Looking Back at Anacortes history – March 1, 2023

The mill will be situated on block 20 of Nelson's addition, on Twenty-fourth street, with frontage on Fidalgo bay, and will have a spur running to it from the Seattle & Northern railway. The machinery will consist of 21 double block and hand machine, with all the accompanying saws, machinery of various kinds, dry kilns, etc., and will be very similar to the Cooperative plant except that the management of the mill will be a little different. Its capacity will be 125,000 shingles a day.

Feb. 27, 1913

One of the Great Northern Railway's handsome new gasoline electric passenger cars arrived in Anacortes this morning from Everett with the private car of Superintendent J. H. O'Neil attached. With the arrival of the car came an announcement by officials of the railway that the speedy and comfortable conveyance will inaugurate a regular daily service between Anacortes and Burlington starting on next Saturday morning. For a while at least, the motor car will fill the regular passenger service now in effect between those two points. Later one or more daily trips will be afforded with a probability that the service will be extended further up the line in the summer.

March 1, 1923

Fred J. Wood, of the E. K. Wood Lumber company, has instructed L. A. Farmer to prepare plans and estimates for an addition to the hotel at Burrows bay that will just about double the size of this building, which will be used as a hotel and boarding house and headquarters for the engineers during construction. The plans will call for the addition of 15 bedrooms, lavatories, and rooms for the family taking care of the house. Other small buildings will be constructed at once.

Mr. Wood came down from Bellingham in his yacht. a converted torpedo boat named the Ekwood, after his father. Monday, at Burrows bay, he met Mr. Farmer and representatives of a couple of dredging companies, and the dredging problem was discussed; and plans for dredging will be presented to Mr. Wood very shortly. There are some 200,000 yards of material to be moved by dredge, and either a steam shovel, clamshell or orange peel dredge will have to be used, the engineers say. 

March 4, 1943

This week the Coast Guard has received a new Lundeen fire barge, which makes two that are being used here for protection of waterfront property.

The new barracks on the dock at 13th street is rapidly nearing completion, with installation of galley equipment, plumbing, painting, and the final clean-up job.

A lookout has been set up on Cap Sante, where a 24-hour watch is being kept. This being the season for fires, and our nation at war, now, more than ever, a rigid watch over waterfront activities is vital.

Feb. 27, 1963

The ‘New Frontier” may be losing not winning in its bid for a muscular majority through walking.

Three Anacortes high school coeds, responding to the call for “toughening up” on Marine-like, 50-mile hikes are a little less enthused today after covering 30 miles of the course proposed recently by President John F. Kennedy from his White House rocker.

Blisters, throbbing arches, aching calves, stooped-backs and other signs of muscular distress were all they had to show for 30 miles on the road from Anacortes to Burlington to Sedro-Wool-ley and back to Burlington again.

March 1, 1973

Ferry traffic through the Washington State Terminal at Ship Harbor in Anacortes increased by 20,815 in 1972 over comparable figures in 1971, according to figures released this week by the Washington State Ferries office.

During 1972, 678,451 persons traveled on the ferries debarking and arriving at the Ship Harbor terminal while in 1971 the total count was 657,636. The international route between Anacortes and Sidney, B.C. served by one less round trip during the summer of 1972 than in 1971 was the only run to show a decrease in patronage in 1972. In 1972, 144,735 passengers traveled between the local and the Canadian port while in 1971 the number traveling between these two terminals was 175,766. The overall decrease in passenger count on this route was 31,031 during 1972 over comparable figures in 1971.

While the international route showed a decrease in patronage the island runs in and out of: Anacortes to Lopez, Shaw, Orcas and Friday Harbor drew a greater number of persons in 1972 over 1971. In 1972, 344,267 passengers and 189,449 drivers and vehicles went through the Ship Harbor terminal to and from the island ... while in 1971 the traffic count on these runs were 313,465 passengers and 168,405 vehicles and drivers. The overall increase of patronage on the island runs in 1972 totaled 51,846.

March 2, 1983

Coast Guard officials will center their investigation on a likely cause of the sinking of the "Americus" —a capsizing due to instability in the water.

The Anacortes fishing vessel was found overturned in the Bering Sea Feb. 14. It sank two days later. Its sister ship the “Altair,” has been missing since Feb. 14.

Capt. John De Carteret, head of the Coast Guard inquiry, said the demise of the Americus could remain a mystery if the cause does not prove to be instability.

“We could come with zero. Then we're in real trouble," he said. “lt could be a Berrnuda Triangle, almost.”

Seven crew members on the Americus are presumed dead and seven men on the Altair are listed as missing. All 14 are from the Anacortes area.