Homer Smith Insurance Blog

Sequim today has about 6600 people and has grown about 50% since 2000 – growing faster in this last decade than either Port Angeles its neighbor to the west, or Port Townsend to the east.  Sequim has become a favored destination for retirees and currently over 40% of the Sequim population is 65 or older. 

Sequim is in the southwest quadrant of the Olympic Rain Shadow and benefits from this geographic phenomenon with only about 16 inches of rain per year.  It rests in a valley known as the Dungeness-Sequim Valley which is a fertile and workable agricultural area.  It is home now to Nash Farms and other local farming operations.  Nash Huber recently took fifth place in a nationwide contest to designate a farmer to turn the five acre, south-facing White House lawn into a fruit and vegetable garden.  The farm, and the peninsula in general, have been leaders in the local food movement. 

The Sequim area was settled in the 1850’s when settlers arrived at “New Dungeness” to farm and log the area.  The town’s growth early on was tied to the Puget Sound area, shipping potatoes, wheat, oats, peas, apples, and dressed meat to other Puget Sound ports. Hops were evidently a major cash crop that went to supply Port Townsend breweries.

The City of Sequim was incorporated in October 1913 and Jilson White became its first mayor.  The town installed a water system in 1922 and a sewer system in 1936.  The Clyde Rhodefer Library was built with Public Works Administration funds on land donated by the Progressive Club of Sequim in 1936.  The name Sequim has always been attributed to a S’Klallam derivation.  For many years Sequim was said to be from the S’Klallam for “quiet waters,” but in recent years tribal linguists have suggested the name derives from “place for going to shoot,” a reference to Sequim Bay. 

One of the most prominent of landmarks in Sequim is the Dungeness Spit - the longest natural sand spit in the United States.  The spit extends 5 miles into the Strait of Juan De Fuca and is a living organism – it has grown about 15 feet per year for the past 120 years.  Out of the wind and wave action it has even formed a subsidiary hook called Graveyard Spit.   The spit is one major local tourist attraction.  It is of special interest to bird watchers and hikers.  The spit is flat and sandy and attracts many hikers at all seasons.  The inner spit is an estuary that is home to thousands of waterfowl; the outer stretch is strewn with drift logs and you can see harbor seals or if you are a birder, heron, eagles, loons, grebes, murrelets, puffins, harlequin ducks, scaup and black brant, among other species.

Other attractions in Sequim are the Lavendar Farms and the Sequim Elk; both abound. Since the farms stay put, you can see them at any time; the elk show up rather unannounced, but are always welcome sights.

As a Washington insurance agency, Homer Smith Insurance proudly serves the Sequim area and appreciates its history, attractions and community spirit.