PORT TOWNS'END. A city and the county seat of Jefferson County, Wash., 35 miles north by west of Seattle, on Port Townsend Bay, at the entrance to Puget Sound. It has steamship con nection with Alaska, San Francisco, and various ports of the Orient (Map: Washington, C I). The Port Townsend Southern Railroad and a branch of the Northern Pacific, which are under course of construction, will add greatly to the commercial importance of the city. The harbor is one of the largest in the world, and is pro tected by three forts, equipped with the most modern guns. The city is favored with a fairly equable climate, owing to the influence of the Japan Current, and is surrounded by picturesque mountain scenery. It is well laid out, and has fine business blocks and public buildings, and at tractive residences. Among the noteworthy edi fices are the United States Custom House, county court-house. city hall, high school building, United States Marine Hospital, Saint John's Hospital, the sanatorium. and the buildings of the United States Quarantine Station. A public library is maintained by the city.
The neighboring region is engaged in lumbering, dairy farming. and fruit-growing, and also has considerable oil and mineral wealth. Port Town send is a port of entry for the Puget Sound cus toms district, the trade of which in 1902 was valued at S17 ,17S.000, including exports to the amount of $34,726,000. Lumber. grain, farm and dairy products. live stock, fish, and oil are the chief articles of commerce. The industrial estab lishments comprise steam boiler works, a machine shop, saw and planing mills, a ship-yard, salmon and sardine canneries, herring pickling and curing works. bottling works, etc. The lrondale fur naces on Port Townsend Bay are noted for their extensive production of pig iron. the iron used in the construction of the cruisers Charleston and San Francisco and the battleship Oregon having been made here. Under the charter of 1890, the government is administered by a mayor, chosen annually, and a unicameral council. Port Town send was settled in 1S5), and was incorporated in IS60. Population, in ISM 4558; in 1900, 3443.