makeup of the county was 78.2% White , 2.8% African American , 0.8% Native American , 4.6% Asian , 0.5% Pacific Islander , 2.7% from some other races and 10.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 8.2% of

2886-470: The deaths of several orcas occurred in Penn Cove off the island's east coast. In December 1984, the island was the site of a violent encounter between law enforcement and white nationalist and organized crime leader Robert Jay Mathews of the group The Order . A large shootout occurred between Mathews and FBI agents in which Mathews was killed during a house fire. Mathews' followers have since gathered on

2960-500: The district, there is one high school (grades 9–12), one alternative school (grades K–12), one middle school (grades 5–8) split between 2 campuses, and one elementary school (grades K–4). Within the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association, South Whidbey High is listed as a 1-A school. Skagit Valley College has one campus located in Oak Harbor. Seattle Pacific University owns Camp Casey,

3034-617: The family to Adair County, Missouri , where as a young man Ebey was trained in the law. At age 25, Ebey married Rebecca Davis and they later had two sons, Eason (who became Phoebe Judson 's son-in-law) and Ellison. Born with a naturally adventurous spirit, Isaac temporarily left his wife and young sons in Missouri to explore the American west – specifically the Pacific Coast. During his journey west, Ebey briefly tried his hand at gold-mining during

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3108-416: The farmers. Whidbey is home to numerous working artists, writers, and performers. These include many well-known painters, sculptors, glass artists, wood workers, metal workers, mixed media artists, photographers, authors, poets, actors, and musicians. In addition to being a haven for artists, the southern end of Whidbey Island also serves as a minor bedroom community for the nearby cities of Everett , where

3182-634: The first national historic reserve in the US created by the National Park Service to preserve the rural history and culture of the island and to protect the area's rare and sensitive plants. Washington State Parks located on the island include Deception Pass State Park (the most visited state park in Washington), Joseph Whidbey State Park , Fort Ebey State Park , Fort Casey State Park , Possession Point State Park , and South Whidbey State Park . There

3256-487: The first settler. He built a small cabin near Penn Cove, planted some crops and married a local lady, Julia Pat-Ke-Nim. Glasgow left in August of that year however, having been forced out by the local inhabitants. Colonel Isaac N. Ebey arrived from Columbus, Ohio, in 1850 and became the first permanent white settler, claiming a square mile (2.6 km) of prairie with a southern shoreline on Admiralty Inlet . He took advantage of

3330-483: The head of Prince Frederick's Sound." Ebey was slain in proxy-retaliation for the killing of a Haida chief or Tyee and 27 other indigenous people at Port Gamble . Fort Ebey , named for the Colonel, was established in 1942 on the west side of the central part of the island, just northwest of Coupeville . Admiralty Head Lighthouse is located in this area, on the grounds of Fort Casey State Park . The area around Coupeville

3404-401: The intended victim was Dr. John Coe Kellogg, who lived near the present day Admiralty Head lighthouse . On the hot summer evening of August 11, unable to locate Kellogg (who was out of the area), the natives beached at Ebey's Landing and traversed the steep cliff up to Ebey's home. Knocking on Isaac Ebey's door, the natives called him out of the house, shot him dead, and scalped him. Emily and

3478-561: The island at the location where he was killed by FBI agents on the anniversary of his death to commemorate it. On June 10, 2022, the island dedicated one of its trash cans to late night talk show host Conan O'Brien in an elaborate ceremony in which O'Brien signed the top of the trash can with a black marker. O'Brien was visiting the island to attend the premiere of a play written by Liza O'Brien (his wife). Whidbey Island, along with Camano Island , Ben Ure Island and six uninhabited islands, comprises Island County, Washington . The county seat

3552-495: The island in his honor. By that time, Vancouver had claimed the area for Britain. On 4 June 1792, the King's Birthday, near Possession Point at the southern end of Whidbey Island, Vancouver took formal possession of all the coast and hinterland contiguous to the Strait of Juan de Fuca, including Puget Sound, under the name of New Georgia. The first known overnight stay by a non-Native American

3626-603: The island to the other. Vegetation in the south is more similar to that of mainland Washington. The principal trees are Douglas fir , red alder , bigleaf maple , western red cedar , western hemlock , and Pacific madrone . Compared to the rest of western Washington state, vine maple is notably absent, except where they have been planted. Other under-story plants include the evergreen huckleberry , lower longleaf Oregon grape , elderberry , salal , oceanspray , and varieties of nettle . Non-native introduced plants such as foxglove , ivy and holly are also evident. Farther up

3700-403: The island, however, the shorter Oregon-Grape and the blue Evergreen Huckleberry is seen less, while tall Oregon-grape and Red Huckleberry predominate. The native Pacific rhododendron is much more visible. Amongst the deciduous varieties, Garry oak (from which Oak Harbor takes its name) are seen more frequently in the northern portion of the island. In the conifer classification, grand fir

3774-500: The islands in the north end of the sound, Ebey came upon Whidbey Island and fell in love with the natural beauty, climate, and rich land perfect for farming. In October 1850, Ebey moved from Olympia to Whidbey Island. When Congress passed the Donation Land Claim Act in 1850, Ebey claimed 640 acres (1.00 sq mi; 2.6 km ) for himself and his family overlooking Admiralty Inlet then wrote his wife to prepare for

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3848-611: The legislature to sign the Monticello Memorial, separating Oregon and Washington Territories in 1853, and assisted in breaking off parts of Thurston County into four smaller areas: Island , Jefferson , King, and Pierce Counties. Appointed by President Franklin Pierce to be collector for the Puget Sound district and inspector of revenues at the new state capital in Olympia, Ebey relocated his customs office to Port Townsend and made it

3922-483: The log church was already being built by the Native Americans beside a huge wooden cross (24 feet long) that they had erected. Wilkes ordered his men to use no force except in self-defense when dealing with the "savage and treacherous inhabitants". In fact, he encountered few problems with the indigenous people who had already been poorly treated by visitors and suffered from diseases they had introduced. Wilkes named

3996-472: The lower cove Holmes Harbor, after his assistant surgeon, Silas Holmes. During this time he charted Puget Sound. Other sites in the area that were given names by Wilkes included Maury Island (Vashon), Hammersley Inlet, Totten and Budd Inlets, Agate Passage between the Kitsap Peninsula, Hale Passage and Dana Passage. Thomas W. Glasgow filed the first land claim on Whidbey Island in 1848, attempting to become

4070-492: The most reliable accounts to date of where that "sad memento" of Ebey's death was kept. At this time only one other reference to the scalp's whereabouts has been found. According to family reports, the scalp was last known to be in the possession of the Almira Enos family in California as of 1914. The area around Isaac Ebey's original homestead is today a living memorial to his pioneer legacy. Fort Ebey (established in 1942) on

4144-423: The natural landing at his property on the shores of Admiralty Inlet he built a dock for the commercial ship traffic on Puget Sound in order to facilitate trade from Port Townsend on the Olympic Peninsula. Because most transportation in the area moved by water, the location of what was now called Ebey's Landing (on the main Puget Sound shipping route) minimized transportation costs. The landing remained active until

4218-529: The official port of entry for Puget Sound. In 1855 the Washington Territorial Legislature passed the first set of regulations establishing Washington Territorial Volunteer Militia. These regulations required that each council district (upper house in the territorial legislature) elect a Colonel, Lieutenant Colonel and a Major. These individuals were expected to divide their council districts into smaller areas with 100 men in each. Colonel Ebey

4292-405: The past. While some historians insist Winfield—a prolific diarist—had the scalp buried with his brother's body, no record of this claim exists. After Winfield's death in 1865, at least five separate accounts maintain that Ebey's sister, Mary Ebey Bozarth, inherited the relic. Albert Kellogg, the son of Dr. John Kellogg, recalled visiting Bozarth "ten or twelve years" after the murder and "she showed

4366-422: The population. 17.0% of residents were under the age of 18, 4.5% were under 5 years of age, and 27.8% were 65 and older. As of the 2010 census , there were 78,506 people, 32,746 households, and 22,156 families living in the county. The population density was 376.6 inhabitants per square mile (145.4/km ). There were 40,234 housing units at an average density of 193.0 per square mile (74.5/km ). The racial makeup of

4440-465: The scalp lock still retaining the long black hair. It was the only thing of that kind I had ever seen and I remember it caused cold chills to run over me." After Bozarth died in 1876, Ebey's scalp was passed on to his niece, Almira Enos. The next mention of its location occurred in 1892 when Almira visited Whidbey, an event noted by the Island County Times. In the newspaper's July 29, 1892 issue it

4514-410: The town of Oak Harbor at its base, and Penn Cove with the towns of Coupeville and San de Fuca on its south and north shores respectively. Whidbey Island has four lakes that are part of its interior hydrology: Cranberry Lake (inside Deception Pass State Park), Deer Lake, Goss Lake and Lone Lake (both near the town of Langley). Whidbey Island contains Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve ,

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4588-452: The towns of Oak Harbor, Coupeville, Freeland and Langley. Coupeville's Penn Cove Mussel Farm exports large quantities of its highly renowned Penn Cove Mussels . This aquaculture facility, along with a number of small farms, reflects the rural agricultural nature of most of central Whidbey Island. Many of these small farms host farm stands onsite, where customers may buy produce, flowers, meat, eggs and other locally raised products directly from

4662-634: The turn of the 20th Century when a new dock was built at Fort Casey , just a few miles away. During his nine years in the Pacific Northwest, Isaac Ebey was a vital player in territorial affairs. Serving as prosecuting attorney for the Whidbey Island community he also represented Thurston County (Olympia) in the Oregon Territorial Legislature when that county still stretched to the 49th parallel. Ebey also assisted in helping persuade

4736-652: The waters surrounding Whidbey Island, including the southern residents . Penn Cove was used as an orca-hunting area in the 1960s and 1970s by aquarium owner Ted Griffin , who captured several young southern resident orcas for sale to marine parks and killed others in the process. The southern residents did not return to Penn Cove until a sighting in 2024. Clams and oysters are abundant locally and may be harvested from some public beaches. The Washington State Department of Health provides an online guide to assist in identifying shellfish varieties as well as providing guidance about where to find specific varieties. According to

4810-418: The west side of the central part of the island (just northwest of Coupeville) is named in his honor. The rich farmland claimed by Isaac and his father Jacob is still called Ebey's Prairie and is farmed to this day. Ebey's Landing , while no longer a docking port, is named for the beachfront located just below the still-standing Ferry House built in 1860. The Landing is now a National Historical Reserve and

4884-656: The year. Whidbey Island lies partially in the rain shadow of the Olympic Mountain Range to the west, and has a variety of climate zones. This can be observed by rainfall amounts – wettest in the south with average rainfall of 36 inches (910 mm), driest in the central district of Coupeville with average rainfall of 20 to 22 inches (510 to 560 mm), and turning moister again farther north with average rainfall of 32 inches (810 mm). Microclimates abound, determined by proximity to water, elevation and prevailing winds. Vegetation varies greatly from one end of

4958-479: Was created out of Thurston County on December 22, 1852, by the legislature of Oregon Territory , and is the eighth-oldest county in Washington. It originally encompassed what are now Snohomish , Skagit , Whatcom , and San Juan Counties. Island County comprises the Oak Harbor, Washington Micropolitan Statistical Area , which is also included in the Seattle – Tacoma , WA Combined Statistical Area . According to

5032-447: Was customary to dance around the scalps of their enemies killed in battle during annual feasts. They also believed the scalp held great family importance and should be handed down through generations. About three years after Ebey's murder, Captain Dodd now on the steamer Labouchere again attempted to purchase the scalp of his slain friend, and was successful. Dodd acquired the scalp for

5106-668: Was elected to a three-year term for Jefferson and Island counties. After raising a company of volunteers to fight in the mainland Indian wars of 1855–1856 , Col. Ebey was again elected by this company to act as their Captain. Well respected among the residents, prospective volunteers refused to enlist unless they would serve under his command and named the fort they built on an island in the Snohomish river after him. A log of Fort Ebey can be read www.washingtonguard.org-museum-document-FIELDS_Vol_II (2)(Not to be confused with Fort Ebey on Whidbey Island, Washington State built during WW2) Rebecca Ebey

5180-519: Was inhabited by members of the Lower Skagit , Swinomish , Suquamish , Snohomish and other Native American tribes. The Salishan name for the island was Tscha-kole-chy. These were peaceful groups who lived off the sea and land, with fishing, harvesting nuts, berries and roots, which they preserved over the winter. The first known European sighting of Whidbey Island was during the 1790 Spanish expedition of Manuel Quimper and Gonzalo López de Haro on

5254-565: Was made on May 26, 1840, by a Catholic missionary, Father François Norbert Blanchet , during travel across Puget Sound. He had been invited by Chief Tslalakum. Blanchet remained on the island for nearly a year and guided the inhabitants in building a new log church. Lieutenant Charles Wilkes , commander of the United States Exploring Expedition of 1838–1842, sailed the USS Vincennes into Penn Cove in 1841. By that time,

5328-450: Was never happy about the family's encounters with local indigenous peoples. Living some distance from the other Euro-American farmers, she stayed close to home managing the household during Isaac's long absences. Already weakened by tuberculosis , Rebecca died in 1853 following the difficult birth, and subsequent death, of the Ebeys' newborn daughter, Sarah. Ebey soon married Emily Palmer Sconce,

5402-451: Was recovered from the Northern tribes by Captain Dodd. At last this memento is received. At last a portion of the mutilated remains of my dear brother is returned. Near three years has elapsed since his murder and now his poor head [or a portion of it] returns to his home. The skin of the head is entire contained, the ears and most of the hair. The hair looks quite natural. It is a sad memento of

5476-528: Was reported: Mrs. Enos visited the Times office. She was a resident of the Island ... when her uncle was killed and can relate things connected with that tragic affair as though it was but a recent incident. But Enos also visited an old friend, Hugh Crockett, who was quoted by the Times as saying that Enos "told me only a few weeks ago that she has (the scalp) at her house in San Francisco." Those two articles are

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