Water Highways

The Coupeville Wharf was built in 1905 in response to increased economic, military and social activity in the area, and was one of several wharves that supported busy shipping commerce to and from Whidbey Island. In the late 1800s, sailing ships carried produce, grains, lumber, livestock and other household goods needed to sustain life and business on the island. In the early 1900s, those sailing ships gave way to small steamships known as the Mosquito Fleet, and steamship delivery of cargo, mail and passengers became a popular community gathering event at the wharf. Among the vessels serving Puget Sound and Whidbey Island communities were the Fairhaven, Calista, Camano, Whidby and Atalanta. The last of the steamships sailed from the wharf in the 1930s. Soon afterward, automobile-based access to the mainland expanded as the Mosquito Fleet evolved into a ferry system and the island was linked to the mainland by the Deception Pass Bridge, which opened in 1935.

Coupeville, Washington · United States