Our picture this month is of a lovely sandy beach at low tide. It is on the north side of the ferry parking lot. There are steps down to the beach that are very well used during the summer months.

Many of the senior citizens who lived in Kingston as children called this beach “North Beach.”

The uplands on the water side of Washington Avenue were platted in 1905 and sold as building lots as part of a development called “Saltair Beach Tracts.”  Over time the winds and tides on Puget Sound have eroded the smaller lots (and part of Washington Avenue) into the sound.

A community member has suggested the beach be named “Saltair Beach” instead of “North Beach.”

The Kingston Historical Society would like your votes and opinions. You can reach us via computer at www.kingstonhistory.org; by mail at P.O. Box 333, Kingston, WA 98346; or by calling Harriet Muhrlein or Jack Minert. We will tally the votes and report after our July 25 meeting.

— Contact historian and columnist Harriet Muhrlein at harrietmuhrlein@comcast.net