Bremerton

Bremerton (brĕm`ərtən), city (1990 pop. 38,142), Kitsap co., NW Wash., a harbor on an arm of Puget Sound; inc. 1901. The city was established (1891) when the area was selected as the site for the U.S. Puget Sound Naval Shipyard. Bremerton's economy is centered around the naval installation, where many types of U.S. vessels (including Polaris submarines) are built and repaired in its six drydocks. The navy's Polaris Missile Facility is also there. Although the majority of residents are employed by the U.S. government, some logging and wood-product enterprises exist, and tourism is important. Bremerton is the gateway to the Olympic peninsula, with easy access to the Cascade and Olympic mts. Its numerous ferries ply the inland seas of Puget Sound, linking the city to nearby resort islands. The U.S.S. Missouri, docked there, is a national shrine; it was the scene of the official Japanese surrender at the end of World War II. Nearby are three state parks.