Railroad Commissioner's Map of Washington (1910)
From the desk of Steve Willis, Central Library Services Program Manager of the Washington State Library:
Charleston was a city that used to exist just to the southwest of Bremerton. The settlement was still young when talk of the two cities merging first came up, given their mutual interest in the Naval shipping area. The book Kitsap County History (1977) presents a detailed chronology of Charleston, ending in December 1927, when voters decided in favor of consolidation.
One person who almost certainly voted against this measure was George M. Terrell. This early Charleston resident had arrived in the role of one of the first drydock inspectors, and later moved into the real estate and insurance fields. He was also a devout Baptist who was part of a group that formed the first church (Presbyterian) in town.
In addition, Terrell appears to have been something of a Christian political activist. In 1896 he resigned his post as City Treasurer in protest when the City Council voted to grant liquor licenses as a way to collect revenue. His obituary in the May 23, 1932 Bremerton Daily News Searchlight after his death at age 85 noted: “He was deeply interested in civic affairs of his chosen locality and was staunch in the carrying out of his convictions.”
Mr. Terrell’s letter to the editor in the May 29, 1909 issue of The Charleston Record (from the microfilm reel I grabbed at random this week) is a fun snapshot of how the two cities were regarded through the lens of a Charleston civic leader:
AGAINST ANNEXATION
“‘Everybody loves a lover.’ The sweet unselfish persistence of our Bremerton lover is a sight to tickle the angels– in hades, –but it does not excite even surprise in Charleston; we are surprised tho’ that Bremerton should assume that we have more suckers this year than last.–and such suckers! That man has used his thinker to mighty little purpose who does not instinctively shy and look to the safety of his pocket book when the confidence man comes with tears in his voice, pleading to him a great gain at the givers loss.”
E.D. Duff's General Store Ad
“Bremerton wants Charleston to annex, (like the wolf and lamb) she wants it bad, she needs it worse, she thinks it ‘a ground hog case.’ She not only fears our clean competition, she needs our property on which to issue more bonds.”
“Bremerton has a very limited area, an equally limited moral standard, a comparatively large vice area.”
“Her low moral standard and proximity to the shops insures her a strong floating population majority.”
“Nearness to the shop catches the bachelor employee, the presence of the saloon, bawdy house and card room, draw the gambler and parasites and other criminals from everywhere.”
“This is why the property holder has no say in Bremerton about taxation or town policy and why we do not annex.”
“Why should Charleston at this hour of her flood tide annex to such a combination, sacrifice her Post Office and her public improvements, imperil her fine schools, trade her clean name for one with such a record and put all her taxable property into the hands of the lodging house and saloon population of Bremerton for the purpose of sewering and paving their down town district?”
“With the coming of the Marine Establishment, the big Naval Hospital and the Philadelphia we will get a good share of the yard trade and mail business. If moral conditions do not improve in Bremerton or grow worse in Charleston, the department will be likely later to give us all the mail and berth her ships at this end. Three continental R.R. are right now racing into the Olympic Peninsula, two of them will come to Charleston.”
“No annexation without a new name. No annexation under any name until we have enough votes to protect our property and homes.””Pre-annexation promises are absolutely worthless. No intelligent man makes or receives them in good faith. They cannot be delivered; but if delivered can be recalled by the new board.”
“Geo. M. Terrell.”
There are a couple points of Charleston trivia that I can’t resist bringing up. First, not long after Mr. Terrell’s letter appeared in print, the Langlie family moved to Charleston. One of the children, Arthur Langlie (1900-1966), later became Mayor of Seattle and served three terms as Governor.
Older readers might remember the actor Howard Duff (1913-1990), who was born in Charleston. His grandfather, Edward D. “E.D.” Duff was a Charleston businessman who served as Mayor before Howard was born. Advertisements for his mercantile store are hard to ignore in the newspaper. A short history of the Duff family in Charleston can be found in the book, Kitsap : a Centennial History (1989)
If you look hard enough you can still see signs of old Charleston today, including the Charleston Baptist Church, another institution where Mr. Terrell served as a founding father.
With the final votes tallied, and some close calls, libraries have come out on top in the recent Washington elections with a perfect 6 for 6 score.