The Strategic Choice of Port Orchard
A government commission selects Sinclair Harbor as the ideal location for the Pacific Navy Yard, citing its natural defenses and proximity to Seattle and Tacoma.
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The commission that recently visited the Pacific Coast to choose a suitable place for a Navy Yard has made its report. It details the reasons for selecting Port Orchard over other sites examined. Mount Turner, as it is called, is upon a deep-water harbor with sufficient water depth for ships of the largest size and draft. The site is well within any probable line of defense intended to cover the principal cities of Puget Sound and is favorably situated to support that line of defense while remaining secure from attack by a naval force. The water front on Sinclair Harbor is a mile and a half long, which will allow for dry docks capable of accommodating at least a dozen of the largest ships known to be in service. The site is fifteen miles from Seattle and thirty from Tacoma, ensuring that labor and supplies can be obtained from those cities. In order to prevent inordinate prices upon the selection of a site, the commission obtained from land owners in advance, promises to sell to the government at an appraised value. The entire site recommended comprises 1,040 acres, which includes a lot of 1.75 acres on Lake Kitsap to facilitate the use of the lake's waters by the government.
“The site is well within any probable line of defense intended to cover the principal cities of Puget Sound and is favorably situated to support that line of defense while remaining secure from attack by a naval force.”
The selection of the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in 1889 cemented the region’s role in Pacific maritime power, a decision that transformed rural Kitsap County into an industrial engine. Today, the yard remains a critical component of the regional economy, echoing the same strategic importance and reliance on the urban supply chains of Seattle and Tacoma that were noted by the commission over 130 years ago.
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