Port Orchard Totum

Port Orchard Independent • August 31, 2023 --

The totem pole that has graced the Sidney Avenue turnaround and the waterfront of downtown Port Orchard since the 1980s is back in its rightful place, freshly restored by the grandson of its original carver.

The totem pole originated as the work of the late Frank Smith, who erected the structure as one of his many artifact carvings. This piece in particular was made not only as a representation of the Makah culture but as a dedication to the late Gerald H. Grosso, a former councilman and journalist whose archaeological work preserving the Ozette artifacts of the Makah civilization earned him a close relationship with the tribe.