A day trip to Key Peninsula eventually found me in Lakebay, on this bright, clear, cold and very windy Saturday. The waters of Puget Sound in this small cove are a lovely cerulean blue, contrasted by the deep green of douglas firs nearby. A quick drive through Penrose State Park was a surprise, I had no idea there was a State Park in the area that offered camping in a forest setting and beach access too. This quiet, rural community with an island-like feel with its close proximity to Puget Sound was settled long before Washington became a state in 1889. The Creviston family homesteaded in this area in 1871 and named it Lakebay. Williams’s wife Sarah was the first teacher here and their son was the first white child born on Key Peninsula. A mill was established here that furnished lumber for boat building and lumber for the mainland as well. Only a handful of historic buildings remain, among them Dolly Cooper’s house.
This small community originally consisted of a post office, church, school, lumber mill, barber shop and mercantile and well as residences.
