Port Townsend, site of a S'Klallam village prior to the arrival of settlers in the mid-1800s, became an important trading center by the end of the 19th century. Indigenous peoples from Canada and the tribes of Puget Sound and the Olympic Peninsula gathered along the shores of Port Townsend Bay to trade and socialize. Many also stopped here on their way to or from Puget Sound, including for seasonal work in the hop fields south and east of Seattle.

In this scene, a woman weaves a basket amid the hustle and bustle of a crowded camp. In the background, a white man examines a small box, perhaps intending to buy or trade. Baskets were among the top trade items for the Makah and other Indigenous peoples of the Olympic Peninsula region.

Wilcox number 5089