Oak Harbor, Washington (Paperback)

Oak Harbor is a city located on Whidbey Island in Island County, Washington. The population was 19,795 at the 2000 census. Oak Harbor was incorporated on May 14, 1915. Oak Harbor is Whidbey Island's largest incorporated city. Named for the Garry Oak trees which grace its skyline, the city's growth coincided with two major events: the building of Deception Pass Bridge on July 31, 1935, and the completion of Naval Air Station Whidbey Island on September 21, 1942. Oak Harbor's history goes back to the early 1850s, when three settlers staked claims where the city now stands - Martin Tafton, a shoemaker from Norway; C.W. Sumner from New England, and Ulrich Freund, a Swiss Army officer. Freund retained part of his claim, which today is home to his descendants. Houses and businesses sprouted up along the shores of Oak Harbor as the pioneers relied entirely on water transportation until the 1900s. For the next thirty years, steamers and freighters carried passengers and freight from the Island to the mainland and back.