by Elaine Walker
June 20, 1979: The picturesque lower cannery area is a familiar sight to both area residents and tourists who travel to Anacortes to take the state ferries into the San Juans and to British Columbia. The lower cannery, at the turn of the century, was a thriving business, with many more buildings than the bunkhouses shown above.
June 10, 1909
Unless present calculations are delayed or miscarry there is every likelihood that the Anacortes Glass Co’s factory will begin operation by the first of July and that Skagit County week at the exposition will be celebrated with an abundance of exhibits from the only glass factory save one in the state of Washington.
June 12, 1919
The West Coast Dairy has just expanded its business and now occupies the entire Semar block and the metal covered building adjoining at 5th and Q, giving a frontage of 150 feet. O.C. Raymond, the proprietor, has had the establishment remodeled within and has painted the front. A bottling works has been started at the dairy under the management of Claud G. Latimer, formerly first sergeant of Company F of this country, and an experienced bottling man. In this department the dairy bottles all kinds of soda and Cook’s mineral spring water.
June 13, 1929
Anacortes had a distinguished newspaper man in the city last Saturday, which was none other than Cornelius Vanderbilt Jr., the millionaire reporter, who was accompanied by his wife, the former Mary Weir Logan, who were en route to their summer lodge at Sprout Lake, Vancouver Island. While in the city awaiting the departure of the ferry the Vanderbilts made a short shopping tour of the city, and also took in a few of the sites.
June 8, 1939
Earl Herr, representative of the Brotherhood of Carpenter and Jointers, announced on Monday, June 5 of this week that approval by a board of employers and employees of a new labor agreement covering 6,500 shingleweavers in Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana had been reached. The agreement provides for continuance of the 67-1/2 cents an hour minimum wage scale for a 6-hour day.
June 9, 1949
Allan Veal, Anacortes high school commercial teacher who is also a farmer on Guemes Island during the summer months, believes in doing things in a big way. Monday afternoon of this week Mr. Veal brought into the Anacortes American a box containing 13 strawberries which weighed an even pound.
June 11, 1959
Pre-registration for the Red Cross swimming classes slated at Cranberry Lake July 13-31 has begun. Mrs. Warren Amerman, executive secretary of the chapter, said today she is accepting registration blanks from now until July 1 to get an idea of the number interested. The chapter is hoping to get enough contributions in the next weeks to continue the program. Already one $2 donation has been received.
June 12, 1969
Cpl. Richard Lee Crossley is recipient of the Air Medal presented for meritorious achievement in aerial flight during combat support missions in Vietnam from Nov. 2, 1968, through Jan. 13 of this year. The citation presented by Maj. Gen. C.J. Quilter for the President of the United States cites Corporal Crossley’s “courage and devotion to duty in the face of hazardous flying conditions.” The Marine corporal is a member of the Anacortes High School Class of ‘65.
June 13, 1979
A tragic fire late Saturday evening inside the Anacortes Shell Oil Co. refinery claimed the lives of two men and shut down the refinery for an indefinite length of time. The flash fire in one of the refinery’s distillation units was brought under control within a half hour. Caught in the fire, and killed instantly, were Earl Stanek of Conway and Ed Stocker of Oak Harbor. They were the second and third fatalities in the Shell refinery’s 25-year history.
June 14, 1989
Members of the Anacortes Chamber of Commerce have asked the city to contribute $60,000 toward its proposed $210,000 facility at Ninth Street and Commercial Avenue. The cost includes purchasing the land, remodeling an existing building and constructing an additional portion.
— From the archives of the Anacortes American
