Clallam Bay

History

Clallam Bay was founded in the 1880s as a steamboat stop. It became a mill town in 1890. Two years later, the mill burned, and making barrels for West Clallam Bay's tanning extract became its main industry. In 1905, the lighthouse at Slip Point was lighted on April Fool's Day. Sekiu Point (pronounced "See'-kew"), the western cape of Clallam Bay, was first charted by Captain Henry "OG" Kellett in 1847. The town of Sekiu was founded as "West Clallam" in 1870, by A.J. Martin who built a salmon cannery to be nearer the fishing grounds. The area boomed before the turn of the century when a leather tanning extract was produced here by the Pacific Tanning Extract Company established in 1887. Sekiu crashed in 1893 when the demand for the extract ceased, and hundreds of men were left unemployed. People turned to fishing, and later logging. From 1902 to 1907, D.A. Robinson logged here, building a railroad with what was then the longest railroad bridge in the world. The long, high bridge spanned Charlie Creek.

Geography

The community of Clallam Bay is located in northwestern Clallam County, where the Clallam River enters the southeastern side of Clallam Bay, a small indentation in the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Washington State Route 112 passes through the community, leading south via Washington State Route 113 to Sappho on US 101. To the west, Route 112 leads to Sekiu at the west end of Clallam Bay, and to Neah Bay.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• American Crow

  Corvus brachyrhynchos C.L.Brehm, 1822 · Aves
  810
• Bald Eagle

  Haliaeetus leucocephalus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  703
• Surf Scoter

  Melanitta perspicillata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  660
• Harlequin Duck

  Histrionicus histrionicus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  574
• Common Loon

  Gavia immer (Brunnich, 1764) · Aves
  544
• Glaucous-winged Gull

  Larus glaucescens J.F.Naumann, 1840 · Aves
  507
• Pelagic Cormorant

  Phalacrocorax pelagicus Pallas, 1811 · Aves
  503
• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  484

Most recent

• M 2.53 — 2026-08-09
  11 km SSW of River Road, Washington
• M 2.85 — 2025-10-22
  8 km SW of Port Angeles, Washington
• M 2.7 — 2025-10-21
  10 km SE of Salt Spring Island, Canada
• M 2.6 — 2025-09-18
  14 km SW of Cowichan Bay, Canada
• M 3.7 — 2025-08-19
  17 km NNW of Sekiu, Washington
• M 2.82 — 2025-08-10
  16 km SSW of River Road, Washington