Recent Stories
Bounty of the Salish Sea
But how do you harvest the rushing salmon? the average Sockeye is too slippery to be caught with traditional nets, too strong to be hooked by traditional bone hooks and natural fishing line.
The idea behind reef net fishing is relatively simple.…
The Lopez Historical Museum – Be sure to stop in for some more Lopez History!
The Mission of the Lopez Island Historical Society is to collect, preserve, interpret, and share local history to increase awareness and appreciation of this resource for the benefit of future generations. The Lopez museum opened in 1980 and has…
A Beloved Historic Building, Still in Regular Use - Lopez Center Church
"Of all the historic structures on Lopez Island, none is more beautiful, nor more beloved, than Center Church. Now a candidate for the National Historic Registry, the old building serves as a focal point for the community, and stands as a…
Arbitration Explained
In 1872 two colonial powers, Great Britain and the United States, peacefully agreed to end - through arbitration - the joint occupation of San Juan Island. Ambiguous language in the 1846 Treaty of Oregon, a boundary agreement between the two…
3. Weeks Point Way
From this vantage point, you can see where Charley dug drain ditches in the 1860s or 1870s. Charley, known at the time as Siwash Charley, is one of the few Indigenous men on island we have record of. (Siwash, from Chinook Jargon, is considered a…
4. Lopez Stores Over Time
In the early 20th century, just about from here, a long pier stretched out into the water, towards the marker you can see in the channel. Steamships, like the Georgia, would deliver passengers and goods to “Lopez” — one of three centers of commerce…
Featured Stories
Interaction: Portal to the Past – A Coast Salish tradition renewed
Interaction is a contemporary carving created by Musqueam Coast Salish artist Susan A. Point. Located at Friday Harbor’s Fairweather Park, this sculpture “represents a healing chapter in local history.” The sculpture is made from two cedar posts and…
The Strawberries That Saved Orcas – How a new crop brought wealth and prosperity to Orcas during the Great Depression.
Despite years of successful farming of apples, plums, and other fruit species regularly found in Washington, the Great Depression brought a challenge and then an innovative solution to Orcas Island.
The twenties and thirties on Orcas Island…
Popeye the Blind, Biting Seal – Wild is as wild does
Popeye is a female harbor seal commonly spotted at the Port of Friday Harbor. She’s got one blind, milky eye (hence her name) and she’s become something of a local celebrity.
Popeye was originally attracted to the harbor by food scraps dumped by…
Take a Tour
Eastsound Walking Tour
9 Locations ~ Curated by Clairessa Walker and the Orcas Island Historical MuseumsIsland Histories
A project by Larry Cebula, Eastern Washington UniversitySan Juans Explorer is a digital guide to the history, natural history, and culture of the San Juan Islands. A project of the Public History Program at Eastern Washington University, the geolocated stories on San Juans Explorer were created by EWU students. Initial content will be deployed in the summer of 2018, and the project will grow one student cohort at a time. For questions or complaints, please contact Larry Cebula, at LarryCebula@gmail.com. This site is powered by Omeka + Curatescape, a humanities-centered web and mobile framework available for both Android and iOS devices.
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