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
Esquimalt Harbour – Place of Gradually Shoaling Waters and Sudden Arrival of Empire
By the time Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC) head James Douglas first scouted the harbor in 1843, Esquimalt already had a long human history. A corruption of the Coast Salish word “es-whoy-malth,” meaning “the place of gradually shoaling water,” The vast…
Robert's Rules – The author of the famous manual of parliamentary procedure was an Army Engineer
Before working his way up the Army ranks and rising to unlikely fame as an author, Henry M. Robert played a crucial role at San Juan Island's American Camp. Robert arrived on San Juan Island on August 23, 1859. Then a second lieutenant, the U.S.…
Island Vice – The Red Light District at Griffin Bay
San Juan Town, sometimes called San Juan Village, quickly sprang up at Griffin Bay to meet soldiers’ demand for leisure activities during joint occupation.
A reporter for the Daily Alta California, who visited the island in 1859, described a tiny…
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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