1841-1890

1841          The Wilkes Expedition gives Gig Harbor its name 1853          Washington becomes a territory 1862          Homestead Act 1867          Jerisich family settles in Gig Harbor 1871          Territorial law denies the vote to women 1878          First school on Peninsula at Artondale                     Post office established at Artondale 1882          Steamboats built on Peninsula 1883          Northern Pacific Railroad reaches Tacoma 1886          First school opens in Gig Harbor 1889          Washington becomes a state

Four Peninsula women (Irene Baudy, Gertrude Lotz, Aura Powell, Nettie Campbell) are among the passengers catching a steamboat ride to Arletta, 1911	Verna Wheeler (right) and a friend row across Gig Harbor Bay

In 1867, when the Jerisich family made a home in Gig Harbor, Washington was a territory of the United States. The federal government had passed The Homestead Act, permitting men and women to acquire title to land by living on it and raising crops.

Soon other families were making their homes on other bays and harbors in the Peninsula region. These small settlements were separated from each other by miles of forest. They were isolated from the rest of the world by the frequently treacherous waters of Puget Sound.

But the early settlers were persistent in overcoming difficulties. The women initially set up housekeeping in whatever was available ­ tents, shacks, or newly built, one-room houses to which rooms were added later. They shot, caught, or grew their food. Staples were available only by rowing across the Narrows to Steilacoom, the only town then in existence. The household schedule revolved around the rise and fall of the tide and daughters learned to row a boat as soon as they were strong enough to pull an oar.

Along with their few possessions, these women brought courage, stamina, and initiative to improve on the existing conditions. Memories of their cultural heritage, as well as their personal skills and knowledge, were shared among neighbors. Life in the "old country" was passed on in the lullabies mothers sang to their children, the prayers they taught them, and the designs they knitted into the small mittens.

By 1890, Washington was a state. The Northern Pacific Railway made it easier to get to the northwest. More people moved into Peninsula communities, now connected by trails that soon became roads. Schools and churches were functioning. Mail delivery was more frequent. Steamboats carried passengers, animals, and freight from the outlying areas to Tacoma and elsewhere. When a woman wanted a day away from the homestead, she sometimes "took the boat to town" to sell produce, shop, or visit family and friends.

Electricity, like the dawn, came gradually to the Peninsula region. Throughout the 1920s, the Peninsula neighborhoods slowly lit up. Electricity, with running water and indoor plumbing, helped to free women from much of the drudgery of housekeeping.

The number of automobiles on the Peninsula was rapidly growing. By the early 1920s, car ferry service had replaced the passenger steamboats and talk of building a bridge across the Narrows was beginning.

Women generated another shock during the 1920s. Inspired by movie actress Clara Bow, women dispensed with their waist length tresses and "bobbed" their hair. Some viewed this act as a renunciation of the traditional feminine role. In some instances, husbands threatened to divorce their wives if they bobbed their hair.

The mood of the decade was freedom. Along with long hair, women abandoned the corsets and hobble skirts of previous years. The look of the 1920s was young, simple, straight, and narrow. Skirts barely covered the knees. New, easy care washable fabric was introduced. Labor saving devices, such as electric washing machines, irons, and vacuum cleaners, were advertised in national magazines.

The mood of the 1930s was different. This was an uneasy time on the Peninsula, with the Great Depression in full swing and war commencing in Europe.

The local economy got a boost as construction for the the Narrows Bridge began in 1938. A favorite after-dinner jaunt was to take a drive to, "see how the bridge is coming along." The day in July, 1940, when the bridge opened was a red-letter day for the communities. At last, the barrier that was the Tacoma Narrows had been overcome.

But, this euphoria didn't last long. The bridge soon developed suspicious undulating actions, earning her the name "Galloping Gertie." During a storm in November, 1940, the bridge tore apart and dropped into the Narrows ­ fortunately, with no loss of human life. Ferry service was resumed. It would be ten years before there was another bridge across the Narrows.

Gig Harbor held its Centennial Celebration, which commemorated the discovery of Gig Harbor in 1841 by the Wilkes Expedition, in 1947. It was six years late because of WWII. The Peninsula celebrated again in 1950 when the second Tacoma Narrows Bridge opened. With the completion of State Route 16 in 1951 the Peninsula region was open for growth and development. Many residents, both men and women, accepted driving to Seattle to work ­ just as commuters do today.

After WWII, when men returned to the jobs they had vacated, many assumed women war workers would go back to being housewives. While some women were glad to do so, others, having experienced well-paid jobs and learned new skills, refused. Women were not willing to relinquish the advances made.

Fashion rebounded in the mid 40s with the "New Look." It was extremely feminine and luxurious ­ in retaliation of the clothes rationing during the war ­ with long slender skirts (hems just 12" from the floor) and full skirts billowing over layers of petticoats. This look persisted through the 50s.

The 60s proved to be a groundbreaking decade for women, both in lifestyle changes and clothing. Pantyhose were invented, freeing women forever from garters. Hemlines rose steadily, finally coming to rest with the "mini" skirt. Dresses had the straight look of the 20s; shifts and "sacks" were popular. Trousers and trouser suits became permanent additions to wardrobes. Women's clothing was a reflection of their attitude. They wanted equal rights and equal pay. The Women's Movement had begun and things would never be the same.
 

These years are the culmination of the changes in women's lives recorded in this exhibit. The role of women changed irrevocably when they left their homes for war work in 1942. By the 70s, "first woman" achievements were becoming passé. Women broke barriers in politics, business, science, and other fields.

Each generation of the Peninsula's women set their own goals and ambitions, either due to necessity or desire. They frequently overcame excessive hardships to build a future for their families and communities. Two hundred and fifty years of their success have left a profound mark on the history and growth of the Gig Harbor Peninsula.
 

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