In last Friday’s Peninsula Daily News, a recent photo shows a vehicle rounding Sledge Hammer Point at Lake Crescent. Now, I wonder how this point got its name???? Well since you ask, I’m more than willing to tell you. After all, I love sharing my knowledge of historical times I have researched of our beautiful Olympic Peninsula.
First of all just a bit of annals about the construction of the highway around Lake Crescent. With the increasing demand for transportation around the lake it was a must to connect both ends with a road. The small ferries just could not keep up with the increased traffic, not to mention the horse and buggy becoming replaced by the modern automobile. So, a one lane dirt rocky road was carved out of the south shore of the lake in 1920. On a personal note; my first wife’s grandfather (Grandpa Ray) was one of the first to use the new “highway”. He was the proud owner of a new Indian motorcycle which he used, making him one of the earliest users of the new route. While telling me about his experience, he laughed remembering all the autos with flat tires. Yes, the first road was very primitive with many sharp pointed rocks on its surface.
There are actually two different stories depicting the origin of the name Sledge Hammer Point allowing you to take your pick.
Story One: In 1949 the road was widened and modernized. Part of the crew doing the work was several men from Walla Walla State Prison. They were at times virtually hammering an expanded roadbed out of the vertical hillside. One guy frustrated with the lack of progress at this location, aimed at a large rock and with all his might slammed the hammer against the stone. The rock failed to split; the sledge hammer flew back over his head and into the deep depths of the lake never to be seen again. Thus, Sledge Hammer Point.
Story Two: During the original construction many dynamite charges were used to break up the rock. One day using a sledge hammer and chisel at this local a fellow carved out a hole in the hill side, placed a charge in it and proceeded to ignite the affair. After the smoke cleared he looked for his hammer to repeat the process. Well, he took allot of “ribbing” from his co-workers because he forgot to secure his sledge hammer before the blast. Yep, it joined the debris flying into the lake never to be seen again. Thus, Sledge Hammer Point.
I favor Story Two, but whichever story is true, indeed a sledge hammer went into the lake at the point christening the name of this location ever after Sledge Hammer Point.
The Tedster
