Clinton, Washington

Whidbey Island was originally inhabited by Coast Salish tribes, including the Suquamish, Swinomish, Lower Skagit, and Snohomish. Clinton, was primarily inhabited by the Snohomish tribe. There were three main Snohomish villages in southern Whidbey: D’GWAD’wk (Digwadsh), TSEHT-skluhks, and SHET’LH-shet-lhuts. The Digwadsh, meaning "in the basket", was the largest of these villages. It had about seven longhouses and frequently welcomed visits from neighboring tribes like the Duwamish and Suquamish. Today, many descendants of the Digwadsh live on the Tulalip Reservation. The local tribes built cedar-plank longhouses and lived off the island's natural resources, including berries, fish, and other local bounty. European contact began in the late 18th century with the arrival of explorer George Vancouver. By the late 1800s, more settlers began to move to Whidbey Island, bringing diseases that decimated many Native populations. In northern Whidbey, Colonel Isaac N. Ebey became the island's first permanent white resident. Clinton was initially known as Brighton Beach but was later renamed Clinton, possibly after the Clinton family, some of the area's earliest settlers. By the late 1800s, Clinton developed a reputation for its milling and logging industries. The early town centers included the old Clinton Union Store, the Post Office, and the Salisbury Shingle Mill. Mukilteo–Clinton ferry service began in 1911 as a passenger ferry and transitioned to a car ferry by 1919, significantly improving access to South Whidbey Island. Before that, traveling to Whidbey Island by road, via the Deception Pass Bridge, could take over an hour. Boats were also essential for delivering mail and supplies to the island. The ferry service initially operated under the Black Ball Line of the Puget Sound Navigation Company and was later acquired by the Washington State Department of Transportation, creating Washington State Ferries (WSF), now the largest ferry system in the U.S. ==Geography==