Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor
Navy tie turns rural valley into today’s Silverdale
Driving through busy Silverdale today, it’s hard to imagine the valley populated with timber and crops that locals once hauled to markets in Seattle and Bremerton via boats floating on Dyes Inlet.
But that is really how today’s bustling shopping hub began after explorers opened up the area in the mid 1800s. Logging was the first industry, followed by farming. Soon residents of Silverdale began commuting on a small Mosquito fleet to Bremerton to work in the new Puget Sound Naval Shipyard.
Vast commercialization really began in the 1970s and 80s when the Navy announced it would build the massive Bangor Naval Submarine Base near Silverdale. Today the area is not its own city, but rather part of unincorporated Kitsap County. And its anchor to Bangor remains strong.
As the base grew, housing subdivisions and the mall popped up around it. Then big-box retailers and the popular chain restaurants arrived. Today Silverdale is the only major shopping area on the Olympic Peninsula.
According to 2007 figures, the median home value in Silverdale is $306,000, compared with $300,000 statewide. Median income in Silverdale was estimated in 2007 at $59,000 compared with $55,000 statewide.
While commercialization enveloped Silverdale, residents retained a little of its former peace. Clear Creek Trail was a community-wide effort that has spanned the last decade. Clear Creek runs through some of Silverdale’s most dense business developments, but volunteers were able to keep the stream running freely and erect walking paths nearby.
All around Silverdale, many neighborhoods maintain a rural feel. Large tree stands separate even the most dense housing developments and apartment complexes from busy roads. In Seabeck and Olympic View, properties often range over several acres. And many places in Central Kitsap offer breathtaking views of Mt. Rainier and the Cascades or the Olympic Mountains and the Hood Canal.
Poulsbo remains a strong Scandinavian community
Settled by Norwegian loggers in the late 1800s, Poulsbo still retains the small-town feel of a Scandinavian village.
Downtown shops specialize in books, antiques, decadent chocolates and baked goods. It’s a great place to visit as a tourist or take visiting family and friends.
Neighborhoods within walking distance of downtown offer older, quaint homes with lots of character and amazing views of the Olympics and Liberty Bay. Surrounding North Kitsap areas like Suquamish, Big Valley and Hansville are more rural.
Poulsbo’s connection to the military isn’t as strong as Silverdale’s but nearby Keyport is home to the Naval Undersea Warfare Center. And many military families live in North Kitsap as the commute down Highway 3 to Bangor or even the shipyard in Bremerton isn’t bad by today’s standards.
Contributed by Marietta Nelson-Bittle
Updated January 2009
