Welcome to the Dungeness Community History Map. When you click on a name at the left or a black dot above, a green light will show on the map and identification information will appear in this window.





Cline Spit: The original town of Dungeness was located near here. The first dock was also located here. Elliott Henry Cline was a prominent pioneer who donated land to the county for the first courthouse and jail. He served five terms in the Territorial Legislature. Today the spit houses Cline Spit Park.





Dungeness Cemetery: Many early Dungeness settlers are buried here. The cemetery is located on Lotzgesell Road. George Henry Lotzgesell arrived in Dungeness in 1859. A German tailor, he was one of the early pioneers in Dungeness and eventually owned nearly 1000 acres.





Dungeness River at the Ward Bridge: The Dungeness River has the second steepest fall of any U.S. river with a 7,300 foot vertical drop over its path. In its upper reaches, it drops more than 1000 feet per mile. It is 32 miles long and supplies water for the irrigation ditches used to water the Sequim-Dungeness Valley. Since the valley is in the rainshadow of the Olympic Mountains and receives only about 15 inches of rain annually, the river and irrigation are essential to agriculture. In the spring when snow on the Olympics melts and rains fall, the Dungeness transforms from a peaceful stream into a mighty force, carrying huge trees downstream. In the fall, salmon swim up the Dungeness to spawn.





Dungeness Schoolhouse: Opened February 27, 1893. The school term was four months and the students ranged in age from six through twenty. In 1921, the building was enlarged, and it served as a grade school until 1955. The building is now a community hall and a National Historic Site.





Graveyard Spit: Now part of the Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge, the name comes from the Dungeness Massacre. In the fall of 1868, 18 Tsimshian Indians camped on the spit. While they slept, all but one of them were killed by a group of S'Klallam warriors in revenge for their past raids.





Graysmarsh Farm: Settled by 1897, Graysmarsh Farm is still a working farm where one can pick berries and buy gourmet preserves.





Jamestown: A township settled by the S'Klallam Indians who refused to be moved to a reservation. They purchased 210 acres of land in 1874 for $500 in gold coin. The township had its own schools and churches and lived peacefully with surrounding communities. The Jamestown S'Klallam Indians are still active in the area today. They own and operate 7 Cedars Casino in Sequim.





New Dungeness Lighthouse: New Dungeness Lighthouse was lit on December 14, 1857, the first lighthouse in the Strait of Juan de Fuca–Puget Sound areas, and the second north of Cape Disappointment. In 1927, it was shortened from its original 100 feet to its current 63 feet. It is manned by the New Dungeness Chapter of the United States Lighthouse Society.





Old Dock at Dungeness: When the inner bay became so silted up that reaching the dock at Cline Spit was treacherous, a new dock was built at this location and the town of Dungeness was moved. Construction began in 1890, was completed in 1891, and by 1892, most residents had made the move. The dock was almost 3/4 of a mile long and was for many years the shipping and transportation center for the valley. Today only pilings remain.





Olympic Game Farm: The Olympic Game Farm is one of the area's most popular modern attractions. Home to many of Hollywood's animal stars, it also features a petting area and drive through animal observation tours.





Port Williams: Settled at about the same time as Dungeness, Port Williams was once the port of entry for Sequim. It featured a busy wharf, a hotel and restaurant, a post office, and general store with dance hall. Just as the arrival of the railroad in Sequim signalled the end of prosperity for Dungeness, so it went at Port Williams. The townsite was abandoned in 1922. The old wharf is gone and today in its place is Marlyn Nelson Memorial Park which features picnic tables, beach access, and a boat launching ramp.





Whiskey Flats: The original town and first county seat. It was later moved to the bluffs above and renamed Dungeness. Named by B.L. Madison who sold liquor to the Indians.





Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge: The 631 acre refuge includes Dungeness Spit, Graveyard Spit, and portions of Dungeness Bay and Harbor. Dungeness Spit is 5 1/2 miles long and grows an average of 15 feet per year. More than 250 species of birds, 41 species of land mammals, and 8 species of marine mammals have been recorded there.