Harbor History
Gig Harbor is steeped in maritime history.
The 65-foot purse seiner, Shenandoah, was donated to the Harbor History Museum in 2000. The fishing vessel was owned by Tony Janovich, who donated it to the Museum shortly after his retirement. Due to the hard work of Harbor History Museum staff, the Shenandoah was just placed on the Washington State Historic Register. The museum is in the process of restoring the vessel. If you would like to volunteer on the restoration please click here. Also to follow the progress of the restoration click here.
Eddon Boat Building courtesy SHKS Architects
Boat-building and commercial fishing played a major role in the development of the area. But Gig Harbor was more - an agricultural center, logging and lumber area, and Native American fishing grounds.
Throughout our region, we cherish and preserve much of this history for our residents and our visitors to remember and enjoy!
In the heart of downtown Gig Harbor is the Harbor History Museum. It offers 7,000 square feet of permanent galleries showcasing the rich, unique heritage of the Gig Harbor Peninsula. Unique artifacts, video kiosks, hands-on exhibits, computer interactives, the preserved Midway Schoolhouse (circa 1910), and a small theater bring Peninsula history to life in permanent galleries. Admission is free, thanks to a grant from the City of Gig Harbor. We invite you to explore the ways our city has grown, and the roots of our local lifestyle that we hold dear.
Gig Harbor holds historic preservation in high regard. Other historic sites include:
Gig Harbor BoatShop (Previously Eddon Boat Building)
Wilkinson Barn at Wilkinson Farm Park
Gig Harbor's Historic Netsheds
In addition, to the above locals, the greater Gig Harbor Peninsula is home to the Fox Island Museum and the Key Peninsula Museum.
Gig Harbor is linked to Tacoma by the Narrows Bridge.
Today, two bridges link the area — “Sturdy Gertie,” built in 1950, and the newest bridge, constructed in 2007. The first iteration of the Narrows Bridge, built in 1940, had a less sturdy reputation. As many locals note, this first version was built from plans from a firm on the East Coast. Known to rise and fall with the wind, the towers were placed too far apart, causing too much stress on the suspension cables.
A critical engineering mistake, just four months after construction, on November 7, 1940, “Gallopin’ Gertie” collapsed. Those on the bridge were given just minutes to get off the span before the fall of central parts of the bridge No human lives were lost, but one dog was trapped in a car and perished. Today, a PenMet Parks location, “Tubby’s Trail Dog Park” memorializes Tubby the Cocker Spaniel.