Island Senior is a regular column on the San Juan Update written by Peggy Sue McRae… It is August on San Juan Island. The roads are dusty and the traffic is wild. This time of year dodging mopeds and navigating around long lines of bicycling tourists can fray an islander’s nerves. If you are tempted  Continue Reading

Here’s this month’s history column from the San Juan Historical Society and Museum. We don’t know very much about this photograph. Can you help? Its image file indicates it was taken in 1983. This photograph was labeled simply “Farmers Market next to the American Legion.” Who knows the year when the market moved up to the Courthouse parking lot? We know its last summer  Continue Reading

San Juan Island National Historical Park Presents Special Programs Commemorating 160th Anniversary of Boundary Crisis San Juan Island National Historical Park will be presenting a series of special programs from August 22 – 25, 2019 to commemorate the 160th anniversary of the 1859 Boundary Crisis known as the “Pig War.” The peaceful actions in response  Continue Reading

San Juan Island National Historical Park Presents 21st Annual Encampment Re-enactors from throughout the Pacific Northwest and Canada will once again celebrate peace as they gather for the 21st annual Encampment scheduled for July 26-28 on the English Camp parade ground. Encampment features recreations of mid-19th century soldier camp life, demonstrations of black powder firing,  Continue Reading

Ever wonder where the name “Missing Mountain Road” came from for the connector road that’s going to be built across the Lafarge Open Space between Turn Point and Pear Point Roads? I found this map on the National Recreation Trails website a while back. I was looking at something else (I don’t remember what exactly),  Continue Reading

Here’s the monthly History Column for July from San Juan Historical Society and Museum… In this Centennial year for the Lime Kiln Point Lighthouse, let’s fast forward from its opening in 1919 to October of 1935. This is when lighthouse keeper Arvel Settles arrived from his assignment in Westport, Washington to start the next phase  Continue Reading

The Scribner log cabin located on the grounds of the San Juan Historical Museum has recently had the roof replaced. A benevolent, anonymous donor provided the funds to cover the cost of the project. We thank them for their generous gift to the Historical Museum and for helping to preserve the 128-year-old structure. The cabin  Continue Reading

Does the name Lyman Cutlar ring a bell? It was 160 years ago today that Lyman Cutlar shot a pig, thus igniting an international dispute that nearly drew the United States and Great Britain into war. The previous year, gold was struck up on the Fraser River north of here and that drew thousands of  Continue Reading

Here’s this month’s history column from the San Juan Historical Society and Museum… We will be hearing a lot about our iconic lighthouse this month, with special events to celebrate its Centennial. It stands today, as in the past, a seaside witness to much island history. From shipwrecks and storms to film shoots, weddings and whales, this  Continue Reading

In the San Juan Update mailbag today, we have this very special note from Cheri Hancock… My father, Bert Chandler, is one of the last remaining American D-Day heroes. He was in the first wave of boats to hit Omaha Beach on June 6, 1944. (Army, 1st Division AKA the “Big Red One”, 16th Regiment).  Continue Reading

Here’s an educational and recreational opportunity for high school aged youth and teachers… It’s the Youth Heritage Project (YHP) – an annual multi-day heritage field school that engages participants by connecting them to historic, cultural, and natural resources in Washington. YHP engages students hands-on as they expand their knowledge about historic preservation and develop an  Continue Reading

Sandy invites you to her event on Monday evening… Bohemian /bōˈhēmēən/ (noun) A person who is interested in art, music, and/or literature, and lives in a very informal way, ignoring the usually accepted ways of behaving. Cambridge English Dictionary This coming Monday, May 6th, at 7 pm, at the SJI Library, I will be giving  Continue Reading

The American experience is composed of many local histories, common or unique. When we say “History Lives Here,” it is to bring attention to our community’s often somewhat hidden, or at least not broadly remembered, rich local history. It is an effort to bring our history out of organization archives and personal collections to share  Continue Reading

Marjorie Walker was born to a wealthy New York family, attended the prestigious Art Students League in New York, and traveled the world before finding her way to San Juan Island in 1949 to become the island’s first professionally-trained artist.  Sandy Strehlou will cover her fascinating life before and after she discovered the island. Monday,  Continue Reading

Peek into San Juan Islands History: Fish Tales, the First Artist, & the Last Lighthouse A rogue barnyard animal starting a war sounds like the beginning of a bad joke. But here in the San Juan Islands, we know it’s a true story. Discover the saga of the “Pig War,” and other colorful stories during  Continue Reading

This month’s history column from the San Juan Historical Society & Museum poses many questions… These two striking photographs were shared by the family of one of these Friday Harbor Tigers teammates. At last month’s 3rd Annual Show and Tell evening at the Library, archives researcher Andy Zall presented on the importance of “reading” a  Continue Reading

San Juan Island National Historical Park announces that it is accepting applications for the 2019 Teacher Ranger Teacher (TRT) program. Teacher Ranger Teacher is a professional development opportunity for K-12 teachers to spend the summer acquiring new skills in experiential learning through a program provided by a partnership between the National Park Service (NPS) and  Continue Reading

Here’s this month’s history column from the San Juan Historical Society and Museum… “It’s always a good day!” – Etta Lightheart Egeland, on any given day of her life in response to “Have a good day!” This is National Women’s History Month, designated by Congress in 1987. Who better to feature this month for women’s  Continue Reading

It’s time for this month’s history column from The San Juan Historical Society and Museum… Click on photos for larger image… Could it already be ten years since islanders, present and past, came together to celebrate Friday Harbor’s 100th birthday? Although Friday Harbor had been a well-established town since named as the County Seat in 1873,  Continue Reading

It’s time for this month’s history column from The San Juan Historical Society and Museum… The big picture for a place’s history is more than its people, events, and institutions. The big picture includes the history of such things as its geology, weather, and wildlife — its natural history. The Whale Museum has been in the  Continue Reading

New art installation features Marjorie Walker: Artist, Bohemian, Islander The Town of Friday Harbor is pleased to announce a new outdoor public art history installation in the Sunshine Alley breezeway. The exhibit honors late artist and San Juan Island resident Marjorie Walker (1906-1992) and will be displayed through 2019. Walker was born in 1906 in  Continue Reading

Here’s the monthly History Column for December from San Juan Historical Society and Museum… Local history is written one event, one day, one person at a time. Kitty Roberts was one of those people who contributed to island history with her life. She graciously shared island history, supported it, and inspired many to care about  Continue Reading