Ivanovich Netshed

Gig Harbor Net Sheds

(The Largest Inventory on the Puget Sound)

I hope you have been enjoying our slow pace as we walk along the waterfront checking out the netsheds on the way.  

And if you have had the opportunity last week and this week to watch the fishing fleet, wishing them Godspeed for a safe journey to Alaska, a successful catch and then a safe return to us in Gig Harbor at the end of summer you cannot help but understand how important these simple structures were, and remain today.  Don't forget, they will still be needed in the future as well for the young men and women who are joining the commercial fishing fleet.

The age of the seventeen netsheds we are visiting range from 1907 for the Mojean Netshed, the last on our tour to 1951, the Morin Netshed, the second one we visited.  But as you read the City of Gig Harbor's Netshed survey, perhaps more important than the age of the structure is the Historical Context.  It is a most read!  It will give you a much clearer picture of the original family to own the netshed and use it.

For this week's stop, we will learn about Mato Ivanovich and his netshed.  Maybe you remember the Harbor History blog about Mato's son, Dr. Peter Ivanovich last April 17, 2012.  (Dr. Peter Ivanivich)

Mato Ivanovich left his home in Janjina on the Peljesac Peninsula in Croatia as a teenager, and although Janjina has a rich maritime history dating back centuries he had not been involved in it.  As you will learn he was a greenhorn when he started fishing with Pasko Dorotich.

Over this and the next 13 blogs we will touch on more of these historic structures which allowed our first settlers to repair equipment and boats, mend and store nets, and other jobs necessary for their job of fishing.  But more importantly are still needed today by the commercial fishermen and women.

I want to thank the City of Gig Harbor for allowing me to use material from the Historic American Engineering Survey on Gig Harbor Net Sheds.  The complete surveys can be located http://www.cityofgigharbor.net/page.php?id=689  

The old IVANOVICH NETSHED is the fourth of 17 netsheds along Gig Harbor’s waterfront that will be the subject of this week’s blog.  The previous three were Gilich - 1932, Morin - 1951 and Bujacich - 1950.  A copy of the survey can be accessed at http://www.cityofgigharbor.net/page.php?id=994  The survey includes Engineered drawings in Plan   and Profile thanks to funds provided by the Washington Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation and the National Trust.  To view images of the Ivanovich Netshed (now owned by Mato's grandson) go to http://www.cityofgigharbor.net/files/library/d98bee11828974d4.pdf

You can also obtain a copy of a brochure for a self-guided tour of the 17 netsheds from the City of Gig Harbor, the Harbor History Museum, or the Chamber of Commerce or click http://www.cityofgigharbor.net/files/library/7ddc034fdcde1ad9.pdf 

To me and many others, the netsheds of Gig Harbor are a constant reminder of the first major industry here after the white settlers arrived.  It was the Europeans escaping hard times in their homelands that came to Gig Harbor and either took up fishing or continued fishing earning them and their families a livelihood on the water harvesting the bountiful fish in the surrounding waters.  The principle fishermen were Croatians, but there were many Scandinavians as well.

The 'netsheds' were built by the immigrants to provide a place to mend nets, repair their boats, provide a gathering place between fishing seasons and perform other jobs necessary to get their boats ready for the next venture at sea.  Fishing is a full time job otherwise known as "12-month job".  Many men fished the Pacific Ocean waters from the coast of South America to the Bering Sea.

Today's fishermen ranging in age from their 60s (maybe 70s) to their early 20s are still carrying on the traditions and values of their ancestors. Fishing is a living, thriving, industry - young people still enter the fishing profession after completing their education.   Over the past 36 years that I have lived in Gig Harbor I have seen many historic net sheds and fishing families properties disappear.  Some of these historic properties have changed hands and have been adapted to reuse and rebuilt retaining little if any of the original features.  

When you look at the west side of Gig Harbor Bay and you'll find  the 17 net sheds we are identifying in this and the next 16 blogs, you can see the remnants of what was one of the most vibrant working waterfronts on the Puget Sound.

Okay, so now I have encouraged you to check out a few of these structures -  how do you go about it? As I mentioned earlier, the City of Gig Harbor has prepared a brochure for a self-guided tour of all 17 net sheds.  Grab a copy and then decide how you are going to do it.  http://www.cityofgigharbor.net/files/library/7ddc034fdcde1ad9.pdf But remember that except for the Skansie netshed these net sheds are privately owned and you will need permission from the owner to enter unless they are operated as a business enterprise open to the public.

If you have a boat, that is the best way; it allows you to close your eyes and visualize how busy those properties were in their heyday.  But, though not quite as impressive, you can do the same thing walking along Harborview from the old Ferry dock at the mouth of the harbor all the way up to West Shore Marina.  Or, if you follow the City of Gig Harbor's brochure, you'll reverse the direction of the tour.

Tune in next week for the next in our series on the historic net sheds of Gig Harbor.

© 2012 Harbor History Museum. All rights reserved.

Emmett Hunt's Diary - Wednesday June 28, 1882

Wednesday June 28, 1882:  No appreciable change in climatic condition of this region. Did more visiting than anything else.

© 2012 Harbor History Museum. All rights reserved.

Bujacich Net Shed

Gig Harbor Net Sheds

(The Largest Inventory on the Puget Sound)

I've always love the way the fishermen in Iceland, Nova Scotia, the Mediterranean, Scandinavia, and other places throughout the world paint their net sheds in bright primary colors. A quick look through travel brochures of these places and you'll see what I mean.

In fact, while reading "Yes, Chef" I was again reminded of this when reading Marcus Samuelsson's description of Smogen, his father's birthplace and where they spent most of their vacations.  Smogen is an island off the west coast of Sweden.  "It was a three minute walk to our boathouse.  Like every boathouse in Hasselosund, ours was painted a carnelian red with an even darker red pitched roof with white trim around the eaves, doors and windows. …Inside was a boat and mishmash of tackle: nets, traps, rods and buckets, buoys and oars and fish knives."  (Yes, Chef, a Memoir by Marcus Samuelsson, published by Random House Publishing Group.)

Now granted, despite what you might think, I was not around when the net sheds in Gig Harbor were built but I sometimes wonder if our early settlers thought about carrying that tradition over from the Old World.  Probably not because most came with few resources, in less prosperous times and were more concerned with earning a living than colorful net sheds. After all, these net sheds were work places where time and attention was spent on keeping equipment and nets in working condition.

Regardless of whether the net shed is weathered wood that has never seen a paintbrush or painted the same color as the house, or white as Dr. Burnham preferred, there is a strange beauty in these simple buildings.  

Generally they are just a rectangular structure, some with an extended roof over the dock on the water side where loading and unloading take place...or where the men could sit enjoying the view while chatting and taking a break from work.

I think it is so very important that nine of these net sheds are still active working sheds for local commercial fishermen.

Over this and the next 14 blogs we will touch on these historic structures which allowed our first settlers to conduct their business of commercial fishing. The Morin net shed was featured last week.  

I want to thank the City of Gig Harbor for allowing me to use material from the Historic American Engineering Survey on Gig Harbor Net Sheds.  The complete surveys can be located http://www.cityofgigharbor.net/page.php?id=689  

Bujacich Net Shed - remains in the Bujacich family

The BUJACICH NET SHED is the third of 17 netsheds (the first was the Gilich netshed and second was Morin netshed)along Gig Harbor’s waterfront that will be the subject of this week’s blog.  A copy of the survey can be accessed at http://www.cityofgigharbor.net/page.php?id=1091  The survey includes Engineered drawings in Plan and Profile thanks to funds provided by the Washington Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation and the National Trust.  To view images of the Bujacich net shed (still in the family) go to http://www.cityofgigharbor.net/files/library/6a884d56ca0b7063.pdf  

You can also obtain a copy of a brochure for a self-guided tour of the 17 net sheds from the City of Gig Harbor, the Harbor History Museum, or the Chamber of Commerce or click http://www.cityofgigharbor.net/files/library/7ddc034fdcde1ad9.pdf 

To me and many others, the net sheds of Gig Harbor are a constant reminder of the first major industry here after the white settlers arrived.  It was the Europeans escaping hard times in their homelands that came to Gig Harbor and either took up fishing or continued fishing earning them and their families a livelihood on the water harvesting the bountiful fish in the surrounding waters.  The principle fishermen were Croatians, but there were many Scandinavians as well.

The net sheds were built by the immigrants to provide a place to mend nets, repair their boats, provide a gathering place between fishing seasons, and perform other jobs necessary to get their boats ready for the next venture at sea.  Fishing is a full time job otherwise known as "12-month job."  Many men fished the Pacific Ocean waters from the coast of South America to the Bering Sea.

Today's fishermen ranging in age from their 60s (maybe 70s) to their early 20s are still carrying on the traditions and values of their ancestors. Fishing is a living, thriving, industry - young people still enter the fishing profession after completing their education.   Over the past 36 years that I have lived in Gig Harbor I have seen many historic net sheds and fishing families properties disappear.  Some of these historic properties have changed hands and have been adapted to reuse and rebuilt retaining little if any of the original features.  

When you look at the west side of Gig Harbor Bay and you'll find  the 17 net sheds we are identifying in this and the next 16 blogs, you can see the remnants of what was one of the most vibrant working waterfronts on the Puget Sound. The first net shed was built in 1910 by Peter Skansie. More net sheds popped up along the harbor during the 1920s, and still more were built in the 1940s through the 1950s.

Okay, so now I have encouraged you to check out a few of these structures -  how do you go about it? As I mentioned earlier, the City of Gig Harbor has prepared a brochure for a self-guided tour of all 17 net sheds.  Grab a copy and then decide how you are going to do it.  http://www.cityofgigharbor.net/files/library/7ddc034fdcde1ad9.pdf But remember that except for the Skansie netshed these net sheds are privately owned and you will need permission from the owner to enter unless they are operated as a business enterprise open to the public.

If you have a boat, that is the best way; it allows you to close your eyes and visualize how busy those properties were in their heyday.  But, though not quite as impressive, you can do the same thing walking along Harborview from the old Ferry dock at the mouth of the harbor all the way up to West Shore Marina.  

Tune in next week for the next in our series on the historic net sheds of Gig Harbor.

© 2012 Harbor History Museum. All rights reserved.

Emmett Hunt's Diary - Wednesday June 21, 1882

Cloudy, rainy and quite cool.  Came home but felt bad.  Did nothing but read.

© 2012 Harbor History Museum. All rights reserved.

Morin Net Shed

Orange marks show location of net sheds
along Gig Harbor's waterfront

Gig Harbor's Net Sheds

(The Largest Inventory on the Puget Sound)

Have you noticed lately with the improvement in our weather that we are getting more visitors each day strolling around town?  Several visitors walking through the Millville District have stopped and asked me about our town.  Some questions are:  Is this area (Millville) your historic neighborhood?  How old is it?  How old are the houses?  What did the first people do?  And so forth.

As I answer their questions I'm thinking in the back of my mind (yes I still have one) that we as a community should make more of an effort to link our history and heritage of the downtown area with the present.  Yes, I know, we do have several historical markers identifying some our the properties around town.  And yes, the visitors are referred to the Harbor History Museum but pointing down Harborview Drive with an explanation that 'just follow the road and it's about X-minutes away.'  One resident once suggested that those of us in Millville place a small identical marker in our yards showing the date of construction and the original builder or resident similar to "Established 1884, Joseph Dorotich."

Many of our earliest settlers claimed the wider Gig Harbor area for their future homes.  As Lawrence Durrell said in his "Reflections on a Marine Venus," a recounting of his life on Rhodes during World War II after the Allies defeated the Germans and Italians occupying the isle, 'the past provides a vicarious sense of continuity to the future' (I have paraphrased his comment).

With this in mind the next 15 blogs will deal with one of the more important factors in our history - the net sheds that allowed our early residents to conduct their business of commercial fishing operations. These structures allowed them to store and repair their nets, repair equipment, and perform many of the jobs that could only be done on dry land between fishing seasons.  These net sheds are a significant remnant of the economic development of Gig Harbor, then, and now.  Gig Harbor is fortunate to have the largest remaining historic net shed inventory in the Puget Sound.

I want to thank the City of Gig Harbor for allowing me to use material from the Historic American Engineering Survey on Gig Harbor Net Sheds.  The complete surveys can be located http://www.cityofgigharbor.net/page.php?id=689  

 

Original Morin Net Shed -
Now used by the Lovrovich Family

The old MORIN NET SHED is the second of 17 net sheds along Gig Harbor’s waterfront that will be the subject of this week’s blog.  A copy of the survey can be accessed at http://www.cityofgigharbor.net/page.php?id=1089 The survey includes engineered drawings in Plan and Profile thanks to funds provided by the Washington Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation and the National Trust.  To view images of the  Morin Net shed (now owned by Gregg, Timothy, and Thomas Lovrovich) go to http://www.cityofgigharbor.net/page.php?id=1089

You can also obtain a copy of a brochure for a self-guided tour of the 17 netsheds from the City of Gig Harbor, the Harbor History Museum, or the Chamber of Commerce or click http://www.cityofgigharbor.net/files/library/7ddc034fdcde1ad9.pdf

To me and many others, the net sheds of Gig Harbor are a constant reminder of the first major industry here after the white settlers arrived.  It was the Europeans escaping hard times in their homelands that came to Gig Harbor and either took up fishing or continued fishing earning them and their families a livelihood on the water harvesting the bountiful fish in the surrounding waters. The principle fishermen were Croatians, but there were many Scandinavians as well.

The net sheds were built by the fishermen to provide a place to mend nets, repair boats, provide a gathering place between fishing seasons, and perform other jobs necessary to get their boats ready for the next venture at sea.  Fishing is a full-time job otherwise known as "12-month job."  Many men fished the Pacific Ocean waters from the coast of South America to the Bering Sea.

Today's fishermen, ranging in age from their 60s (maybe 70s) to their early 20s, are still carrying on the traditions and values of their ancestors. Fishing is a living, thriving industry - young people still enter the fishing profession after completing their education. Over the past 36 years that I have lived in Gig Harbor I have seen many historic net sheds and fishing family properties disappear. Some of these historic properties have changed hands and have been adapted to re-use, with the renovation retaining little if any of the original features.  

When you look at the west side of Gig Harbor Bay, you'll find  the 17 net sheds we will identify in this and the next 16 blogs. These net sheds are the remnants of what was one of the most vibrant working waterfronts on the Puget Sound.

Okay, so now I have encouraged you to check out a few of these structures - how do you go about it? As I mentioned earlier, the City of Gig Harbor has prepared a brochure for a self-guided tour of all 17 net sheds. Grab a copy and then decide how you are going to do it.  http://www.cityofgigharbor.net/files/library/7ddc034fdcde1ad9.pdf But remember, that except for the Skansie net shed these net sheds are privately owned and you will need permission from the owner to enter -- unless they are operated as a business enterprise open to the public.

If you have a boat, that is the best way; it allows you to close your eyes and visualize how busy those properties were in their heyday. But, though not quite as impressive, you can do the same thing walking along Harborview from the old ferry dock at the mouth of the harbor all the way up to West Shore Marina.  

Tune in next week for the next in our series on the historic net sheds of Gig Harbor.

© 2012 Harbor History Museum. All rights reserved.

Emmett Hunt's Diary - Wednesday June 14, 1882

Wednesday June 14, 1882:  Very warm again.  Puttied that side of the boat & some other work.  Do some writing in eve --

© 2013 Harbor History Museum. All rights reserved.

Gig Harbor Netsheds (The Largest Inventory on the Puget Sound)

Sunday's Blessing of the Fleet allowed us to participate in the annual event honoring all commercial fishermen.  Yes, some of the boats had already left in early mid-May, but there was still a great representation of vessels sitting on the water waiting for the ceremony.  (I was surprised that some people thought our entire fleet was on hand for the blessing - I believe we have 20 to 25 active purse seine vessels.)

The first Blessing I saw was in San Francisco Bay in the early sixties which was an ecumenical service conducted by both Roman Catholic and Anglican (Episcopalian) clergy.  While living in Houston, I would go to the ceremony in Galveston.  The ceremony is asking for a bountiful catch, a safe season and a safe return home when the season ends.  I believe it is especially meaningful when an entire community takes part regardless of religion.  Oh, by the by, the first Blessing of the Fleet in Gig Harbor was during the 1971 Harbor Holidays, which eventually became what we know today as  the Maritime Gig

So what does this have to do with net sheds? Where are the fishermen repairing equipment, working on their boats, keeping their 'tools of the trade' in top condition? This work has been historically performed in their net sheds, and still is.  

Over this and the next 16 blogs we will touch on these historic structures which allowed our first settlers to conduct their business of commercial fishing.  

I want to thank the City of Gig Harbor for allowing me to use material from the Historic American Engineering Survey on Gig Harbor Net Sheds.  The complete surveys can be located http://www.cityofgigharbor.net/page.php?id=689  

The old GILICH NETSHED is the first of 17 netsheds along Gig Harbor’s waterfront that will be the subject of this week’s blog.  A copy of the survey can be accessed at http://www.cityofgigharbor.net/page.php?id=995.  The survey includes Engineered drawings in Plan and Profile thanks to funds provided by the Washington Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation and the National Trust.  To view images of the Gilich Netshed (now owned by Blair/Moller) go to http://www.cityofgigharbor.net/files/library/b3f2d6b32ce2f244.pdf.  

If you missed it you can read more about Tony and Donald Gilich on the Harbor History Museum blog page.  It was published on March 13, 2013.  

http://www.harborhistorymuseum.blogspot.com/2013_03_01_archive.html

You can also obtain a copy of a brochure for a self-guided tour of the 17 netsheds from the City of Gig Harbor, the Harbor History Museum, or the Chamber of Commerce or click http://www.cityofgigharbor.net/files/library/7ddc034fdcde1ad9.pdf 

To me and many others, the netsheds of Gig Harbor are a constant reminder of the first major industry here after the white settlers arrived.  It was the Europeans escaping hard times in their homelands that came to Gig Harbor and either took up fishing or continued fishing earning them and their families a livelihood on the water harvesting the bountiful fish in the surrounding waters.  The principle fishermen were Croatians, but there were many Scandinavians as well.

The 'netsheds' were built by the immigrants to provide a place to mend nets, repair their boats, provide a gathering place between fishing seasons and perform other jobs necessary to get their boats ready for the next venture at sea.  Fishing is a full time job otherwise known as "12-month job".  Many men fished the Pacific Ocean waters from the coast of South America to the Bering Sea.

Today's fishermen ranging in age from their 60s (maybe 70s) to their early 20s are still carrying on the traditions and values of their ancestors. Fishing is a living, thriving, industry - young people still enter the fishing profession after completing their education.   Over the past 36 years that I have lived in Gig Harbor I have seen many historic net sheds and fishing families properties disappear.  Some of these historic properties have changed hands and have been adapted to reuse and rebuilt retaining little if any of the original features.  

When you look at the west side of Gig Harbor Bay and you'll find  the 17 net sheds we are identifying in this and the next 16 blogs, you can see the remnants of what was one of the most vibrant working waterfronts on the Puget Sound.

Okay, so now I have encouraged you to check out a few of these structures -  how do you go about it? As I mentioned earlier, the City of Gig Harbor has prepared a brochure for a self-guided tour of all 17 net sheds.  Grab a copy and then decide how you are going to do it.  http://www.cityofgigharbor.net/files/library/7ddc034fdcde1ad9.pdf But remember that except for the Skansie netshed these net sheds are privately owned and you will need permission from the owner to enter unless they are operated as a business enterprise open to the public.

If you have a boat, that is the best way; it allows you to close your eyes and visualize how busy those properties were in their heyday.  But, though not quite as impressive, you can do the same thing walking along Harborview from the old Ferry dock at the mouth of the harbor all the way up to West Shore Marina.  

Tune in next week for the next in our series on the historic net sheds of Gig Harbor.

© 2012 Harbor History Museum. All rights reserved.

Emmett Hunt's Diary - Wednesday June 7, 1882

June 7, 1882, Wednesday:  Still cloudy and cool which is very agreeable.  Put in the day at various things all small puttering jobs.

© 2012 Harbor History Museum. All rights reserved.