Rural America of the Last Century

The reserve was set aside by Congress in 1978 to preserve and protect a rural community—a cultural landscape—that is a laboratory of Pacific Northwest history. Today, historic land uses continue, with the rich prairie soils still being farmed, the forests being harvested, and century-old buildings being used as homes or places of business.

Stories within a Cultural Landscape

Some of the important stories the reserve interprets to the public are those of Isaac Ebey, a person significant in early territorial government and the first European-American settler to claim land on Central Whidbey island before Washington became a state; the story of settlement under the Donation Land Claim Act between 1850 and 1855; the explorations of Captain George Vancouver in 1792; and the development and growth of the historic town of Coupeville.

A Unique Partnership

The reserve is a non-traditional unit of the National Park system. It is the first unit of its kind in the system, with most of the land under private ownership. A unit of local government, the Trust Board of Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve, is charged with management as called for in the legislation creating the Reserve. The Trust Board is a partnership of local, state and federal governments working collaboratively to ensure the historic and natural resources of the reserve are protected for future generations to enjoy and experience.

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