History Port Ludlow, Washington

sawmill @ port ludlow, 1900. tall ships docked load timber.

the united states exploring expedition, under charles wilkes, entered puget sound in 1841. wilkes bestowed many patriotically american place names; @ time sovereignty of oregon country yet resolved between britain , united states. many of wilkes s names commemorated american heroes , victories during war of 1812. port ludlow 1 of these, honoring augustus c. ludlow, war of 1812 american naval hero.

early explorers of pacific northwest named sheltered inlets names beginning port . communities subsequently developed adopted inlet s name. today port ludlow both name of inlet , community on shore. avoid confusion inlet called port ludlow bay.

the first shipments of timber puget sound san francisco, california, in 1851 stimulated interest in business potential of building sawmills on puget sound. john r. thorndike , w. p. sayward sailed puget sound in 1852 , found environs of port ludlow promising. thorndike filed timber claim of 318 acres (1.29 km) , started building mill there. initial mill housed 2 sash saws capable of producing 3,000 feet (910 m) of lumber daily. trees along banks of bay logged first , oxen , horses used bring more distant logs mill. mill leased in 1858 amos & phinney company, of a. phinney became resident manager.

the u.s. federal census of 1860 designated port ludlow 1 of 3 enumeration districts in jefferson county, washington territory. census tally portrays make-up of young logging , sawmill community: of 124 people counted, 117 (94%) adults between ages of 20 , 50, , remaining 7 children. of adult population 112 (96%) men , 5 women, of 3 residing husbands. 53 (47%) of men listed lumbermen , 14 (13%) sawyers. of total population, 94 (76%) born in united states, , of born in eastern half of nation 2 — two-year-old born in california , one-year-old born in washington territory. of 30 (24%) foreign-born, 8 born in england, 8 in ireland, 6 in canada, 4 in germany, 2 in norway, , 1 each in australia , denmark. indigenous peoples not counted in 1860 census.