Port Townsend: Life On The Edge

Port Townsend, set on the Quimper Peninsula in Washington, feels a little like its own island. For many, it's the end of the road.

1 minute read

November 12, 2001, 10:00 AM PST

By Chris Steins @planetizen

"Port Townsend has morphed several times since it was settled 150 years ago. Prim, tree-lined downtown used to be rampant with hard-drinking sailors, wanderers and adventurers (author Jack London spent a night in the pokey on his way to Alaska). Gambling and prostitution were widely practiced in the sprawling brick saloons that now house hotels and shops, and the city earned a reputation as shanghai capital of the West Coast... Ever since city fathers miscalculated in the late 1800s that the railroad would come through and make Port Townsend the Northwest hub, it has had the nickname 'City of Dreams.' The population of 8,300 isn't much more than it was back then, and some former and present residents call it the City of Broken Dreams.'"

Thanks to Chris Steins

FULL STORY: End Of The Road

Sunday, November 11, 2001 in The Seattle Times

Community / Economic Development Washington

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