Poulsbo (/ˈpɔːlzboʊ/ PAWLZ-boh) is a city on Liberty Bay in Kitsap County, Washington, United States.

[citation needed] After the signing of the Treaty of Point Elliott in 1855, many were moved to the Port Madison Indian Reservation.

Poulsbo was then founded in the 1880s by Norwegian immigrant Jørgen Eliason, who was joined by other Scandinavians who relocated from the Midwestern states.

They were drawn here by the availability of land, by the area's rich resources, and by a landscape similar to their native home.

The settlement was connected by boats to other areas of the region, including the Puget Sound mosquito fleet, which was eventually usurped by highways built in the early 20th century.

Modern-day downtown Poulsbo maintains a Scandinavian theme to honor its early immigrant history and is a popular regional tourist destination.

[10][11] After the signing of the Treaty of Point Elliott in 1855, most of the Suquamish people living in the area were relocated to the Port Madison Indian Reservation.

[12] In 1886, Iver Brynildsen Moe, one of the early Norwegian settlers, suggested that the community should have a post office.

[16] Until World War II, many Poulsbo residents retained Norwegian as a primary language.

However, during World War II, the military constructed about 300 residential units to provide housing for workers at the nearby Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton.

On October 22, 1975, King Olav V of Norway visited Poulsbo as part of the celebration of 150 years of Norwegian immigration to the United States.

[19] Poulsbo is located in northern Kitsap County at 47°44′21″N 122°38′21″W / 47.739137°N 122.639278°W / 47.739137; -122.639278 (47.739137, -122.639278),[22] at the north end of Liberty Bay, a sheltered arm of Puget Sound.

The Herald was founded by Peter Iverson, who served as mayor of Poulsbo and state legislator.

[26][27] The statue was commissioned by the city to replace a wooden sign at Viking Avenue and Lindvig Way.

The project was coordinated by local businessman Bill Austin and Poulsbo Mayor Becky Erickson.

[33] The park was started in 2002 by a group of community members and governments including the City of Poulsbo and the Suquamish Tribe.

[34] The park is centered on the Dogfish Creek estuary at the north end of Liberty Bay.

As of 2015[update], the park had 1.5 miles (2.4 km) of trails, with the city planning to double that figure.