History of Camano Island
Camano was first charted in 1791 by Great Britain. The previous year Britain had gotten Nootka Island and Sound from the Spanish through treaty agreements. The British sent out Captain George Vancouver to search for the North West Passage. Because of heavy fog Vancouver and his co captains Peter Puget and Captain Whidbey, were unaware that the land on the West side of Port Susan Bay was an island. Camano was not explored again until 1838 when Lieutenant Charles Wilkes of the United States Navy was sent to chart southern waters. Wilkes was also supposed to name all areas that were not previously named. Wlikes named what is now Camano Island, Macdonough Island in honor of Thomas Macdonough who was a captain in the War of 1812. The water between Macdonough and Whidbey Island were named Saragtoga Passage. In 1847 British navy Captain Kllett changed the name of the island once more to the present title “Camano Island”. This last change was to restore our Spanish Heritage and to honor Captain Don Caamano of the Spanish Navy. The last settlers of Camano were loggers. The loggers named Camano “crow Island” a name that locals used until the early 1900’s.