Interviews

How long have you lived on Samish Island?

"I have lived here for 60 years, since 1956."

Why or what inspired you to write the book Samish Island: A History From the Beginning to The 1970s.

"We had a young daughter, and she was born here in 1974, Abigail. She had quite a life here. Abby had the misfortune of losing her life in a plane crash along with 87 other people, other than Abby. Alaska Airlines ended up putting a lot of money in our pockets. I don't know how to put it. They made mistakes that resulted in that plane crashing, and so they paid a settlement to all 88 families, which meant quite a bit of money. We were going to ask Abby to write the book because she had computer skills, and at the time she was working at Microsoft. Very, very good job. And it was very busy. Of course, when Abby died, Susie taught 220 young people back here on the island in a preschool. The children would look forward to coming to the preschool from about age three to pre-kindergarten. So the short answer is we decided to write the book in her memory, and of course that's out there." 

What was one of the most interesting things you learned in your research about Samish Island A History From the Beginning to the 1970s?

"I think it was the memories the children had of this island. They were fascinating memories because the island was just an empty patch of forest and beaches. That's what we said from the beginning."

What resources did the Native Americans have the most of?

"I would say the salmon that runs there."

What kind of food, housing, traditions, culture, and clothing did they have? 

"It's a culture that we can't imagine very well. They didn't have metal except for a rare piece. It might be an iron meteorite or a piece of copper from a ship that floated from Japan. Instead, they had stones, and so they used those stones for everything. They pounded grain and berries with the stone until it was fine. If they needed a big hammer, they found a rock, and they smoothed it, and they wrapped it with rawhide. They would also find a volcanic obsidian rock and break it; it will come off and make a point."

Do you have any memories and/or stories of how the community was back when you were a kid?

"Yes, and in fact, you know, those who become more vivid to me having moved back because I've had that whole adult professional life and then coming back, she's what's different, and so it makes you really think about what things used to be because it wasn't as populated out here; there weren't nearly as many people. Probably almost it was unusual to have the moms out here work; also, they pretty much stayed home and everything was around kids and going to school. Something I've noticed a big thing that's changed, but it reminds me of how it used to be."

What was the population of kids when you lived on Samish Island?

"There was a bus route that came out here which I still see a school bus but it looks empty all the time when I see it. I mean I never see hardly more than maybe five kids on the bus where when I was out here there was standing room only by the time they got done picking up kids on the island because there were so many kids going to school. There was literally standing room only and sometimes I can remember Dan pass in fact having to sit in the stairwell on the bus because they were just no place to stand. 

Well there was if we were crammed in there and those years that were really crammed in there we have that would have been three kids in each seat and then a couple of people sitting on the start depending on it if everybody was healthy and going to school that day.  I would say there had to have been easily 200 kids easily out here."

What was your favorite memory and/or story about the community activities or events that happened on the island?

"You know, my favorite was that we periodically had potluck dinners where everybody brought food and we could pick a different place.  Depending on the time of year it wasn't wasn't always down in the Community Hall, there were a lot of them there and they used to square dance down there all the time too.  That was kind of fun!

 Question-What dish was your favorite?-I'm sure it had to be something with beans and hot dogs in it. Somebody always brought that. I'm not sure that was the most healthy thing but I didn't always get hot dogs you know."

What were popular jobs in the island’s community? Did you participate in any?

"Early on, Jack and Farah Hopley owned property with lots of strawberries, and we would go pick strawberries there, and my brother would go down to help with whatever things they were asking them to do; whether it was going out on a barge or shucking oysters or whatever they were doing. Those are the primary things on the island that I remember, and we did a lot of babysitting."

Do you remember the Filbert Farm?

"It was seasonal farming, so we would know what kind of chores were going to happen. They always would till the soil around the trees before they started harvesting again.   That was an early spring job usually, and it was very dusty. We always hoped that there would be no wind or light wind. My brother worked at the filter because the manager seemed to only  hire guys to do that work. "

Could you tell us about your family history and how long you have lived on the island?

"My whole life, 70-80 years. We traveled around a lot. We did not live here all of the time. My dad went to the Air Force, so we traveled around a lot. We always came back because my grandparents lived here. Then Gail and I came back here. My whole family lived on the island. I was born in Bellingham, and my mom was staying here."

What’s your favorite Samish Island tradition? 

"The Fourth of July Parade and the marching band. Gail and I started the marching band and we first only had 11 people; then the next year we had 30."

What is your favorite island activity NOW?

"Fishing for crab. I was a crab fisherman for a living at first." Then Gail said, "But Steve doesn't even eat crab." 

What school did you go to?

"There was no school on the island. I went to school at Edison for half of 5th grade. Before 5th grade, I went to school wherever my dad was in the Air Force.

What do you enjoy most about the island? 

"The community on the island. We kind of like people on the island more. Also the weather because we are in the rain shadow, so we don’t get too much rain."

What do you dislike? 

"The grass grows too fast and the yards are too big."

If you had a time machine, what time would you travel to the island?

"In the 1880s, back when there was a mosquito fleet and there were two hotels."

What is your fondest memory of Samish Island?

"In January there was this really cold day; it was 23 degrees Fahrenheit, and I was crab fishing, and I took this girl out crabbing with me. She was freezing to death, and then I asked her to marry me, and then she asked if that would mean she could go back to the house, and then she said YES!!

Were there any stores on the island? 

"There was a Samish Island store. They went out of business. Once there were two stores when I was a kid, years and years ago."

Were there any jobs for people on the island?

"Yes, fishing for crabs, oysters, salmon, and little clams. There was also picking strawberries and raspberries. Early on there were a lot of logger jobs, but not in my time. There were also boat builders."

How can we improve Samish Island for the next generation?

"There is going to be growth, but mostly keep it how it is."

What advice would you give kids growing up on Samish Island today?

"Remember that you are incredibly lucky to join the marching band!!!! We need more!!!!"

How can we improve Samish Island for the next generation? 

"Keep it like it is. One of the things that keep the island small is that we do not have a lot of drinking water."

 What is your favorite island activity now?

Steve said "Fishing for crab.  I was a crab fisherman for a living at first." Then Gail said, "But Steve doesn't even eat crab." 

 In your opinion what is Samish Island's greatest achievement in your time?

 "The island people fought off the industrial plant so we had no nuclear power plant on the end of the island. "

 What advice would you give kids growing up on Samish Island today?

 "Keep the island mentality going and be nice to everyone."

How old are you?

Oliver—"I am 7 years old." 

Arlo—"I "I am 10 years old."

Axel—"I am 12 years old."

How long have you lived on Samish Island?

Heather (mother)—"11 months. A couple days after Christmas it will be a year."

How was life different in Portland than on Samish Island?

"Arlo—"There are more homeless people in Portland."

Oliver—"Busier"

How did you like Samish Island when you first moved here?

Oliver - "I liked it. I always asked if we could still see our grandparents, and now we live one mile away."

Heather (mother)—"The "The boys have always wanted to ride their bikes to their grandparent's house.

There is way better nature on Samish Island." 

What was the first thought when you moved onto the island? 

"Oliver—"Excited! Very!"

What do you like more about Samish Island than Portland?

Axel and Oliver—"Freedom" 

"Arlo—"Feels safer."