ராதே கிருஷ்ணா 10-06-2013
Whidbey Island
Whidbey Island (historical spelling Whidby) is the largest of nine islands located inIsland County, Washington, in the United States. Whidbey is about 30 miles (48 km) north of Seattle, and lies between the Olympic Peninsula and the I-5 corridor of western Washington. The island forms the northern boundary of Puget Sound. It is home to Naval Air Station Whidbey Island.
Whidbey Island is home to 58,211 residents (according to the 2000 census),[2] also known as Whidbey Islanders. An estimated 29,000 of Whidbey Islanders live in rural locations.
Whidbey Island is approximately 35 miles (56 km) long (from the extreme north to extreme south, and 1.5 to 12 miles (2.4 to 19 km) wide, with 168.67 square miles (436.9 km2),[3]making it the 40th largest island in the United States. It is ranked as the fourth longest and fourth largest island in the contiguous United States, behind Padre Island, Texas (the world's longest barrier island); Long Island (a fact disputed by residents[4]); and Isle Royale, Michigan[citation needed]. In the state of Washington, it is the largest island, followed by Orcas Island.
| Nickname: "The Rock"[1] | |
|---|---|
 Map of Whidbey Island | |
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| Geography | |
| Location | Puget Sound |
| Coordinates | 48°08′11″N 122°34′57″W |
| Area | 168.67 sq mi (436.85 km2) |
| Length | 58 mi (93 km) |
| Width | 12 mi (19 km) |
| Country | |
| United States | |
| State |  Washington |
| County | Island County |
| Largest city | Oak Harbor (pop. 19,765) |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 58,211 |
| Density | 133.25 /km2 (345.12 /sq mi) |
History
Whidbey Island was once inhabited by members of the Lower Skagit, Swinomish,Suquamish, Snohomish and other Native American tribes. The first known European sighting of Whidbey Island was during the 1790 Spanish expedition of Manuel Quimperand Gonzalo López de Haro on the Princesa Real.[5] The island was fully explored in 1792 by Captain George Vancouver. In May of that year, Royal Navy officers and members of Vancouver's expedition, Joseph Whidbey and Peter Puget, began to map and explore the areas of what would later be named Puget Sound. After Whidbey circumnavigated the island in June 1792, Vancouver named the island in his honor.
The first known overnight stay on Whidbey Island by a non-native American was made on May 26, 1840 by a Catholic missionary during travel across Puget Sound.
Lieutenant Charles Wilkes, commander of the United States Exploring Expedition of 1838–1842, sailed the USS Vincennes into Penn Cove in 1841. There he found the largest Native settlement on Puget Sound[citation needed] and noted that a Catholic mission had been started with a 2-acre (8,100 m2) fenced garden. Wilkes named the lower cove Holmes Harbor, after his assistant surgeon, Silas Holmes.
In 1850, Colonel Isaac N. Ebey became the first permanent white settler on Whidbey Island, claiming a square mile (2.6 km²) of prairie with a southern shoreline on Admiralty Inlet. Even though he was farming potatoes and wheat on his land, he was also the postmaster for Port Townsend, Washington and rowed a boat daily across the inlet in order to work at the post office there. On August 11, 1857, Colonel Ebey was murdered and beheaded by Haida who traveled from the Queen Charlotte Islands when he was 39 years old. Ebey was slain in proxy-retaliation for the killing of a Haida chief at Port Gamble. Fort Ebey, named for the Colonel, was established in 1942 on the west side of the central part of the island, just northwest of Coupeville.
Admiralty Head Lighthouse is located in this area, on the grounds of Fort Casey State Park. The area around Coupeville is the federally protected Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve, named in honor of Isaac Ebey.
In 1984, the island was the site of a violent encounter between law enforcement and white nationalist and organized crime leader Robert Jay Mathews. Mathews' followers have reportedly gathered on the island at the location where he was killed by FBI agents on the anniversary of his death to commemorate it.
Government
Whidbey Island, along with Camano Island, Ben Ure Island and six uninhabited islands, comprises Island County, Washington. The county seat is located in the town of Coupeville on Whidbey Island.
Population centers of Whidbey Island include the City of Oak Harbor, the Town of Coupeville, the City of Langley, the Village of Freeland, the Community of Greenbank, the Village of Clinton and the Community of Bayview. Only Oak Harbor, Coupeville and Langley are incorporated.
Economy
Whidbey Island is divided economically into two different regions: the northern end of the island (encompassing Oak Harbor andWhidbey Island Naval Air Station), and the remainder of the island (encompassing Coupeville, Greenbank, Freeland, Langley, Clinton and the smaller communities in-between).
The economy of the northern end of Whidbey Island is strongly influenced by the presence of Whidbey Island Naval Air Station nearOak Harbor (N.A.S. Whidbey). N.A.S. Whidbey is Oak Harbor’s largest employer; thus, Oak Harbor has a predominantly service-based economy and several national chain stores have been attracted to the Oak Harbor area.
The economy of Whidbey Island south of Oak Harbor relies heavily on tourism, small-scale agriculture, and the arts.
Tourism is especially important for both Whidbey and Camano Islands. On Whidbey, tourists find a wide range of amenities in the towns of Oak Harbor, Coupeville, Freeland and Langley. Coupeville's Penn Cove Mussel Farm exports large quantities of its highly renowned Penn Cove Mussels. This aquaculture facility, along with a number of small farms, reflects the rural agricultural nature of most of central Whidbey Island.
Often referred to as Puget Sound's Largest Artist's Colony, Whidbey is home to numerous working artists, writers, and performers. These include many well-known painters, sculptors, glass artists, wood workers, metal workers, mixed media artists, photographers, authors, poets, actors, and musicians.
In addition to being a haven for artists, the southern end of Whidbey Island also serves as a minor bedroom community for the nearby cities of Everett, where the Boeing Everett Factory is located, and Seattle. Commuters to and from those areas use the Washington State Ferries system's run between Clinton and Mukilteo.
Geography
Whidbey Island is often claimed to be the longest island in the continental United States (or another similar claim) by its inhabitants, but according to the Seattle Times it cannot be correctly considered so.[6] Whidbey Island has four lakes that are part of its interior hydrology: Cranberry Lake (inside Deception Pass State Park), Deer Lake (inside Deer Lake Park), Goss Lake and Lone Lake (both near the town of Langley)
Parks and reserve areas
Whidbey Island contains Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve, the first national historic reserve in the US created by the National Park Service to preserve the rural history and culture of the island and to protect the area's rare and sensitive plants.
Washington State Parks located on the island include Deception Pass State Park (the most visited state park in Washington), Joseph Whidbey State Park, Fort Ebey State Park, Fort Casey State Park, Possession Point State Park, and South Whidbey State Park. There is also a series of county operated parks throughout the Island.
Festivals
Whidbey Island hosts many festivals and celebrations throughout the year.
- Island County Fair, which takes place the third weekend of August, includes rides, food, and animal shows.
- Wag'n'Walk, which takes place towards the end of August, is Western Washington's premier celebration of dogs and things dog-related. It includes vendors, games, competition, demonstrations and the Wag'n'Walk itself.
- Whidbey Island Kite Festival, in September
- Langley's Mystery Weekend in March or February. For the weekend the Town of Langley turns into the setting of a fictional murder mystery.
- Penn Cove Mussel Festival, which takes place in March, celebrates the bounty of the sea, especially the mussel.
- Loganberry Festival at the Greenbank Farm in July
- Maxwelton Beach Fourth of July Parade and fireworks show, which takes place at the southern end of Maxwelton Beach Road at Dave Mackie Park. After the parade, there are events for all ages, including three-legged races, divided into age groups, and the most popular event, the egg toss.
- Choochokam is the annual street fair and arts festival, held in downtown Langley during the second weekend of July, detailed schedules and other information is generally available on the festival website.
- Tour de Whidbey, in September, is a bike race spanning the length of Whidbey Island.
- April 13–14, 2008: Nature's Path Whidbey Island Marathon, a half and full marathon featuring Melanie McQuaid, an 3 time Xterra Championship and Dean Karnazes, Ultra marathon Man and Time Magazine's one of 100 Most Influential People.[8]
- Whidbey Island Race Week – Week long sailing regatta every summer based out of Oak Harbor with daily racing in Penn Cove and/or Saratoga Passage (depending on wind conditions). Usually held third week of July, varies slightly due to tidal conditions.
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