(This is the last in a series of blog reports from former Sonoma City Manager and Index-Tribune contributor Pam Gibson, and her husband Mark, who ran away from home to explore the West Coast in their 32-foot Nordic Tug. When the Gibson retirement odyssey resumes in 2015, Index-Tribune readers may be privy to the couple’s further adventures afloat.)
Pig War. Never heard of it? That’s because it was headed off by a shrewd British admiral who said, “I’m not engaging my country in war over a damn pig!” Or something like that.
The dispute was over the San Juan Islands and who owned them – Britain or the United States. Both had camps about 12 miles apart. Both had settlers in the area. Hence the stray pig that was shot.
The 49th parallel had been established as the boundary between the two countries. But the boundary between Vancouver Island and the mainland was the strait. But there were two straits – one on the west side of the islands and one on the east side. Hence the dispute.
It was finally settled in 1872 by mediators who gave the islands to the U.S. Both British and American camps still exist as part of a national park. Roche Harbor pays homage to the event by lowering the Canadian, British and American flags in an elaborate ceremony every evening.
We learned about this when we cruised into Roche, once the home of the largest lime producer in the Western United States. Ruins of kilns, areas of stone and bits of the company town are still visible. The owner’s home and mausoleum (the latter has a pergola with cement table and chairs which contain the ashes of family members) are tourist attractions, along with the Hotel Haro where Theodore Roosevelt stayed twice.
Our next voyage was around the west side of San Juan Island, where I got my orca fix again, a dozen or more in close proximity. Two jumped out of the water 50 feet from the boat. Heart attack time for me. Mark just stayed the course.
We stopped in Friday Harbor and visited with former Sonoma assistant fire Chief Steve Marler, who was happily waiting for his new fleet of fire trucks to arrive. Then on to Rosario Resort on Orca Island, where we toured the mansion of shipbuilder Robert Moran, elected mayor of Seattle in 1888 – quite a treat. Plus, you didn’t have to pay for showers.
We headed up to Stuart and Sucia Islands, both marine parks with mooring balls and lots of hiking trails to round out our trip. Then back to Anacortes, on Fidalgo Island, to clear out the boat and leave it “on the hard” until the next voyage.
It’s been quite a summer.
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