Inn History
The Inn at Port Hadlock has a long and interesting tribal history. The land around the Inn constituted a Coastal Salish Tribal village know as Tsetsibus, "where the sun rises", and is established as one of the oldest occupied areas in all of Washington, going back over twelve thousand years.
The Coastal Salish tribes were known as S'Klallam, Suquamish and Duwamish. Another tribe settled in this area known as the Chemakum. The Chemakum came from LaPush near the home of the Quileute tribes. The difference in language and temperament between the Chemakum and the other tribes in the area led to considerable tension, fighting, and eventually the extinction of the Chemakum tribe.
Our bay and lands were the gathering point for all the Coastal Salish tribes. Tribes from as far as Alaska and Canada would come to this area for Potlatch celebrations and annual canoe competitions and feasting. Skunk Island was used for mock battles and great prestige was bestowed upon the winners of the competitions of battle, racing and canoe design.
The mill towns were born and eventually upon our site, the Classen Chemical Company using fermented sawdust to create alcohol constructed an Alcohol and Chemical Plant. Many of the surrounding Salish Tribes went to work for the mills. Others left to settle and work in surrounding areas such as Port Gamble and Sequim.
The Inn's lands were once an illustrious and renowned gathering point, 'the capital', of the Coastal Salish communities. It was a site of abundant natural treasures, prestige and beauty.
The original sawmill ceased operation in 1907 and burned to the ground in 1913. In 1909 construction started on the Alcohol Plant and in 1910 construction was completed. The Alcohol Plant processed alcohol from sawdust using a French distilling process known as the Berigus Process.
The mill was a 24 hour a day operation and early on they ran into problems with treaties. For most of the next 65 years the buildings of the plant stood vacant. During the Depression vagrants and bush-pickers lived in its workers' shacks and locals scavenged lumber, window and bricks from the site.
In 1978, retired Bellevue Buick dealer Ray Hanson purchased the property and began the four million dollar task of turning a scavenged shell into a beautiful hotel resort. Today the job is complete due to the efforts, investment and vision of the Realvest Corporation and Paul Christensen. The transformation of the Old Alcohol Plant into the Inn at Port Hadlock was complete in June of 2004.
The Inn at Port Hadlock is determined to preserve the prominence and significance of the Coastal Salish heritage upon these lands.
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310 Hadlock Bay Road • Port Hadlock, Washington 98339
Phone: (360) 385-7030 • Fax: (360) 385-6955
Toll Free: (800) 785-7030
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