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Olalla, Washington

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This article is about the community in Washington. For the community in British Columbia, see Olalla, British Columbia.
Olalla
Unincorporated community
Olalla Community Club
Olalla Community Club
CountryUnited States
StateWashington
CountyKitsap
Time zoneUTC-8 (Pacific (PST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-7 (PDT)
GNIS feature ID1512528[1]

Olalla is a small unincorporated community in Kitsap County, Washington, United States. It is located on Colvos Passage on Puget Sound just north of the Pierce County county line. Olalla used to be as large as Port Orchard, county seat of Kitsap County. Since 1870's Olalla served as one of the commerce centers for the region. The "old town" port located by the Olalla lagoon was made up by many business buildings, most on piers. Shipping and the mosquito fleet (ferrying system at that time) was very busy moving materials, goods and people. All is gone now. Since the Narrows Bridge was built Olalla has enjoyed a quiet rural setting. Since the Second Narrows Bridge it is being converted into a residential community for commuters to nearby cities and towns. Al's Grocery Store is the only old structure left by the lagoon and the locals hold it dear to their hearts.

Olalla...its name is the Salishan and Chinook Jargon word for "berry" or "berries" (usually olallie or ollalie in most lexicons of the Jargon).[2]

On the way up hill along the Olalla Valley Road from the lagoon, the Olalla Bible Church and the Olalla Community Club stand. The OCC was built around 1906 by the Modern Woodsman of America and in 1937 they deeded the structure to the community. The OCC was incorporated and chartered to serve the community. It is rare treasure passed on by generations of Olalla families. It's mission is to support the citizen, organizations and maintain the building for social and civic needs. Over the decades several renovations have taken place. In 1976 the OCC created it's non-profit status and 2006 a new metal roof was installed. The current president Marty Kellogg ask you to check out the olallacommunityclub.org web site or look us up on facebook and see how you can get involved to support the community. Next to the OCC is another Olalla treasure, the Olalla Bible Church built around 1910. Still working hard to serve our community. Together they represent some of the oldest and largest historic buildings still in working order in South Kitsap.

Olalla has some small claim to fame as the location of an early 20th-century health retreat (Sanitarium) called Wilderness Heights a.k.a. "Starvation Heights", The sanitarium was owned and operated by Dr. Linda Burfield Hazzard. Dr. Hazzard's practice of starvation to cure one's ills resulted in the death of a visiting English heiress in 1911, and the conviction of Dr. Hazzard for her murder. The original bathtub where Hazzard performed autopsies is still in the house, which has a family residing there.

Olalla author Gregg Olsen wrote about Starvation Heights in his award-winning book of the same name.

Olalla was served by many steamship including the Virginia V which is the last operational example of a Puget Sound Mosquito Fleet steamer. She was once part of a large fleet of small passenger and freight carrying ships that linked the islands and ports of Puget Sound in Washington State in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.On 21 October 1934, a severe Pacific storm swept through the Puget Sound. Virginia V was attempting to dock at Olalla, when the brunt of the storm hit. The powerful winds pushed the ship against the dock as the waves pounded the ship into the pilings. The result was the near destruction of the upper decks

See also

References

  1. ^ "Olalla". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
  2. ^ Majors, Harry M. (1975). Exploring Washington. Van Winkle Publishing Co. p. 82. ISBN 978-0-918664-00-6.
  • M.S. Kline, Steamboat Virginia V (Documentary Book Publishers Corp., 1985)
  • Roland Carey, The Sound of Steamers (Alderbrook Publishing Co., 1965)
  • Roland Carey, The Sound And The Mountain (Alderbrook Publishing Co., 1970)
  • Gordon R. Newell, Ships of the Inland Sea (Binford & Mort, Publishers, 1960)
  • Jim Faber, Steamer’s Wake (Enetai Press, 1985)
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