North Sound

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For the purpose of this section of our web-site, North Puget Sound is the area adjacent to the sound from Edmonds and Lynnwood in Snohomish County, just north of King County and continuing north to the Canadian border. This area reaches inland or east to the foot of the Cascades, and includes islands located in the sound.

The west coast of the United States has been “discovered” many times by many people in the past. Archeological evidence indicates that this region was first “discovered” by people arriving from Siberia via the Bering Sea land bridge about 13,000 years ago, during the last ice age. The discovering and carbon dating of human and animal bones found together in the Puget Sound region confirm this.

The current Native Americans of North Puget Sound are united by a common language, the Lushootseed or Salish language, plus common cultural, traditional and religious systems. Before the arrival of the Europeans, bringing with them smallpox, tuberculosis and other diseases, the conservative estimate was that the Puget Sound was home to tens of thousands of Native people. Every favorable stretch of saltwater coast held a village of one or more extended families. Every river drainage was home to hundreds if not thousands of Native American people.

The life of the Native Americans revolved around the seasons. During the spring, summer and fall, family and village groups, working together, would collect and preserve enough food and other seasonal items needed to sustain them through the following year. During the winter, they conducted ceremonies celebrating their history, traditions and religion.

It is said, that, like most Native Americans, those living in the Puget Sound region practiced the philosophy of, “live lightly on the land and sea”. (Too bad they were not able to pass this philosophy on to the European settlers).

Documents exist indicating our west coast was “rediscovered” in 458 AD by a Chinese adventurer, Hwui Shan and again in 1412 or so by another Chinese seafarer, Admiral Zheng He. Starting in the 1500s, Europeans started exploring America’s northwest coastline and its waterways. These early explorers were mainly Spanish, English, and Russian.

Some of these explorers were looking for the fabled Northwest Passage that would connect the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. Other explorers were out to claim new lands for their respective countries and not interested in creating settlements at that time.

In 1592, a Greek, sailing with a small Spanish armada and using his new Spanish name, Juan de Fuca, reported he had found the western entrance to the Northwest Passage. However, there was some lingering doubt and controversy over the reliability of his report.

In 1787, An English sea captain, Charles William Barkley, “rediscovered” this body of water, now known as the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and promptly named it after our Greek turned Spanish sailor.

In 1792, English sea captain, George Vancouver, named the waters, we now call Puget Sound, after his Lieutenant Peter Puget, who was accompanying him on the Vancouver expedition.

Puget Sound is a deep water inlet connected to the Pacific Ocean by the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Puget Sound, with its hundreds of miles of coastline and dozens of islands, can provide a person with a lifetime of exploring. Every nook and cranny is full of history and provides an opportunity for fun and adventure.

We have our recent history, Native American history, geological history, and natural history. We of Belva’s List will bring to you a directory of places to go and things to do as you travel around North Puget Sound. As you can see, we have our work cut out for us.

Yours Busy and Working Hard

Belva & The Bearded One