History of Westport

Located at the mouth of Grays Harbor, Westport is the located on the southernmost peninsula which is known as Point Chehalis.

Native American tribes used this area regularly for eons before Thomas Barker Speake and his family, the first white settlers, arrived early in the summer of 1857.

By 1914, Westport was a busy, though small center for fishing, shell fish harvesting, seafood processing and tourism.

The public Westport Marina is the largest marina on the outer coast of the United States's Pacific Northwest. The marina is home to a large commercial fishing fleet and several recreational charter fishing vessels.

Among the earliest structures built at Westport, the Westport Lighthouse, dedicated on April 14, 1898, still stands as a majestic beacon for weary mariners anxious to return home from the sea. The City of Westport was incorporated on June 26, 1914.

Today, Westport is a tourist and recreational desolation featuring vacation rental homes as well as motels and hotels.

But the area still relies on fishing, shellfish harvesting, seafood processing and tourism for much of its livelihood. More recently, boat building has also become an important part of Westport's economic base.