Islands Celebrate History in May

From the San Juan Islands Visitors Bureau

For some pioneers, reaching the Pacific Ocean wasn’t far enough; they kept searching. This May, uncover the stories of an isolated archipelago and the people who settled here. Stay in historic B&Bs, inns or hotels. Dine in historic restaurants; catch a film in a 1915 movie house. Take in history exhibits, an evening ghost tour, walk historic neighborhoods and visit historic homes. Pray in historic churches. Celebrate 100 years of Washington State Parks from the historic tower of Moran State Park and view 100 miles of the Salish Sea and the San Juan Archipelago.

During the month of May, the Town of Friday Harbor in partnership with the Lopez, San Juan and Orcas islands’ historical museums, the San Juan Island National Historical Park and other community organizations, celebrate National Historic Preservation Month branded as, History Lives Here: Heritage Month in the San Juan Islands.

Events and exhibits will share tales of the people and places that make the San Juan Islands what they are today. The islands’ past is full of history and intrigue. From early native people and explorers, to rogues and soldiers, to entrepreneurs and families, the story of the islands is a rich collection of diverse voices. Come hear their stories. More spring events can be found at: www.visitsanjuans.com

Lopez Island: Images New and Old

This year, the Lopez Island Historical Museum celebrates its 40th anniversary, with a new exhibit throughout May, entitled: Homesteaders, Indian Wives and Second Sons, featuring photos and artifacts from the courageous and colorful homesteaders who settled on Lopez in the mid-1800s. Find out more at Lopez Island Historical Society & Museum

The Lopez Island Library began its life at the end of World War II, by the 1970s, it needed a new home, and the Lopez Library League raised money and found a turn-of-the-century schoolhouse, then moved the building to its present location and renovated it. The library has been the center of Lopez intellectual life ever since. Find out more about readings and events at www.lopezlibrary.org

Friday Harbor and Roche Harbor

All month, guided walking tours, including an evening ghost tour of Friday Harbor, local history talks, Memorial Day parade and other special events will portray the past as long-time islanders lived and remember it. Over a dozen events and activities sponsored by the Town of Friday Harbor take place in various locations Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays.

The Crook House Tour and Lecture at English Camp:  The San Juan Island National Historical Park will open historic, circa 1900, Crook House at English Camp to the public for the first time. Friday, May 17, 7 p.m. Tickets $5. Visit San Juan Historical Museum for more information.

Historic Home Tour Fundraiser and American Camp Officers Quarters Tour:  This is a rare opportunity to peek inside several historic homes and farm houses from 100 years ago. Also, for the first time, the National Park Service is opening the historic officer’s quarters at American Camp, so you can experience how the soldiers and officers really lived during the Pig War of 1859. Historic Home Tour, Saturday, May 18, 11 – 4; check San Juan Historical Museum for ticket prices.

Orcas Island

100th Anniversary of Washington State Parks: The Orcas Island Historical Museum celebrates the centennial of state parks in Washington with a party at the top of Mt. Constitution on Saturday, May 11, 11 – 4 p.m. The museum will also have a special exhibit, with a series of photographs of the changing face of Moran State Park since its beginnings in the 1920s. All month, guided walking tours, local history talks and other special events are planned. Visit Orcas Island Historical Museum for more information.

Rosario Resort Concert & Historical Narrative: Enjoy a presentation of music and photography that walks guests through the history of the Moran family and the Rosario estate each Saturday at 4:00 p.m. Highlights include the historic Moran photograph collection and original Phantom of the Opera music performed on the Mansion’s 1,972 pipe Aeolian organ along with the silent film. Free and open to the public. Visit www.visitsanjuans.com/events for more information.

­­­­­­­­­­­­In May and the first weekend in June, many other events are planned throughout the islands. For more information contact the Visitors Bureau: 360-378-9551 ext. 1.

There are 18 sites in San Juan County registered as “Historic Places.” From the Emanuel Episcopalian Church, built in 1885 on the Eastsound waterfront; to Doe Bay Resort, one of the first post offices (and taverns) on Orcas Island, most of these places are open to the public. Many sites have been lovingly restored through community effort, such as the 1917 Port Stanley School on Lopez Island, restored in 2003 with the original pot belly stove that had languished for years in someone’s garage. Others have been restored by private enterprise, such as to the Orcas Hotel, built in 1904, then closed in 1977, when the fire escape consisted of a knotted rope tied to a third floor ceiling. Thanks to islanders, the hotel was saved from becoming a ferry parking lot in 1978, and finally restored by private owners in 1985. Walk through the lobby of Roche Harbor Resort’s Hotel de Haro, founded in 1886, or the 1909 Moran Mansion Museum at Rosario Resort to see historic photographs and original furnishings.

Beyond the registry, the islands have many historic places to visit every day, from the Outlook Inn on Orcas, built in 1876 by ‘49er Charles Shattuck; to the Lopez Library, and the former 1870s Saloon Best, now the Blue Water Grill in Friday Harbor. When historic places are treasured and cherished, visitors connect to future generations, who may in turn, understand the past–and themselves–more fully.