Hyak

The Hyak holds a special place in Poulsbo history. From 1911 to 1936, the wooden-hulled steamship Hyak operated in Puget Sound, running from Seattle to Bainbridge Island and Poulsbo, serving Port Madison, Suquamish, Seabold, Keyport, Lemolo, Scandia, and Pearson. The name Hyak means “fast” in Chinook Jargon. As one of the fastest mosquito fleet ships, the Hyak was beloved by Poulsbo citizens. Two times a day (except for Saturday’s three runs), the Hyak made the trek from Liberty Bay to Seattle’s Pier 54, then called Pier 3. On weekdays, all of Poulsbo was wakened at 5:15 a.m. by three blasts of the Hyak’s steam whistle. At 5:30 a.m., two blasts sounded, followed by one blast at 5:40 a.m., five minutes before the ship departed. The full trip to Seattle took nearly two hours. The fare was forty cents.

The Kitsap Transportation Company, founded in 1905, was also known as the “White Collar Line” because of the “K” insignia around their vessels’ funnels. The 134-foot Hyak regularly served Poulsbo. In 1914, Poulsbo caught fire while Hyak was tied up at her dock. The fire spread quickly and threatened the entire town, which was not equipped to fight such a blaze. Hyak had some powerful water pumps and her own fire hoses aboard. With her steam engine powered up, the crew rallied to deploy hoses ashore, and was able to suppress the flames. Hyak and her crew were credited with saving the town.