History of Poulsbo

"Did you know..."

• One-third of Poulsbo was destroyed by fire in 1914
• Peter Iverson began publishing the Kitsap County Herald in 1901, and it has been in continuous publication ever since, though it is now known as the North Kitsap Herald.
• A newly constructed brick North Kitsap High School building was built in 1930. It is now the Poulsbo Parks and Recreation department building.
• Liberty Bay was originally known as Dog Fish Bay because of the abundance of dog fish, valuable to the native tribes and the logging industry for their oil.
• Norwegian Pioneers settled in Poulsbo for the abundant timber and fishing resources; and the resemblance of 'Dog Fish Bay' to th ebeautiful fjords at home in Norway.
• Jorgen Eliason first came here from Fordefjord, Norway in 1883, bringing with him the traditional Scandinavian culture. This may be what led us to call Poulsbo our 'Little Norway'. Iver Moe came from Paulsbo, Norway with his family about a month later.
• 'Paulsbo' is Norwegian for Paul's Place
• In 1886, Moe felt there were enough people in the area to warrant a post office, so he submitted an application calling the new town Paulsbo (P A U L S B O), after his home town in Norway. However, because the Postmaster General misread Moe's handwriting, the new town was officially listed as Poulsbo (P O U L S B O).
• Poulsbo had its first town Council meeting on January 7, 1908 and became incorporated as a town on January 14, 1908.
• Water was the primaty method of travel. Supplies were brought over from Seattle by an eighteen mile rowboat trip, and later by steamboat. Fishing was also a major industry. Traditionally, the local farmers in Poulsbo would take their produce to the Seattle markets by steamer.
• Moe, Bjermeland, Eliason, Hostmark, and Iverson Streets were all named after the first Mayor (Andrew Moe) and some of his council members.
• Reverend Nils Nilsen arrived in 1886 and organized the building of a church on land donated by Jorgen Eliason. The church was built in 1888 and was named the Fordefjord Lutheran Church after Eliason's home in Norway. Services were held and records were kept in Norwegian. The Church, still standing, is known today as First Lutheran Church.
• The "mosquito fleet" consisted of a myriad of steamboats that flittered around like mosquitoes on the inland water of Puget Sound carrying passengers, mail, and freight. The steaner Hyak was the primary Poulsbo boat from 1909 to 1937.
• In 1910, Poulsbo became home to the Pacific Coast Codfish Company. Under the ownership of Captain J.E. Shields it grew to be the largest codfish processing company on the west coast at the time, with a fleet of sailing schooners that fished in Alaska.
• The fish were brought back to Poulsbo preserved in salt to be placked for marketing. Modern technology replaced salt preservation techniques and the plant closed in 1950.

Facts provided by th Poulsbo Historical Society.