Hall of Fame: ​Tom Camfield – PTHS Class of 1947

Thomas Warner Camfield, PTHS Class of 1947, is a Port Townsend fixture whose life intertwined photography, journalism, history, and public service. Born Feb 1, 1929, he arrived in Port Townsend as an infant and grew up as a native town historian. An honor graduate of PTHS in 1947, he married Jean Westall in 1952, served in the Korean War era, and after stints in the Army and Naval Reserve, plus a period publishing in California, he and Jean returned to Port Townsend in 1960.

At the Port Townsend Leader (1944–1988), Tom wore many hats: printer, pressman, reporter, photographer, managing editor, publisher pro-tem, darkroom technician, ad salesman, and copy editor. He was often the Leader’s sole employee for years (other than office and production staff), balancing tasks with long hours. He covered nearly every PTHS event—sports, band, plays, and ceremonies—and his heavy press camera and clipboard were constants. His images populate Olympic Peninsula newspapers, yearbooks, and private collections, and he contributed to the inaugural PTHS Hall of Fame documentation. His historical photo collections and information are a valued resource for the Jefferson County Historical and Genealogical Societies.

Tom’s public service extended beyond journalism. He served on the Port Townsend City Council (1970–80), during which fire codes, zoning, and water meters were enacted. He also contributed as an Associated Press writer and photographer for the Seattle P-I and Marine Digest, earning early-career awards in sports reporting, photography, and headline writing, plus a national award for Local History Preservation in 1957. After retiring from The Leader in 1988, he authored two local-history books, six volumes of family history, and remained a respected historian and genealogist whose works reside in major libraries. In 1990, he was the Seattle Times’ editorial letter writer of the year, and in 2007 the Jefferson County Historical Society honored him for his ongoing historical documentation.
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Tom Camfield’s legacy endures in the countless local histories he preserved, the public records he helped illuminate, and the personal histories he captured for families and institutions across Jefferson County. He championed honest local government, community memory, and the dignity of everyday life in Port Townsend.

In Port Townsend’s story, Tom Camfield remains a steadfast archivist and neighbor—an invisible thread weaving generations together, reminding us that a community’s value is measured by how well it remembers itself.