Stuart Island (Washington)
Encyclopedia
Stuart Island is one of the San Juan Islands
in Washington state, USA
, north of San Juan Island
and west of Waldron Island. The 7.462 square kilometres (2.9 sq mi) island is home to two communities of full and part-time residents, a state park, a one-room schoolhouse, and two airstrips (Stuart Island Airstrip - 7WA5 with a 2000 ft (610 m) grass runway, and Stuart Island West - 2WA3 with a 1560 ft (475 m) dirt runway).
The 2000 census
(erroneously) reported a population of 800 permanent residents.
, are on public land
s. One is located near the center of the island, and another in on the western coast, the site of the Turn Point Light Station, a lighthouse
guiding shipping in the busy waters of Boundary Pass
to the island's north. Turn Point Light Station is on land administered by the Bureau of Land Management
's Spokane District, Wenatchee Resource Area, Lopez Island
Office.
The lighthouse and nearby "Lover's Leap" are popular hiking destinations accessible by county road. Sheltered anchor
ages for boaters can be found in Reid Harbor and Prevost Harbor, with public state park facilities in each.
There are no stores or other public commercial establishments on the island, aside from a wooden box, stocked by a local family with printed T-shirt
s and other souvenir items; each souvenir comes with an envelope through which visitors return payment by mail, based on an honor system
. The local schoolhouse, closed in fall of 2007 due to lack of students. The school reopened in 2008 with two students.
Satellite Island, which lies in Prevost Harbor on the northeast side of the island, is used by YMCA Camp Orkila
as a basecamp for teen expeditions and for field trips by campers. Prevost Harbor is named for James Charles Prevost
, captain of the HMS Satellite
. Nearby Prevost Island
in British Columbia
is also named after Prevost, while Satellite Island is named after his ship.
during the Wilkes Expedition
of 1838-1842, to honor Frederick D. Stuart, the captain's clerk
of the expedition.
San Juan Islands
The San Juan Islands are an archipelago in the northwest corner of the contiguous United States between the US mainland and Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. The San Juan Islands are part of the U.S...
in Washington state, USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, north of San Juan Island
San Juan Island
San Juan Island is the second-largest and most populous of the San Juan Islands in northwestern Washington, United States. It has a land area of 142.59 km² and a population of 6,822 as of the 2000 census....
and west of Waldron Island. The 7.462 square kilometres (2.9 sq mi) island is home to two communities of full and part-time residents, a state park, a one-room schoolhouse, and two airstrips (Stuart Island Airstrip - 7WA5 with a 2000 ft (610 m) grass runway, and Stuart Island West - 2WA3 with a 1560 ft (475 m) dirt runway).
The 2000 census
United States Census, 2000
The Twenty-second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...
(erroneously) reported a population of 800 permanent residents.
Facilities
Two sites, both part of Stuart Island State ParkStuart Island State Park
Stuart Island State Park in San Juan County, Washington is a marine camping park in the Washington State Park System. It consists of of forest with of saltwater shoreline and moorage at Reed and Prevost Harbors. The park is part of the Cascadia Marine Trail, and some campsites are reserved for...
, are on public land
Public land
In all modern states, some land is held by central or local governments. This is called public land. The system of tenure of public land, and the terminology used, varies between countries...
s. One is located near the center of the island, and another in on the western coast, the site of the Turn Point Light Station, a lighthouse
Lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire, and used as an aid to navigation for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways....
guiding shipping in the busy waters of Boundary Pass
Boundary Pass
Boundary Pass is a strait that runs for about along the boundary between the U.S. state of Washington and the Canadian province of British Columbia. It connects Haro Strait to the south with the Strait of Georgia to the north....
to the island's north. Turn Point Light Station is on land administered by the Bureau of Land Management
Bureau of Land Management
The Bureau of Land Management is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior which administers America's public lands, totaling approximately , or one-eighth of the landmass of the country. The BLM also manages of subsurface mineral estate underlying federal, state and private...
's Spokane District, Wenatchee Resource Area, Lopez Island
Lopez Island
Lopez Island is the third largest of the U.S. San Juan Islands. Lopez Island is in land area. The 2000 census population was 2,177.-History:...
Office.
The lighthouse and nearby "Lover's Leap" are popular hiking destinations accessible by county road. Sheltered anchor
Anchor
An anchor is a device, normally made of metal, that is used to connect a vessel to the bed of a body of water to prevent the vessel from drifting due to wind or current. The word derives from Latin ancora, which itself comes from the Greek ἄγκυρα .Anchors can either be temporary or permanent...
ages for boaters can be found in Reid Harbor and Prevost Harbor, with public state park facilities in each.
There are no stores or other public commercial establishments on the island, aside from a wooden box, stocked by a local family with printed T-shirt
T-shirt
A T-shirt is a style of shirt. A T-shirt is buttonless and collarless, with short sleeves and frequently a round neck line....
s and other souvenir items; each souvenir comes with an envelope through which visitors return payment by mail, based on an honor system
Honor system
An honor system or honesty system is a philosophical way of running a variety of endeavors based on trust, honor, and honesty. Something that operates under the rule of the "honor system" is usually something that does not have strictly enforced rules governing its principles...
. The local schoolhouse, closed in fall of 2007 due to lack of students. The school reopened in 2008 with two students.
Satellite Island, which lies in Prevost Harbor on the northeast side of the island, is used by YMCA Camp Orkila
YMCA Camp Orkila
YMCA Camp Orkila is on the northwest shoulder of Orcas Island in the San Juan Islands of Washington. It has been in operation since 1906. It is operated by the Greater Seattle Area's YMCA...
as a basecamp for teen expeditions and for field trips by campers. Prevost Harbor is named for James Charles Prevost
James Charles Prevost
James Charles Prevost was an admiral in the British Royal Navy.He was born in Bedhampton, Hampshire, England and joined the navy in 1823 and by 1850 was a Commander aboard the HMS Portland, flagship of Rear Admiral Sir Fairfax Moresby, whose daughter he married on 18 October 1842, they had five...
, captain of the HMS Satellite
HMS Satellite
Eight ships of the Royal Navy have borne the name HMS Satellite: was a 16-gun brig-sloop launched in 1806. She foundered in 1810. was an 18-gun Cruizer class brig-sloop launched in 1812 and sold in 1824. was an 18-gun sloop launched in 1826 and broken up in 1849. was a paddle gunboat launched in...
. Nearby Prevost Island
Prevost Island
Prevost Island is an island in the southern Gulf Islands of the South Coast of British Columbia, Canada, located east of Ganges Harbour and midway between the southeastern extremity of Salt Spring Island and the southern end of Galiano Island...
in British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
is also named after Prevost, while Satellite Island is named after his ship.
History
Stuart Island was named by Charles WilkesCharles Wilkes
Charles Wilkes was an American naval officer and explorer. He led the United States Exploring Expedition, 1838-1842 and commanded the ship in the Trent Affair during the American Civil War...
during the Wilkes Expedition
United States Exploring Expedition
The United States Exploring Expedition was an exploring and surveying expedition of the Pacific Ocean and surrounding lands conducted by the United States from 1838 to 1842. The original appointed commanding officer was Commodore Thomas ap Catesby Jones. The voyage was authorized by Congress in...
of 1838-1842, to honor Frederick D. Stuart, the captain's clerk
Captain's clerk
A captain's clerk was a rating, now obsolete, in the Royal Navy for a person employed by the captain to keep his records, correspondence, and accounts. The regulations of the Royal Navy demanded that a purser serve at least one year as a captain's clerk, so the latter was often a young man working...
of the expedition.