Crane Island is one of the

San Juan Islands The San Juan Islands are an archipelago in the Pacific Northwest of the United States between the U.S. state of Washington and Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. The San Juan Islands are part of Washington state, and form the core of ...

San Juan County, Washington San Juan County is a county located in the Salish Sea in the far northwestern corner of the U.S. state of Washington. As of the 2020 census, its population was 17,788. The county seat and only incorporated city is Friday Harbor, located on Sa ...

, United States. It lies just off the southwestern shore of

Orcas Island Orcas Island () is the largest of the San Juan Islands of the Pacific Northwest, which are in the northwestern corner of San Juan County, Washington. History and naming of the island The name "Orcas" is a shortened form of ''Horcasitas,'' fro ...

, between it and the northwest corner of

Shaw Island Shaw Island is the smallest of the four San Juan Islands served by the Washington State Ferries. The island has a land area of and a small year-round population of 240 ( 2010 census). During the summer time, weekends swell with other resi ...

. Crane Island has a land area of 0.956 km² (0.369 sq mi, or 236.27

acre The acre is a unit of land area used in the imperial Imperial is that which relates to an empire, emperor, or imperialism. Imperial or The Imperial may also refer to: Places United States * Imperial, California * Imperial, Missouri * Imp ...

s). The 2000 census reported a population of 20 permanent residents. many of the original full-time residents of Crane Island have moved off the island and have been replaced by younger, part-time residents. The number of permanent residents on Crane Island may be as few as four persons. Crane Island is the largest of a group of islands known as the Wasp Islands. The name was given by

Charles Wilkes Charles Wilkes (April 3, 1798 – February 8, 1877) was an American naval officer, ship's captain, and explorer. He led the United States Exploring Expedition (1838–1842). During the American Civil War (1861–1865), he commanded ' during the ...

during the

Wilkes Expedition The United States Exploring Expedition of 1838–1842 was an exploring and surveying expedition of the Pacific Ocean and surrounding lands conducted by the United States. The original appointed commanding officer was Commodore Thomas ap Catesby ...

of 1838-1842, in honor of the sloop Wasp, a

sloop-of-war In the 18th century and most of the 19th, a sloop-of-war in the Royal Navy was a warship with a single gun deck that carried up to eighteen guns. The rating system covered all vessels with 20 guns and above; thus, the term ''sloop-of-war'' enc ...

commanded by Jacob Jones during the War of 1812. The Wasp Islands are often locally called "the rock pile" due to the large number of rocks near the shorelines of the various islands. The Washington State ferry passes south of Crane Island through Wasp Passage on its trip to and from Orcas Island and San Juan Island. Crane Island was first settled in 1879 by Walter P. Cadwell, a member of a pioneer family living near Pole Pass (a passage between the eastern side of Crane Island and Orcas Island). Cadwell operated a fruit and vegetable farm on Crane Island. In 1906 Cadwell sold the island to John C. Hammond of Seattle. Other activities conducted on Crane Island in the past have included a lime quarry on the west side of the island, a pheasantry business, sheep ranching and logging activities until 1959. (from "Around and About Crane Island", 8/1989) In 1960, Island Properties began development and subdivision of Crane Island. The center of the island is largely owned by the Crane Island Nature Preserve. The majority of the homes on Crane Island are located near the island's shore line. A small, private community dock is located on the east side of the island near Pole Pass. There are no public services on Crane Island. The original development of Crane Island included the construction of an airstrip. The airstrip is a private field limited to use by the island's residences. The airstrip consists of a gravel/grass runway. Landing can be tricky because the prevailing wind is often across the runway and the wind can decrease suddenly when dropping below the tree tops.

References

Crane Island: Blocks 2067 and 2068, Census Tract 9601, San Juan County, Washington
United States Census Bureau * Phillips, James W. (1971). ''Washington State Place Names''. University of Washington Press. *"Crane Island Sold": San Juan Islander, November 24, 1906, p. 1 *"Crane Island in the San Juans": Developer's brochure prepared by Richard B. Exton, Orcas, WA

: San Juan Islands

Wasp Islands The Wasp Islands are a group of small islands in the San Juan Islands of the U.S. state of Washington. The name was given by Charles Wilkes during the Wilkes Expedition of 1838–1842, in honor of the sloop ''Wasp'', a sloop of war commanded by Jo ...

:Wasp Island

Crane Island Geography Facts Pig War (1859), Pig War: The Pig War {{San Juan County, Washington San Juan Islands Populated places in San Juan County, Washington

See also

References