Fun Facts About Ayock & Our Hood Canal Community

 

Ayock Beach

• Ayock Beach Improvement Association was incorporated on December 15, 1961, at exactly 11:45 a.m.
• Connecting a lot to the original Ayock water system cost $300.
• Ayock’s first association meeting was March 26, 1962. Russell Perkins served as the first president.
• In 1962, water users paid just $1 per month for electricity used by the water system.
• By 1963, Ayock’s membership included 21 people plus the Ayock Land Company.
• The annual assessment in 1963 was only $3.50 per lot. It increased to $5 in 1964.
• Ayock once had a clubhouse on the park lot, complete with a snack bar and coffee maker.
• There was also a boat storage building. In 1964, the board had a tie vote over whether to tear it down.
• Early fire protection was simple. In 1964, the association discussed having a fire hose and hand cart available.
• Ayock introduced guest cards in 1964 for visitors to the community.
• The first annual Cleanup Day and Pancake Breakfast was held in 1964. Ayock also held a salmon derby.
• In 1965, the association considered adding a public telephone booth at the clubhouse.
• Water quality became a major issue in 1966, leading to a new well. The water system was transferred to the association in 1968.
• Ayock once issued an official membership certificate for each lot. The practice ended around 1971.
• Ayock Point was named by Commander Charles Wilkes as “Ayock’s Point.” The name was later shortened to Ayock Point and was probably named for a member of the Wilkes Expedition.

Our Next-Door Neighbor: Stetson

• Stetson is the residential community directly next to Ayock Beach, making it Ayock’s closest neighboring development.
• Stetson Beach has been a Hood Canal getaway for more than 100 years.
• The area was once home to Stetson’s Resort, a waterfront vacation destination.
• Some homes in the Stetson Resort Subdivision date back to around 1920.
• Stetson Beach is known for its small, one-story waterfront cottages, helping preserve Hood Canal views throughout the community.

Colony Surf

• Colony Surf began development in 1967 and was incorporated that November with just three divisions.
• Colony Surf has a natural lake that is regularly stocked with fish.
• Colony Surf members elected their first Board of Trustees in 1970.

Pleasant Harbor & Brinnon

• Pleasant Harbor has long provided protected, all-weather moorage for boaters on Hood Canal.
• The George Babare family once operated an oyster-shucking house there.
• During World War II, nearly all of the naturally set Pacific oysters along the Brinnon shoreline were harvested.
• Today, Pleasant Harbor is popular for boating, fishing, crabbing, shrimping and shellfishing.

Hoodsport

• Hoodsport was officially created on August 1, 1890. Vincent and Ida Finch named their property Hoodsport and dedicated its streets and alleys to the public.
• By 1892, the combined population of Hoodsport and Lake Cushman was just 145 people.
• Early Hoodsport was shaped by logging, farming, mining and fishing.
• In 1930, E.H. Harris built a downtown building where Mr. and Mrs. Guhr opened the Canal Table Supply grocery store.
• In 1935, the store changed hands and later became Canal Supply, selling clothing, fishing tackle and other goods. It also included a Washington State Liquor Store.
• The first legal alcohol in Hoodsport was reportedly served by Rose Millo at her soda fountain after Prohibition ended in Washington.
• Today, Hoodsport’s main grocery store is Hood Canal Market Fresh, located on Highway 101 and known for fresh and locally sourced seafood.
• The Model T Pub & Eatery is a classic Hoodsport stop. One local specialty is its old-school jojos, pressure-fried in a Broaster along with its chicken.
• Nearby Sund Rock Conservation Area protects more than 71 acres of underwater habitat and is well known to scuba divers.
• Hoodsport is also a great place to watch returning salmon. The Hoodsport Hatchery is an official Washington salmon-viewing location.

Lilliwaup & Hama Hama

• The name Lilliwaup comes from a Twana word meaning “cove” or “inlet.” The community was officially platted in 1890.
• Lilliwaup was once a center of logging activity and an outfitting point for prospectors heading into the Olympic Mountains.
• Hama Hama celebrated 100 years in business in 2022. The family-owned company has become a popular destination for oysters served alongside the very tidelands where they are grown.

Hood Canal, Lake Cushman & Local Landmarks

• Hood Canal isn’t actually a man-made canal. It is a long, narrow fjord carved by glaciers.
• Hood Canal is known for oysters, shrimp, crab, salmon, boating, kayaking and scuba diving.
• Ayock Point is even used as a fishing boundary. Washington fishing regulations distinguish waters north and south of Ayock Point.
• Lake Cushman as we know it today was created by Cushman Dam No. 1. President Calvin Coolidge activated the hydroelectric project remotely from the White House in 1926.
• Cushman Dam No. 2 was completed in 1930 and created Lake Kokanee.
• Ever wonder how Staircase got its name? In 1890, Lt. Joseph O’Neil’s expedition built a cedar staircase over a difficult rock bluff. The staircase is gone, but the name remains.
• High Steel Bridge was built in 1929 for the Simpson Logging Company railroad. It rises about 365 feet above the South Fork Skokomish River.
• High Steel Bridge was once a railroad bridge and was later converted for road use. It is recognized as the highest railway arch bridge ever built in the United States.
• Nearby Vance Creek Bridge was also built in 1929 for the Simpson Logging Company. At about 347 feet high, it is the second-highest railway arch bridge built in the United States.