A Beloved Fisherwoman and a Loyal Fleet
Posted June 6, 2014 at 5:49 am by Tim Dustrude
It’s time again for the Historical Museum’s monthly history column…
Fishing boats in Friday Harbor – Click to enlarge – SJ Historical Museum photo
As the San Juan Historical Society and Museum works on the fishing component of its new Museum of History and Industry, the story of Esther Nordland comes back around in this 100th anniversary of her early death at age 22. Esther and her husband Frank operated the tender/seiner Wamega for the Straits Fish Company, shown here with Esther at the bow deck wheel. In the summer of 1914 when Esther died from a sudden illness, 18 purse seiners (as pictured) bore witness in the harbor on the day of her funeral. A few months later, another beloved islander was born — Nourdine Jensen. His father had built the Wamega at the family’s Albert Jensen & Sons Shipyard. Read more about the new Museum of History and Industry at www.sjmuseum.org.
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Categories: Around Here
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