When Friday Harbor, Washington, was incorporated in 1909, some wanted the town’s name changed. In a misunderstanding, the British had named it in 1858 for a shepherd named “Friday,” who thought they were making introductions, not asking the name of the sheltered bay where he minded sheep. But the name stuck. As with many of the young state’s small port towns, timber, salmon fishing, and farming fueled Friday Harbor’s early economy. However, by midcentury, the lumber mill was gone, the introduction of irrigation in Central Washington swamped fresh produce markets, and the fish and pea canneries were shut down. Life slowed and some left, but in being passed by―until tourism caught on in the late 1970s―the town (and island) developed a unique sense of community that survives to this day.

Friday Harbor (Images of America)

Arts & Photography

Vouri, Mike

Vouri, Julia

San Juan Historical Society and Museum

Photography & Video

Arcadia Publishing

With sheltered harbors, open prairies, and secluded woodlands, San Juan Island has been a magnet for human habitation for thousands of years. Salmon runs and rich soil promised not only an abundant food source but also a good living for those willing to work hard. But it was not until the islands became the focus of an international boundary dispute between Great Britain and the United States in the late 1850s that San Juan Island drew the attention of Europeans and Americans. These newcomers watched how Coast Salish and Northwest Coast peoples harvested natural resources and adapted their techniques. Settlers and Indians sometimes intermarried, and many of their descendants remain to this day. San Juan Islanders of all generations have worked hard to preserve their home, thus maintaining a sense of place that is as evident today as it was when the first canoes came ashore.

San Juan Island (Images of America)

San Juan Historical Society

San Juan Island boasts a rich history.

San Juan Island (Postcards of America)

History

Americas

When Friday Harbor, Washington, was incorporated in 1909, some wanted the town's name changed. In a misunderstanding, the British had named it in 1858 for a shepherd named "Friday," who thought they were making introductions, not asking the name of the sheltered bay where he minded sheep. But the name stuck. As with many of the young state's small port towns, timber, salmon fishing, and farming fueled Friday Harbor's early economy. However, by midcentury, the lumber mill was gone, the introduction of irrigation in Central Washington swamped fresh produce markets, and the fish and pea canneries were shut down. Life slowed and some left, but in being passed by--until tourism caught on in the late 1970s--the town (and island) developed a unique sense of community that survives to this day.

Friday Harbor

Arcadia Publishing Library Editions

With sheltered harbors, open prairies, and secluded woodlands, San Juan Island has been a magnet for human habitation for thousands of years. Salmon runs and rich soil promised not only an abundant food source but also a good living for those willing to work hard. But it was not until the islands became the focus of an international boundary dispute between Great Britain and the United States in the late 1850s that San Juan Island drew the attention of Europeans and Americans. These newcomers watched how Coast Salish and Northwest Coast peoples harvested natural resources and adapted their techniques. Settlers and Indians sometimes intermarried, and many of their descendants remain to this day. San Juan Islanders of all generations have worked hard to preserve their home, thus maintaining a sense of place that is as evident today as it was when the first canoes came ashore.

San Juan Island