Early Ships

Sternwheeler ship, part of Mosquito Fleet
Photograph from Roland Carey; courtesy of Kingston Historical Society.

Before Kitsap County had good roads and bridges, private companies ran various types of boats, like the steamer Monticello, to move passengers and freight around Puget Sound. It was said that sometimes these boats “swarmed Puget Sound as thick as mosquitoes,” and they became known as the Mosquito Fleet.

Old steam ship
Photograph from George Andresen; courtesy of Kingston Historical Society.

The Dode frequently docked in Seattle, Kingston, and Hood Canal. The ship’s builder named her for his wife, Dora Wells Troutman, who became the first woman ship captain on Puget Sound. She eventually served as skipper of the Dode.