Blake Island State Park
| Blake Island State Park | |
| Washington State Park | |
 The island seen from the west
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| Country | United States |
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| State | Washington |
| County | Kitsap |
| Elevation | 190 ft (58 m) |
| Coordinates | 47°32′19″N 122°29′34″W / 47.53861°N 122.49278°WCoordinates: 47°32′19″N 122°29′34″W / 47.53861°N 122.49278°W |
| Area | 475 acres (192 ha) |
| State ownership | 1959 |
| - State park | 1974 |
| Management | Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission |
  Location in the state of Washington
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| Website: Blake Island State Park Blake Island | |
Map showing relation of Blake Island to Seattle, Washington
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| Geography | |
| Location | Puget Sound, Washington |
| Administration | |
Blake Island is a Puget Sound island in Kitsap County, Washington, United States, that is preserved as Blake Island State Park. The island lies north of Vashon Island, south of Bainbridge Island, and east of Manchester. On the northeast end of the island is Tillicum Village, a showcase for Northwest Coast Indian arts, culture, and food. The park is managed by the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission.
Blake Island was used as a camping ground by the Suquamish tribe. In about 1786, according to legend 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. By 1917 he and his family lived there in a magnificent estate.
The Trimble family invited Camp Fire Girls from Seattle, and throughout Washington state to hold their first summer resident camp on Trimble Island in 1920. The girls named their camp Camp Sealth in honor of the birthplace of Chief Sealth. They paid for a delivery of logs, but soon found them floating away at high tide. They scrambled to haul them back, and soon found themselves dealing with a fire on the island. Because the Trimble family had other plans for the island, Camp Fire Girls of Seattle searched for a new, and permanent location for Camp Sealth and by the next summer had moved it to Vashon Island, where it remains today.
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Wikipedia