That's My World -- Blake Island

That's My World is hosted each week by Klaus and the My World team, Klaus, Sandy, Wren, Fishing Guy, Louise and myself. Each week people from all over the world share their world with us and it's a wonderful, inexpensive way to see the world! So click on the icon, sign up and share your world with us! Please do read and follow the instructions before signing in!!

My world today is Blake Island. It is a beautiful and interesting place with an interesting history. The history and photos are courtesy of Google and Wikipedia



Blake Island is an island in Washington state in the United States. It lies in the middle of Puget Sound, north of Vashon Island, south of Bainbridge Island and east of Manchester.



Blake Island is a 475 acres (1.9 km2) marine camping park with five miles of saltwater beach shoreline providing unobstructed views of the Olympic Mountains and the Seattle skyline. There is a small marina and limited mooring buoys. The park is only reachable by tour boat or private boat. On the northeast end of the island is Tillicum Village, a showcase for Northwest Coast Indian arts, culture, and food. The island is home to a variety of wildlife, including deer that sometimes swim from the mainland to the island from Manchester.

Tillicum Village





Smoking Salmon at Tillicum Village





Blake Island was used as a camping ground by the Suquamish tribe. In 1786, it was the birthplace of Chief Sealth, for whom the city of Seattle was named. The island was first noted by British explorer George Vancouver in 1792, as part of his exploration of Puget Sound, though it was not named.



In 1841, Lt. Charles Wilkes of the United States Exploring Expedition named it Blake Island for George Smith Blake, the officer in charge of the United States Coast Survey between 1837 and 1848, although it was known locally as Smuggler's Island for some time. In the mid 19th century, the island was logged for its timber.

During the Prohibition, it was frequently used as a refuge for bootleggers smuggling alcohol from Canada.

William Pitt Trimble, a Seattle millionaire, purchased Blake island, and renamed it Trimble Island for a time. By 1917 he and his family lived there in a magnificent estate.

In 1929, the Trimble family's occupation of the island came to an end when William Trimble's wife Cassandra died in an accident in Seattle. After that, the island was abandoned and the house was left to decay. Trimble sold Blake Island to an investment company in 1936, and retired in Seattle.

During World War II, a unit of the Coastal Artillery of the US Army was garrisoned in the Trimble mansion. The mansion burned during this time, leaving only the foundations visible today.

In 1959, the state of Washington made the entire island a State Park.

Blake Island Beach