Rosario San Juan County, Washington
Mapped Location
Rosario: The mapped location is an approximation and should not be used for navigation or wayfinding.
Information
General information on Rosario
- Feature Type: Place
Official, historical, colloquial and alternative toponyms for Rosario
A brief list of names that this geographic feature has been named
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Rosario | Official |
Origin Notes and History of Rosario
References to Rosario that document the origin of its place name
ROSARIO, a well known name in the vicinity of the San Juan Archipelago. It was first applied in 1791 by the Spanish Captain Eliza to what is now the Gulf of Georgia. The original Spanish name was "Gran Canal de Nuestra Senora del Rosario la Marinera," About the same time, the Spaniards named the present Rosario Strait "Boca de Fidalgo." (Chart reproduced in United States Public Documents, Serial Number 1557.) The Wilkes Expedition, 1841, named Rosario Strait "Ringgold's Channel," an honor intended for Lieutenant Cadwalader Ringgold of the expedition. In 1847, Captain Henry Kellett shifted part of the long Spanish name from the Gulf of Georgia and chartered Rosario Strait. (British Admiralty Chart 1911.) That name has persisted. It is the boundry between San Juan and Skagit Counties. For a time a postoffice on Fidalgo Island, in the southwestern part of Skagit County bore the name "Rosario." In more recent years, Robert Moran has applied the name to his beautiful home on the eastern shore of East Sound, Orcas Island. There is now a postoffice at his place called Rosario.
A Selected Bibliography of Rosario, San Juan County, Washington
A compilation of essential readings detailing the history, geography, and culture of the region.
Rosario yesterdays a pictorial history by Christopher M. Peacock, Robert Moran
Rosario Yesterdays: A Pictorial History by Christopher M. Peacock is a 1985 architectural and local history volume, published by Rosario Productions in Eastsound, Washington, that chronicles the creation and legacy of the legendary Rosario estate on Orcas Island. The book extensively documents the vision of Robert Moran, a prominent Seattle shipbuilder and former mayor who retreated to the San Juan archipelago in the early 1900s for his health and constructed a sprawling Arts and Crafts-style mansion overlooking Cascade Bay. Through a meticulously curated collection of archival photographs and foundational narratives, Peacock details the arduous logistical challenges of building the remote estate, the intricate craftsmanship of the Moran mansion, and the daily rhythms of early 20th-century island life. Ultimately, it serves as an invaluable, highly visual resource for regional historians seeking to understand the intersection of industrial wealth, architectural ambition, and the isolated maritime frontier of the Pacific Northwest.
72 pages : illustrations ; 28 cm
Non-circulating [ 1 ]
The Rosario story, Orcas Island by Glenn Carlson, Mildred Carlson
Glenn and Mildred Carlson’s The Rosario Story, Orcas Island chronicles the history of the iconic Moran Mansion and its surrounding estate, situated on the forested shores of Cascade Bay in Washington’s San Juan archipelago. The narrative focuses deeply on the rugged geography of Orcas Island, detailing how shipbuilding magnate Robert Moran selected this isolated, deep-water inlet along the East Sound to build his sprawling early twentieth-century retreat. By documenting the estate's transformation from a private wilderness sanctuary beneath the towering peak of Mount Constitution into a renowned regional resort, the text maps the historical development of this pristine maritime landscape. Ultimately, the book captures the rugged coastal topography of the San Juan Islands, showcasing a vital piece of the broader Salish Sea's historical geography.
23 pages : illustrations ; 23 cm
Non-circulating [ 1 ]
San Juan County
- Argyle
- Beach Haven
- Buckhorn
- Camp Orkila
- Decatur
- Deer Harbor
- Doe Bay
- Dolphin
- Eastsound
- Town of Friday Harbor
- Islandale
- Lakedale
- Lopez
- Olga
- Orcas
- Port Stanley
- Prevost
- Richardson
- Roche Harbor
- Rosario
- Sea Acre
- Shaw Island
- Thatcher
- Waldron
- West Beach
- West Sound
- Yacht Haven
Political Boundaries
Last updated: 2025-09-23