Topic: History
Trail Times: Old Military Road Trail – An Illustrated Guide
Written on September 4, 2020 at 12:21 pm, by Peggy Sue McRae
Robin Donnelly for the Old Military Road Trail Committee… What a great time to be exploring our trails. Covid seems to have made us all more aware of the healing power of nature and our fortunate ability to be part of it. As summer is waning, fall colors are taking over for the vibrancy of Continue Reading
A Salute to Teachers and the Last Cow in Friday Harbor
Written on September 2, 2020 at 5:30 am, by Peggy Sue McRae
SJI Historical Museum is back with their History Column for September… September is traditionally when we devote the history column to something related to “back to school days.” We have featured students, schoolhouses, and teachers of many different eras. Since this is such an unusual year for all our students and teachers, we thought it appropriate Continue Reading
March Commemorates Passage of the 19th Amendment
Written on August 26, 2020 at 4:31 pm, by Peggy Sue McRae
The League of Women Voters of the San Juans and Soroptimist International of Friday Harbor joined together for a short Covid-compliant march to mark 100 years since the certification of the 19th amendment to the Constitution of the United States giving women the right to vote. Meeting at Linde Park, also known as the ball Continue Reading
San Juan Historical Museum Joins Virtual Fair Fundraiser
Written on August 13, 2020 at 1:40 pm, by Peggy Sue McRae
Since 2017, the Historical Museum has added nearly 3,000 historical images to our photographic collection, through gifts, acquisitions and found treasures. The number of digitally scanned, researched and catalogued images illustrating the history of San Juan Island, now tallies 5,500. As a result, we have outgrown our existing capacity to safely and securely store the Continue Reading
San Juan County Fair 1954
Written on August 9, 2020 at 3:31 pm, by Peggy Sue McRae
In those days parking was right there on the Fair Grounds. The Ferris Wheel was a main attraction in 1954.
The Great Chicken Race Scandal of 1981
Written on July 29, 2020 at 5:30 am, by Peggy Sue McRae
SJ Historical Museum with their History Column for August… It was pretty easy to choose a topic for this month’s history column. Last month’s column suggested a theme when we came upon the fun photo from the 1981 Fourth of July Parade and decided to use it, since we didn’t have a parade this year. Continue Reading
Flashback: 4th of July Parade, 1981
Written on July 1, 2020 at 5:49 am, by Tim Dustrude
Without a parade this year, we’ve been thinking of festive 4th of July celebrations from years past. Here is a photo from the 1981 parade, shining the spotlight of history on the Islanders Bank float that year. It’s tradition for Islanders Bank to enter a float in the parade, and this one was noteworthy because Continue Reading
American Camp Visitor Center Upgrades
Written on June 26, 2020 at 10:31 am, by Tim Dustrude
The National Park Service has been busy making progress on construction of the new visitor center out there. Here’s the latest from their construction blog… Update: Site Observation Update Week of June 16th This week’s work has no discernable theme apart from a great deal of focus outdoors. With superb weather, we began work on Continue Reading
The Old Military Road
Written on June 25, 2020 at 11:40 am, by Tim Dustrude
This article was written by Mike Vouri, local author and former NPS Historian… The heat was already stifling at 11 a.m. in late July 2004 when I encountered four Canadian reenactor colleagues taking a breather in the shade at the corner of Little and Douglas roads. Clad in the scarlet and blue wool uniforms of Continue Reading
We’ve been here before: The 1918 Influenza Pandemic
Written on June 3, 2020 at 5:53 am, by Tim Dustrude
SJI Historical Museum is back with their History Column for June… Although it’s now been a little over 100 years since the outbreak of the Spanish Flu, many of us grew up hearing a grandparent’s stories of family experiences with the double punch of world war and an influenza pandemic known as the Spanish Flu. Continue Reading
History IS Here Month
Written on May 6, 2020 at 5:56 am, by Tim Dustrude
Here’s this month’s history column from the San Juan Historical Society and Museum…Remember when we could happily pose this close to each other in a crowd of people, just like the Hemphill family and friends did around 1910 in the photograph above? As everyone knows, we currently live in a time defined by a novel coronavirus, Continue Reading
Historic Labels From San Juan Canning Co.
Written on March 28, 2020 at 5:30 am, by Peggy Sue McRae
We hear from John Miller in response to the Update’s recent history column, From Camas to Oysters (and “Please pass the peas.”) featuring a label from the San Juan Islands Cannery. John shared with us two labels from San Juan Canning Co…
A Particularly Interesting Women’s History Month
Written on March 4, 2020 at 5:48 am, by Tim Dustrude
Here’s this month’s history column from the San Juan Historical Society and Museum… Our March history columns generally feature one or more of our community’s women, as March 8 is International Women’s Day and the entire month is known as Women’s History Month. This year marks two significant, national level Centennials in our history where Continue Reading
Island Senior: Celebrating Presidents Day
Written on February 16, 2020 at 10:05 am, by Peggy Sue McRae
Island Senior is a regular column on the San Juan Update written by Peggy Sue McRae… There will be no lunch served at the Mullis Center on Monday. Presidents Day is a federal holiday; banks and the post office are also closed. Before the Uniform Federal Holidays act of 1971 we observed Abraham Lincoln’s birthday Continue Reading
A 1912 Valentine’s Party at the Grange
Written on February 5, 2020 at 5:49 am, by Tim Dustrude
Here’s this month’s history column from the San Juan Historical Society and Museum… Since February is a month known for Valentine’s Day decorations in store windows and rows of sweetheart cards for sale, we thought we would see what has been preserved in the San Juan Historical Museum’s archives from festive holidays of yesteryear. The classic Continue Reading
Know Your Island Walk
Written on January 25, 2020 at 5:45 am, by Tim Dustrude
Don’t forget – this is happening today – The first Know Your Island Walk of the new year will be on Saturday, January 25, from 1:00 to 4:00 pm, starting at American Camp’s Redoubt. Mike Vouri, retired National Park historian, will lead this walk — as he did the very first walk in the series Continue Reading
Trail Times: Old Military Road Trail – An Illustrated Guide
Written on September 4, 2020 at 12:21 pm, by Peggy Sue McRae
Robin Donnelly for the Old Military Road Trail Committee… What a great time to be exploring our trails. Covid seems to have made us all more aware of the healing power of nature and our fortunate ability to be part of it. As summer is waning, fall colors are taking over for the vibrancy of Continue Reading
A Salute to Teachers and the Last Cow in Friday Harbor
Written on September 2, 2020 at 5:30 am, by Peggy Sue McRae
SJI Historical Museum is back with their History Column for September… September is traditionally when we devote the history column to something related to “back to school days.” We have featured students, schoolhouses, and teachers of many different eras. Since this is such an unusual year for all our students and teachers, we thought it appropriate Continue Reading
March Commemorates Passage of the 19th Amendment
Written on August 26, 2020 at 4:31 pm, by Peggy Sue McRae
The League of Women Voters of the San Juans and Soroptimist International of Friday Harbor joined together for a short Covid-compliant march to mark 100 years since the certification of the 19th amendment to the Constitution of the United States giving women the right to vote. Meeting at Linde Park, also known as the ball Continue Reading
San Juan Historical Museum Joins Virtual Fair Fundraiser
Written on August 13, 2020 at 1:40 pm, by Peggy Sue McRae
Since 2017, the Historical Museum has added nearly 3,000 historical images to our photographic collection, through gifts, acquisitions and found treasures. The number of digitally scanned, researched and catalogued images illustrating the history of San Juan Island, now tallies 5,500. As a result, we have outgrown our existing capacity to safely and securely store the Continue Reading
San Juan County Fair 1954
Written on August 9, 2020 at 3:31 pm, by Peggy Sue McRae
In those days parking was right there on the Fair Grounds. The Ferris Wheel was a main attraction in 1954.
The Great Chicken Race Scandal of 1981
Written on July 29, 2020 at 5:30 am, by Peggy Sue McRae
SJ Historical Museum with their History Column for August… It was pretty easy to choose a topic for this month’s history column. Last month’s column suggested a theme when we came upon the fun photo from the 1981 Fourth of July Parade and decided to use it, since we didn’t have a parade this year. Continue Reading
Flashback: 4th of July Parade, 1981
Written on July 1, 2020 at 5:49 am, by Tim Dustrude
Without a parade this year, we’ve been thinking of festive 4th of July celebrations from years past. Here is a photo from the 1981 parade, shining the spotlight of history on the Islanders Bank float that year. It’s tradition for Islanders Bank to enter a float in the parade, and this one was noteworthy because Continue Reading
American Camp Visitor Center Upgrades
Written on June 26, 2020 at 10:31 am, by Tim Dustrude
The National Park Service has been busy making progress on construction of the new visitor center out there. Here’s the latest from their construction blog… Update: Site Observation Update Week of June 16th This week’s work has no discernable theme apart from a great deal of focus outdoors. With superb weather, we began work on Continue Reading
The Old Military Road
Written on June 25, 2020 at 11:40 am, by Tim Dustrude
This article was written by Mike Vouri, local author and former NPS Historian… The heat was already stifling at 11 a.m. in late July 2004 when I encountered four Canadian reenactor colleagues taking a breather in the shade at the corner of Little and Douglas roads. Clad in the scarlet and blue wool uniforms of Continue Reading
We’ve been here before: The 1918 Influenza Pandemic
Written on June 3, 2020 at 5:53 am, by Tim Dustrude
SJI Historical Museum is back with their History Column for June… Although it’s now been a little over 100 years since the outbreak of the Spanish Flu, many of us grew up hearing a grandparent’s stories of family experiences with the double punch of world war and an influenza pandemic known as the Spanish Flu. Continue Reading
History IS Here Month
Written on May 6, 2020 at 5:56 am, by Tim Dustrude
Here’s this month’s history column from the San Juan Historical Society and Museum…Remember when we could happily pose this close to each other in a crowd of people, just like the Hemphill family and friends did around 1910 in the photograph above? As everyone knows, we currently live in a time defined by a novel coronavirus, Continue Reading
Historic Labels From San Juan Canning Co.
Written on March 28, 2020 at 5:30 am, by Peggy Sue McRae
We hear from John Miller in response to the Update’s recent history column, From Camas to Oysters (and “Please pass the peas.”) featuring a label from the San Juan Islands Cannery. John shared with us two labels from San Juan Canning Co…
A Particularly Interesting Women’s History Month
Written on March 4, 2020 at 5:48 am, by Tim Dustrude
Here’s this month’s history column from the San Juan Historical Society and Museum… Our March history columns generally feature one or more of our community’s women, as March 8 is International Women’s Day and the entire month is known as Women’s History Month. This year marks two significant, national level Centennials in our history where Continue Reading
Island Senior: Celebrating Presidents Day
Written on February 16, 2020 at 10:05 am, by Peggy Sue McRae
Island Senior is a regular column on the San Juan Update written by Peggy Sue McRae… There will be no lunch served at the Mullis Center on Monday. Presidents Day is a federal holiday; banks and the post office are also closed. Before the Uniform Federal Holidays act of 1971 we observed Abraham Lincoln’s birthday Continue Reading
A 1912 Valentine’s Party at the Grange
Written on February 5, 2020 at 5:49 am, by Tim Dustrude
Here’s this month’s history column from the San Juan Historical Society and Museum… Since February is a month known for Valentine’s Day decorations in store windows and rows of sweetheart cards for sale, we thought we would see what has been preserved in the San Juan Historical Museum’s archives from festive holidays of yesteryear. The classic Continue Reading
Know Your Island Walk
Written on January 25, 2020 at 5:45 am, by Tim Dustrude
Don’t forget – this is happening today – The first Know Your Island Walk of the new year will be on Saturday, January 25, from 1:00 to 4:00 pm, starting at American Camp’s Redoubt. Mike Vouri, retired National Park historian, will lead this walk — as he did the very first walk in the series Continue Reading