November 2007 57
one afoot or horseback to New Dungeness for the began carrying the mail. Rural Free Delivery began
mail.” By 1883, Sequim relocated to the neck of the in 1918 with two routes, 72 and 75 miles long, re-
lagoon, confirmed by the 1883 Post Route Map of the spectively.
State of Oregon and Territory of Washington (map 2).
“Squim, Where Water is Wealth” was a 1950s slogan
Another seaside locale strongly related to Sequim’s that speaks volumes as to why this town developed
development was Port Williams, located 4 miles north- successfully as the hub of a prosperous farming re-
east of Sequim (see map 1). It was established in 1890 gion. According to historian June Robinson, Sequim
and discontinued in 1919. Port Williams became didn’t begin to grow until after 1896 when a system
Seguin’s port when steamers began to dock there in of irrigation ditches, including the one running through
addition to landing at Dungeness, delivering both the middle of town on the Bell farm, began to make
freight and mail regularly. farming prosperous. In 1902, another astute business-
man, Joseph Keeler, moved to Sequim. He built
a large hotel with electricity powered by gas-run
generator, and a water tower to supply every room
with running water. Keeler and afew others soon
began supplying water to other properties, and
later formed the Sequim Light and Power Com-
pany. Electricity became more widely available
by 1915 when the Elwha Dam was built and
Clallam County became part of a Public Utility
Figure 3 Examples of early Seguin postmarks: SEGUIN/MAR
District. From the 1920s on, more reservoirs,
1899/WASH., and SEGUIN/OCT 14 1901/WASH. The latter
wellfields, and pipelines were laid, further assist-
was a duplex device with ovate bar killer known in use until at ing area agriculture.
least May 1906.
In addition to starting the town’s water supply,
Returning now to Seguin, we find that after its brief Joseph Keeler sold real estate, and laid out the first
stint in the fish cannery, the Seguin post office was town plat in 1907. Sequim incorporated in 1913, and
moved in 1883 about three miles inland to the present the Seattle, Port Angeles and Western Railway rail-
town site on the Seguin Prairielands. William C. road came through in 1914. Later, State Highway 9
Webster served as the third postmaster, from June 1,
1883-November 17, 1895.
Five more postmasters
served between 1895 and
1907. The post office’s
name was changed to
Sequim on 21 September
1907, and its first postmas-
ter under that name was
Jens S. Bugge. Two of
Sequim’s early postmark
types are shown in figure
3, above.
Mails continued to be
transported from Dunge-
ness to Sequim by Star
Route via a wagon road
until 1915, when a passen-
ger train running between
Sequim and Port Angeles
Figure 4 Birds Eye View of Sequim’s main street, ca. 1910 (courtesy Cliff Brehan)
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82