When I first visited Port Townsend I noticed large concrete gun emplacements dating from the late 19th century. Each emplacement enclosed high caliber cannons aimed at an enemy steaming up Puget Sound with evil intent. I wasn’t aware of such an enemy in any history of that time period. I asked locals drawing lots of blank faces. So I dug in…
Until the 1850’s what was known as “Oregon Country” was controlled by both the United States and Great Britain which today encompasses Washington, Oregon, Idaho and parts of Wyoming and Montana. Eventually the Brits left and Congress renamed it “Washington Territory” a portion of which became the State of Washington.
With an eye toward protecting new territory the government sent Army engineers to evaluate the need for a military presence but they concluded there was no need for forts because nobody lived there. Instead Washington instructed the appointed governor to negotiate treaties with “nobody” aka the native tribes. Fishing rights then-as-now were important to the natives’ way of life; with that thought in mind each treaty stated the tribes had the right to “fish at all the usual and accustomed grounds and stations”.
There’s much more with respect to the treaties but for now lets get back to the emplacements
Time and events don’t stand still and1853’s non-population dramatically changed by the 1890’s. Unrelated to the local shift in population the federal government concluded the overall coastal defenses were weak and authorized construction of defenses with big-time cannons and mortars. Included in that construction were the coastal waters around Port Townsend. The new military presence provided the locals with a sense of security which had been lacking.
The locals concern was (gawd! I couldn’t make this up) an invasion of and by Canadians. Canadians were thought to be British as in: show me a Canadian and I’ll show you a Brit. There was left-over ill-feelings from the 1850’s when the U.S and Britain shared “Oregon Country”. Another concern regarding the British was their possible recognition of the confederacy during the civil war guaranteeing a war with Britain if that recognition became reality,
Of course no one asked the Canadians about any of this. Historians looking into the attitude of Canadians toward us at that time found they saw us as rather odd and wanted nothing to do with us.
I suspect those emplacements are 19th century pork. The range and caliber of naval artillery at that time exceeded that of the gun emplacements. Further, there is no mention of infantry to defend the emplacements from big bad infantry Finally, Congressional support kept voters feeling safe while providing jobs and business for locals; sound familiar?
Regarding what sort of business…well, let’s just say Port Townsend’s uptown and downtown have dramatically divergent histories!