Told by the Pioneers - Washington Secretary of State

Told
by the Pioneers
Port Townsend, where they signed new crews before departure. The
result of this practice was that the town was always full of seafaring
men, all of whom had been paid off on arrival-and who spent their
money, most of them, very freely. Better still, when they were resigned
for another voyage they were given advances on their wages
so that they might pay any bills, incurred during their stay, before
leaving town. It was "all cash and no bad bills."
In addition to the coming of sawmills, fish canneries, foundries, and
the Irondale smelter, large mercantile establishments, ship chandlers,
etc., located in Port Townsend, and the latter found excellent profits
in outfitting not only the commercial ships leaving the harbor, but in
filling the needs of dozens of smaller vessels engaged ill fishing and
sealing.
The importance of the port for the fiscal year ending June 1, 1888-­
at the beginning of Port Town:-;end':-; "boom''-are shown by the following
figures;
Number of vessels entering the port, 971. Numher clearing, 954.
Total tonnage entering, 834,104; leaving, 804,853. Trade brought to
the city by vessels and sailors estimated at $4,000,000 annually. Much
of the Alaska trade centered in Port Townsend, which at that time
boasted a population of more than 5,000, with a large floating population
in addition.
Gradual encroachment of the steam ship somewhat reduced the
floating population of sailors, and consequent profit to hotels, restaurants,
saloons, gambling houses, and outfitters. But this was offset
in the late eighties by a great building boom growing out of the
prospect of a railroad entering the town from Portland, a prospect
which did not materialize, however. A streetcar line was built and
electric cars ran for a short time; and from a dozen real estate offices
lots were sold at prices probably never again to be attained.
The collapse of the boom heralded a number of years of hard times
for Port Townsend. These were o,-ercome, however, as quickly here
as elsewhere ill the nation.
One of Mr. Hastings' favorite stories concerns the experience of his
parents when they halted at The Dalles, Oregon, for rest on their
journey from Illinois to Portland. 'While the train was encamped
there, the Hastings wagon was visited one day by an Indian, his
squaw and their little thirteen-year-old daughter. Loren's older
brother was then about a year and a half old, and had thi