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104 stories matching naval
- The Battle for the Navy Yard: Tacoma’s Chamber of Commerce Fights Back
As federal naval commissioners arrive in Seattle to evaluate potential sites for a new shipyard, Tacoma’s business leaders unveil a massive dossier arguing their city’s superiority over Puget Sound.
- Seattle’s Lost Bid for the Navy Yard
While the 1876 Congressional committee debated the future of the Mare Island naval site, Seattle’s local press made a bold, visionary pitch for the Sound as the premier industrial hub of the Pacific.
- Corruption at the Naval Department
A scathing report exposes rampant incompetence, fraud, and systematic disorganization within the Naval Department, leaving public service in tatters.
- The Dry Dock That Put Puget Sound on the Navy's Map
Senator Squire adds $75,000 to complete the Port Orchard dry dock, a strategic win for Pacific cruisers and a lasting boost for Puget Sound.
- Seattle Engineering Firm Lands Massive Naval Dry Dock Contract
Moran Brothers Company secures the contract for the pumping station at Port Orchard's naval dry dock, promising local jobs.
- The Secretary of the Navy Visits a Growing Seattle
Secretary H.A. Herbert tours the future site of the Lake Washington ship canal and examines the burgeoning Port Orchard naval facility.
- The Fight for the Sound’s First Dry Dock
A century before Puget Sound became a hub of naval power, local politicians battled Congress for federal funding to establish a permanent dry dock at Port Orchard.
- The Navy Eyes the Sound
Federal commissioners officially name Port Orchard as the superior site for a major naval base in the Pacific Northwest.
- The Senator Who Built a Dry Dock: Washington’s First Federal Win
Senator Henry Mason Allen secures $100,000 for a naval facility at Port Orchard, marking one of the first major federal infrastructure wins for the young state.
- An Admiral’s Vision for a Seattle Naval Power
In 1885, an naval report touted the strategic brilliance of the Puget Sound as a future stronghold for the American Navy.
- Breaking Ground for the Port Orchard Dry Dock
After years of lobbying and survey work, the construction of the Puget Sound Naval Station's massive dry dock officially begins with a ceremony led by Commandant Wyckoff.
- The Iron Vanguard of the Pacific
While the USS Nipsic was an aging relic of a bygone naval era, its arrival at the Puget Sound station in 1892 marked a pivotal, hard-fought milestone in Seattle's rise as a major military port.
- The Dream of a Gateway to the Lakes
In 1892, Senator Watson Squire made a bold pitch to Congress for a ship canal connecting Puget Sound to Lakes Union and Washington, arguing it would be a strategic marvel for the U.S. Navy and the region’s commercial might.
- The Navy Comes Calling: Seattle’s Bid for a Naval Station
A federal commission arrives in the Pacific Northwest to evaluate potential sites for a new naval base, with Lake Washington emerging as the frontrunner against competitors like Port Townsend.
- Puget Sound Yard to Expand for Navy Build-Up
Federal funds allocated to equip the Puget Sound navy yard as part of a massive national naval expansion effort.
- The Strategic Dream of a Nicaragua Canal
A 1894 editorial argues that the United States must build and control a canal through Central America to project naval power and secure the Pacific coast.
- A Patriotic July 4th Celebration in Ritzville
Thousands of residents gathered to celebrate the American naval victory at Santiago with parades, races, and patriotic fervor.
- The Senate Picks Port Orchard for New Naval Dry Dock
Senator Squire secures a legislative victory for Washington, outmaneuvering Oregon representatives to establish the naval site.
- The Strategic Birth of the Puget Sound Navy Yard
A government commission selects Port Orchard for a $2 million naval facility, igniting a land rush in the burgeoning suburb of Tracyton.
- Puget Sound Secures the New Navy Yard
Washington State beats Oregon in Senate lobbying, winning the site for the Pacific naval station.
- The Unfinished Potential of Lake Washington
In 1887, U.S. Senator J.N. Dolph toured Seattle to inspect Lake Washington, envisioning a naval base that could reshape the region's infrastructure—long before the ship canal was a reality.
- The Dry Dock at Port Orchard Nears Completion
Surveyors, granite cutters and carpenters are closing in on the main structure at the Port Orchard naval station, with pumps expected next month.
- Naval Officers Advocate for a Fresh-Water Canal
High-ranking officers from the USS Mohican argue that a ship canal connecting Puget Sound to Lake Washington would provide a vital, secure fresh-water anchorage for the U.S. Navy.
- The Navy Was Coaling in British Ports, Ignoring Seattle's Mines
When local business leaders discovered U.S. warships were bypassing Puget Sound coal for Canadian supplies, they triggered a federal investigation and a new policy.
- The Dry Dock That Would Make Puget Sound a Naval Power
Senator Watson Squire tells the U.S. Senate that the Port Orchard dry dock is the largest in America and the cheapest in the world—and that the Northwest's future depends on finishing it now.
Also about this, in other words
- The Navy’s Useless Burden: A 1877 Critique of American Militarism
An editorial from the Seattle Intelligencer questions why the U.S. maintains a naval force, arguing that defense of the continent makes overseas armadas obsolete and economically damaging.
- The Navy Puts Puget Sound Coal to the Test
Federal authorities order warships Yorktown and Monterey to Seattle to determine if local coal can power the U.S. Navy.
- The Forgotten Bid for a Puget Sound Navy Yard
Decades before the bustling military presence on the Sound, visionaries argued that a ship canal connecting Puget Sound to Lake Washington would provide the most natural navy yard in the world.
- The Forgotten Sailors: A Call for Reform in the U.S. Navy
A seasoned veteran of the U.S. Navy writes from Port Townsend in 1886 to lament the decline of practical seamanship and the lack of decent pensions for sailors who have served their country for decades.
- The Bold Bid for Seattle’s Shipyards
An 1889 editorial argues that if San Francisco can successfully build naval warships, Washington Territory—with its vast timber and coal reserves—should be the next center of American maritime power.
- The Navy's Test of Bellingham Bay Coal
Secretary Herbert clarifies that Bellingham Bay coal tests for the Pacific fleet are not conclusive, signaling a win for Senator Squire against British interests.
- Navy Yard Expansion Promises Jobs Boost
Extensive repairs planned for three major naval vessels at Bremerton are expected to increase the local workforce significantly by mid-summer.
- Waterfront Spectacle: Sailors Race Cutters in the Tacoma Harbor
Thousands gathered at the Tacoma docks to watch the U.S. Navy sailors of the cruiser *Tacoma* compete in a spirited boat race.