Point No Point (Images of America)

The US Lighthouse Board established Point No Point Light Station in 1879 to aid ships navigating to and from Puget Sound and the emerging port cities of Seattle and Tacoma. But the point was long an important place: a landmark for Coast Salish peoples traveling by water to fishing sites and for trade; a thriving community led by Suquamish leader ?al?q?m (pronounced "Challacum"); the site of the 1855 treaty signing that made a large swath of western Washington available for nonnative settlement; and an important foraging ground for fish, migratory birds, and sea mammals. Today, Point No Point is part of the larger community of Hansville on Washington's Kitsap Peninsula. Coast Salish peoples still fish here, and Point No Point Lighthouse remains an important aid to navigation. Fish, migratory birds, and sea mammals still regularly feed here on nutrients brought in from the ocean by powerful tidal currents. And residents and visitors alike are drawn to the point's beaches and breathtaking views.