All About Deer Harbor, WA
- by Jodie Vinson
Deer Harbor is a stunning Bay located on Orcas Island affording views of the Olympic Mountains from its active waterfront. The Lummi Indians made their homes in cedar houses here for generations, filling the waterfront with their dugout canoes. In 1792 the Spanish came across the rich island resources the natives depended on, and the first white settlers arrived to partake in them in 1852, spurred on by the Fraser River Valley Gold Rush and the trade routes of the Hudson Bay Company.
These first settlers hunted deer and found them so plentiful the harbor was soon named for these woodland creatures, the town's first provision. Deer Harbor had a rich culture from the start, with a schoolhouse, post office, dance hall, theatre, basketball team and even a Deer Harbor Literary Society connecting it to the larger world. Today Deer Harbor continues to be a rich community offering visitors an aquatic centered escape from the routines of daily life.
Community Links:
DeerHarbor.org Info
Deer Harbor Wooden Boat Society
(Also See Community Links for "Orcas Island")
