Whidbey Island is the largest of the islands that make up County Island, Washington, in the United States. Whidbey is about 30 miles (48 km) north of Seattle and is located between the Olympic Peninsula and the I-5 corridor in western Washington. The island forms the northern boundary of Puget Sound . Whidbey Island Naval Air Station is located here .
Whidbey Island is about 55 miles long (if measured by roads going from the far north to the far south), or about 37 miles if measured in a straight line from north to south, and 1.5 to 10 miles. wide, with a total area of 168.67 square miles, making it the 40th largest island in the United States . It is considered the fourth longest and fourth largest island in the contiguous United States after Long Island, New York; Padre Island, Texas (the longest barrier island in the world); and Isle Royale, Michigan. In Washington State it is the largest island, followed by Orcas Island .
History
Whidbey Island was inhabited by members of the Lower Skagit , Swinomish , Suquamish , Snohomish and other Indian tribes. The Salishan name of the island was Tscha-Kol-cho. They were peaceful bands who lived by the sea and on land, fished, gathered nuts, berries, and root vegetables, which they stored for the winter.
The first known European observation of Whidbey Island was during the 1790 Spanish expedition of Manuel Kemper and Gonzalo Lopez de Aro on 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 (captain of HMS Discovery ) and Peter Puget (lieutenant on the ship) began mapping and exploring the island area of what would later be called Puget Sound . After Whidbey rounded the island in June 1792, Vancouver named the island after him. By then Vancouver was claiming British territory.On June 4, 1792, the king’s birthday, near Cape Possession on the southern tip of Whidbey Island, Vancouver officially took possession of the entire coast and interior adjacent to the Straits of Juan de Fuca, including Puget Sound, called New Georgia.
The first known overnight stay of a foreigner was made on May 26, 1840, by a Catholic missionary, Father Francois Norbert Blanchet, while traveling through Puget Sound. He had been invited by Chief Tzlakum. Blanchet stayed on the island for almost a year and led the inhabitants in building a new log church.
In December 1984 there was a violent skirmish on the island between law enforcement and white nationalist and organized crime leader Robert Jay Matthews of The Order. There was a major firefight between Matthews and FBI agents in which Matthews was killed in a house fire. Since then, Matthews’ followers have gathered on the island where he was killed by FBI agents on the anniversary of his death to mark the occasion.
Geography
Whidbey Island is often referred to as the longest island in the continental United States (or another similar statement), but according to the ” Seattle Times,” it cannot be properly counted. Whidbey Island has four lakes that are part of its inland hydrology: Cranberry Lake (inside Deception Pass State Park), Deer Lake, Goss Lake, and Lawn Lake (both near the city of Langley).
Parks and Preserves.
Whidbey Island is home to the Eby-Landing National Historic Preserve , the first National Historic Preserve in the United States, created by the National Park Service to preserve the island’s rural history and culture and protect the area’s rare and sensitive plants.
Washington’s state parks located on the island include Deception Pass State Park (the most visited state park in Washington), Joseph Whidbey State Park , Fort Ebogo State Park , Fort Casey State Park , Possession Point State Park and South Whidbey State Park . There are also several county parks on the island, including:
Saratoga Woods, a 120-acre park on the south end of the island with horseback riding, biking and hiking trails. Among its features are an abandoned airfield and an unstable glacier.
Double Bluff County Park, a 3/4 acre park with beach access, picnic area, and an off-leash dog park.
Earth Sanctuary is a nature preserve, sculpture garden, and retreat center on Whidbey Island. The complex of ponds and wetlands has been designated as a “habitat of local significance” by the Whidbey Audubon Society and the Island County Critical Areas Program.