Skansie Netshed

Gig Harbor Netsheds

(The Largest Inventory on Puget Sound)

What can I tell you about the Skansie family that has not already been told, or written about, or documented?  It doesn't matter if you are an old-timer, a newcomer, or a visitor,  the Skansie name is recognizable.  

Local Washington magazines feature this remarkable family and their history as do national magazines.  Smithsonian Magazine featured them in the guide to the 10 Best Small Towns in America when they showcased Gig Harbor.   The National Trust for Historic Preservation sponsored the Partners in Preservation Program with a contribution from American Express, of which Gig Harbor was fortunate to be a recipient, receiving funds to save the netshed. Check out http://www.cityofgigharbor.net/page.php?id=1039  The Skansie Bros. Park property is used for many events throughout the year from the summer concerts, summer outdoor movies, the kayak & canoe practices and local meets, summer farmers markets, Street Scramble, Harbor Hounds, and on and on.  Weddings have been held in the pavillon on the grounds.  In other words, the park is a very popular destination.

But what I would like to share with you today is the large part this property and family played in establishing the Gig Harbor Working Waterfront, a major industry not only in Gig Harbor but also in Pierce County and the Puget Sound.  "Skansie Built" boats became well known all along the West Coast and Alaska due to materials, workmanship and the fact that these boats were really made to last, and last they did!

Andrew Skansie house on Harborview Drive.

 Staring in 1912, the netshed and adjoining property were used to support the Skansie Boat Building Co. construction operations as builders of watercraft.  Prior to that time they had been purchasing their hulls from suppliers and then modifying them by adding cabins and rigging for purse seine operations.  Mitchell Skansie decided that wasn't a profitable practice.

Skansie Ship Building Co., site of today's Gig Harbor Marina
on Harborview Drive, at Pioneer Way

Mitchell hired his friend Sam Kazulin to design and help build the first vessel from the keel up.  This first boat was a 62-ft. straight deck vessel and although it had some drawbacks, such as the lack of headroom in the engine room and crews quarters, the finished boat named Oceania was in 2001 being used as a live-aboard -- according to the late Gig Harbor historian Lee Makovich.  It was the only straight deck boat  designed or built by Skansie; they used the same hull design but never the straight deck.

Mitchell Skansie (right front) and crew

 In 1927 their advertising for Skansie Dry Dock & Shipbuilding Company was described as builders of Purse Seiner, Cannery Tenders, Ferry Boats and Yachts-Cruisers. The advertisement listed: a steel and concrete dry dock 54-ft x175-ft with a draft clearance of 10-ft., an engine room and blacksmith shop 50-ft x60-ft, modern marine ways with capacities 65-ft and up to 500 tons deadweight, main building shed 60-ft x 175-ft with a clearance above keel blocks of  30-ft, a smaller building shed and joiner shop 32-ft x 165-ft with a fitting out wharf 300-ft in length.  The ad went on to state "We specialize in the building of Commercial and Pleasure Craft of every description.  All new construction and overhauling of Ferry Boats for the Washington Navigation Co. occupies a portion of our plant.  All work under the direction of experienced superintendent and skilled help."

Andrew Skansie's 50-ft purse seiner "Aeroplane,"
built by Martinolich boat builders in Dockton and launched in 1910.

On a list of Skansie-built Gig Harbor fishing boats compiled by Lee Makovich, I counted 98 fishing boats built by the Skansie Ship Building Company.  And that does not include any ferry boats.  The ferry boats and the Washington Navigation Co. came about when the automobile began to be more common and, without a bridge, needed to be transported across Puget Sound to Tacoma.  Mitchell founded the company and in the 1930 operated 7 ferries and 4 routes.  When Pierce County could no longer afford to run its own ferry services, Mitchell and his company took over those routes.

Ferry under construction at Mitchell Skansie's boatyard.

This is a very short overview highlighting one portion of the important contributions of the Skansie family to the community of Gig Harbor and their historic importance.

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 SKANSIE NETSHED is the thirteenth of 17 netsheds along Gig Harbor’s waterfront and 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=1127  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 Skansie Netshed (presently owned by City of Gig Harbor, Washington) go to http://www.cityofgigharbor.net/files/library/32cc491a0ed407f6.pdf  When you read the Skansie Netshed survey, please be sure to read the the More Information On The Skansie Netshed attachment

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 who came to Gig Harbor and either took up fishing or continued fishing as 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 range 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 for reuse and have been rebuilt retaining little if any of the original features.  

When you look at the west side of Gig Harbor Bay, you'll find  the 17 netsheds we are identifying in this and the other 16 blogs. You can see the remnants of what was one of the most vibrant working waterfronts on 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 and Ancich Brothers netsheds these netsheds 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 August 30, 1882

Wednesday August 30, 1882:  Sunny & hot again.  Felt pretty old this morning but wiggled down to the boat repaired her water fully hung the door  & christened her"Baby Mine".

© 2012 Harbor History Museum. All rights reserved.

Ross (Whittier) Netshed

Gig Harbor Netsheds

(The Largest Inventory on Puget Sound)

Today's visit takes us to the Ross Netshed which has been extensively remodeled.  The original house was built in 1910 and according to the City of Gig Harbor Netshed Survey the netshed was built ca. 1925.  I have been unable to discover information on the original netshed and its use other than the normal usage for equipment and family boats.  This is an important reminder to us on how very important it is to retain pictures and a record as best we can on the historical properties within our community, especially those over 100 years in age.  And, like everything else, including us, these properties age each year.

Ross family portrait

A lengthy blog on the Ross Family was published on the Harbor History Museum Blog on April 25, 2013.  The following information is taken from that blog but we still hope you will read the entire earlier piece.  Lee Makovich also wrote a very interesting piece entitled The Ross Brothers at Home on the Salmon Banks in the October 1996 issue of The Fishermen's News if you have an opportunity to read it.  It is available in the Harbor History Museum's Resource Center.

As you wander through the museum you'll find the Ross family well represented, or you might happen to meet one of our docents, Rosemary Ross, hard at work with the Midway Schoolhouse "classes" of young students.  I thought you might enjoy learning a little more about the family Rosemary married into; there is so much more to tell about this prominent family than what is contained in this brief blog. But it's a start.

John (Yodrossich) Ross Sr. arrived in Gig Harbor in 1888. He had left his home on the island of Premuda (Croatia) in the Adriatic Sea on a year-long voyage across the Atlantic Ocean. He traveled down and around Cape Horn and up along the west cost of South America, Baja California and the west coast of the US arriving in Gig Harbor. 

He ran an eight-man oar boat. The crew set the nets and pulled in the catch by hand.  John was one of the first Gig Harbor fishermen to take his open vessel north to the San Juans and Alaska, where he and the crew camped ashore at night to cook and collect fuel and water.  Even then, they were gone for three months at a time.  

Off the San Juan Island fishing grounds

    

John's first purse seiner was a 45-foot open vessel named "Bogdon," built in Seattle at the H. W. Lake Shipyard in 1909 and powered by a 20 h.p. Frisco Standard gas engine.  John Sr. had named it after his son "Danny" who passed away as a young boy.  John operated the "Bogdan" in Puget Sound until 1914 when he sold it.  He immediately had his new boat, a 52-foot seiner "Brooklyn" built at the Strubstad yard in Tacoma.

Early 20th century Gig Harbor fishing boat

In October 1902 John Sr. purchased Lot 8 Block 6 in the Town of Millville for $350, and in September 1907 purchased Lot 9 for $100.  John Ross Sr. died on July 20, 1928 leaving behind his brother Luca Ross, his sons John Ross Jr., Adam and Emmett Ross, four daughters, Mrs. Anna Musnov, Mrs. Fannie Brumcev, Mrs. Winnie Brycicick, and Miss Agnes Ross and 16 grandchildren.  Emmett, Adam and Johnnie Ross all began their long fishing careers as skippers in the early 1920s.

Various boats from the Gig Harbor fishing fleet
in the San Juan Islands

His oldest son, John Ross, Jr., was one of the first non-Indian children born in Gig Harbor, and he carried on his father's tradition of fishing not only in Puget Sound but also in the San Juans and Alaska.  John Jr. also skippered the early ferry boats"Skansonia" and "Defiance," running between Gig Harbor and Pt. Fosdick, and "The City of Tacoma" running from Pt. Fosdick and Fox Island. John Jr. ran the fishing boats "Providence" and "Advocator" for Lee Makovich Sr.  John Jr. also skippered the "Majestic," "Juno" and Gerald Crosby's "Sea Comber."   

Lee Makovich purse seiner "Advocator"

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 ROSS NETSHED is the twelfth  of 17 netsheds along Gig Harbor’s waterfront and 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=1125  The survey does not includes Engineered drawings in Plan and Profile because the netshed has been modified for use as a residence.  To view images of the Ross Netshed (presently owned by Pete Whittier's Estate, Gig Harbor Fishing Co., Gig Harbor) go to http://www.cityofgigharbor.net/files/library/10ac514d2bcf9dfe.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 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 range in age from their 60s (maybe 70s) to their early 20s and 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 reuse and rebuilt retaining little if any of the original features.  

When you look at the west side of Gig Harbor Bay, you'll find the 17 netsheds we are identifying in this and the other 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 and Ancich Brothers netsheds these netsheds 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 f

erry 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 August 23, 1882

Wednesday August 23, 1882:  Day fair as usual & too warm.  Went to town to make some ...?... connection etc.  Had a hard pull against tide returned late.

© 2012 Harbor History Museum. All rights reserved.

Novak (Stearns) Netshed

Gig Harbor Netsheds

(The Largest Inventory on Puget Sound)

Last week when we visited Andrew Gilich and Tony Gilich's netshed, I shared with you information on a tremendous contribution that the Gig Harbor fishermen made to the wider world of salmon fishery through the participation in the Fishermen's Packing Corporation, a co-operative formed in 1928.  I say tremendous because this co-op allowed their product (salmon) to be marketed to the entire USA, not just the local area or west coast.  But the contributions of the fishermen didn't stop at that.  The contributions that they made, and continue to make, are not limited to harvesting of the vast waters of the Pacific Ocean and Puget Sound.

Frank Novak on horse

Tony Novak built today's netshed for his family where their boats were moored but also provided moorage for other local fishermen.  And, this netshed and fishing was not the only family business.

Tony's family, headed by his father, John Novak, his Uncle Frank in Tacoma, and his maternal grandfather Captain John "Humboldt Jack" Cosgrove all contributed to the establishment and growth of Gig Harbor beyond fishing.  Captain "Humboldt Jack" came to Puget Sound in 1850 and by 1860 had secured the mail contract for the Puget Sound area using the sloop "Maria."  When John Novak arrived around 1878 he worked for awhile with Captain Cosgrove.  Captain Cosgrove died in 1878 from a fall when he was attempting to hang a bunch of bananas on a nail, lost his balance, fell hitting his temple on the corner of a box.  He never regained full consciousness and died approximately two hours later.  (Lewis & Dryden's "Marine History of the Pacific Northwest, 1895)

Following his father-in-law's death, John Novak decided to settle in Gig Harbor. John had also met, fell in love with, and married Josephine (Zephina) Cosgrove on the 21st of December 1886, and over the years had 12 children, two of which unfortunately died at birth.  As well as fishing, John built Novak & Sons General Merchandise store with Tony as manager. The store was located on the site of today's store Harbor Peddler. The additions on the sides of the standing store housed hay and grain on one side and a pool hall on the other.  The hay and grain storage was converted into rental apartments for boat crews from out of town and called Millville Hotel.  Both additions were demolished later, perhaps after the fire which destroyed almost the entire Novak block in the 1920s.

Novak & Sons store

Site of Novak Hotel

In June, 1888, John joined with Joseph Dorotich and their wives to lay out and plat into town lots and streets the Town of Millville.  (Photocopy of Dedication Book 2, Plats, Page 23) 

First Gig Harbor School, 1899-1900

In 1924, Frank Novak, John's eldest son, built the 2-story Novak Hotel across the street from where Andrew Gilich and Austin Richardson were building their Peninsula Hotel.  Both hotels had commercial and office spaces on the first level with furnished rooms with hotel accommodations on the second level.  (The Peninsula Gateway, 1219/24)  These two new buildings were part of the new downtown area growing around the intersection of today's Pioneer Street and Harborview Drive that had been initiated following the move of the ferry dock from Finholm District to the end of Harborview Drive in 1923.

Crew clearing land for new Lincoln School 1910

Frank died at the age of 36, on October 16, 1926; John Novak died at 86 on November 30, 1933, Josephine age 70 in 1938 and Tony age 91 on November 26, 1983.

These are not the only contributions made by the fishing community, we are just getting started.  

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 NOVAK NETSHED is the eleventh of 17 netsheds along Gig Harbor’s waterfront and is the subject of this week’s blog.  A copy of the survey can be accessed at http://www.cityofgigharbor.net/page.php?id=1123  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 Novak Netshed (presently owned by Stanley "Stan" Stearns, Arabella's Landing, Gig Harbor Marina, Inc.) and occupied by Netshed No. 9, a restaurant,  go to http://www.cityofgigharbor.net/files/library/fc58bf48be032a80.pdf

You can also obtain a copy of the 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 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 range in age from their 60s (maybe 70s) to their early 20s and 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 reuse, and rebuilt retaining little if any of the original features.  

When you look at the west side of Gig Harbor Bay and you find  the 17 netsheds we are identifying in this and the other 16 blogs, you can see the remnants of what was one of the most vibrant working waterfronts on 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 and Ancich Brothers netsheds these netsheds 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 August 16, 1882

Wednesday, August 16, 1882:  Day fine & home early.  Loaded some planks then took in some water& stash.  Had to stop for water on the way home or would have made a good trip.  In @ & I go at   ...?... in P.M.

© 2012 Harbor History Museum. All rights reserved.

Gilich Netshed

Gig Harbor's Netsheds

(The Largest Inventory on Puget Sound)

We started our tour of the 17 net sheds identified on the City of Gig Harbor's "All Along the Waterfront" with a map of the netsheds, and our first stop was the Gilich netshed built by Tony Gilich and passed on to his son, Don.  That netshed started its life as a working shed and continues as a working shed today.  You might have already read the Harbor History Museum blog on Tony and Don Gilich.  http://harborhistorymuseum.blogspot.com/2013/03/tony-and-donald-gilich.html 

Tony Gilich (left) from a Tacoma News Tribune, article, 1971

 

Today's netshed was also built by Tony Gilich in the 1930s with his cousin Andrew Gilich.  It is no longer a working shed but instead is privately owned and operates as the Arabella's Landing clubhouse.

 

Andrew Gilich
(Image use courtesy of Lee Makovich)

So I might venture into the world of the fishermen and touch upon another contribution these men made, not only to the Gig Harbor community but to the other fishing communities in Puget Sound and the Straits of Juan de Fuca to Point Roberts....the area that -- in the 1920s, 30s, and 40s -- was referred to as the 'nucleus of the salmon fishing industry in the Pacific Northwest.'

What was that, you ask?  Well, the fishermen were constantly trying to enlarge the market for their catch beyond the local area.  So, 35 purse seine vessel owners banded together and on March 28, 1928, formed and incorporated Fishermen's Packing Corporation, a cooperative.  Later that same month, the men were successful in buying the Everett Packing Company.  The following year, 1929, another 45 purse seine vessel owners joined the newly formed cooperative.  Not all the founders and members were from Gig Harbor, but our community was well represented. 

A young Lee Makovich

At the first meeting, Gig Harbor's Lee Makovich was elected president and he served in that capacity from 1928 to 1945 (except during 1931).  When J.O. Morris, the original general manager, unexpectively died, Lee Makovich was elected in his place and he served as G.M. until his death in 1946. 

Makovich family at Gig Harbor home.

 

 

Tony Gilich (1930), Joe Cloud (1928-29), Pete Scarponi (1932), and John Stanich (1933, '35, '36, and '37) all served as directors as well.

Pete Skarponi

The first cannery in Everett was rapidly becoming inadequate, and following extensive remodeling became a model of efficiency and sanitation for its day.  By 1938, the officers and directors of the corporation succeeded in purchasing Booth Fisheries properties, cannery building, and site in Anacortes, Washington.  It was much closer to the salmon banks and allowed the cannery renders to pick up the daily catch -- assuring freshly caught salmon and maintaining high-quality product.  Perhaps you or your parents or grandparents purchased canned salmon with labels of "Snow Cap" (sockeye), "Ocean Spray" (Coho) or "Waterfall" (pink salmon), all bearing the label "Packed by Fishermen's Packing Corporation, Anacortes, Washington in the largest salmon cannery in the United States." 

Makovich purse seiner Advocator

 

In 1951, major warehouse improvements were made and a new warehouse was built with modern casing, labeling, and handling equipment installed.  In 1956, the corporation built and moved into new headquarters.  1957 saw them purchasing additional vessels to increase their floating equipment.   1959 saw expansion of canning operations in Southeast Alaska, Hood Bay, Metlakatla, Hydaburg, and Klawock.  1962 brought about diversification in their Southeast Alaska operations and joint venture operations with Peter Pan Seafood Inc. at Hawk Inlet plant and reciprocal custom operations at Metlakatla, Hydaburg, Klawock, and Petersburg.

(Note:  Historical information on Fishermen's Packing Corporation is primarily taken from a partial document named "History of Fisherman's Packing Corporation" found in the Harbor History Museum Resource Room.)

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 GILICH NETSHED is the tenth of 17 netsheds along Gig Harbor’s waterfront and 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=1121  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 (presently owned by Stabley (Stan) Stearns, Arabella's Landing, Gig Harbor Marina, Inc.) go to http://www.cityofgigharbor.net/files/library/678c43443528a5e5.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 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 range in age from their 60s (maybe 70s) to their early 20s. They 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 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 netsheds we are identifying in this and the other 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 and Ancich Brothers netsheds these netsheds 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.

© 2013 Harbor History Museum. All rights reserved.

Emmett Hunt's Diary - Wednesday August 9, 1882

Wednesday August 9, 1882:  Sunny & pleasant.  We continue in the direction of the center of this "illahee" & now at ...?... find it very dry.

© 2012 Harbor History Museum. All rights reserved.

Stanich Netshed

Gig Harbor's Netsheds

(The Largest Inventory on Puget Sound)

This week's netshed is just down towards the water from the "Corner of Dorotich Street and Harborview Drive" a Harbor History Museum blog dated June 14, 2012.  

The topic of the blog was about the general store that was built on the corner. Following a fire which totally destroyed the existing store in 1924, Martin Stanich brought the property, rebuilt the store and named the new store Stanich Bros. Merchandise.  Martin turned it over to his sons to run and he continued to fish.  John preferred fishing and took over Welcome when his father Martin retired and  Tony continued to run the store.

John & Pauline Stanich 

John eventually married Pauline Castelan. Her story and her family's story were the subjects of a two-part blog Nicholas Castelan Daughter, Pauline Castelan Stanich and The Nicholas Castelan Family in September 2012.

Wedding photo: Mary Stanich and Mike Katich

Tony and John's sister Mary Stanich married Mike Katich, a very successful fisherman and businessman in 1920.  And to me, I think following the various threads connecting the history of our community is fascinating.  Because of this, and the fact that Mike was very close to his in-laws, I thought I would share a very, very brief glimpse into Mike's life.  

Katich family portrait

Mike and Mary Stanich Katich's first home at 3502 Harborview Drive was a white 2-story house with black shutters.  According to their grandson, Peter Katich, it is his understanding that Mike and Mary's house was the first residence to have a phone in Millville. They lived on Harborview Drive until 1941 when they sold the house to John and Pauline Castelan Stanich.  1941 was the same year Mike and Mary built and moved into their new home on Ross Avenue. 

Mike Katich & John Stanich

Mike's career was as a salmon purse seiner fisherman and then in 1911 acquiring his first boat "Independent."  Mike continued his career as skipper and as a limited partner in numerous fishing vessels.  Some of the boats he owned were:  "Independent" 1911; "Confidence" 1912; "St. Nicholas" 1914; "Mt. Tacoma" 1924; "Fidelity" 1925; "Sunrise Chief" 1929 and renamed "Britannia" in 1933; "Varsity" 1937; "Mary M" 1949 and "Notre Dame" 1946.  Mike didn't always fish on boats in which he had an interest.  Just as important were the boats he skippered that he didn't own - like Jack Bujacich's "Majestic"; Marco Markovich's "Memento"; Peter Ancich's "New World"; "Avalon" for Andrew Skansie; "Ranger" for Shanto Perovich; and Beritich's "Flying Fish". (From Lee Makovich's article entitled "Mike and Antone Katich, the Katich Years" in The Fishermen's News, January 1998)

Mary & Lena Stanich

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 STANICH NETSHED is the ninth of 17 netsheds along Gig Harbor’s waterfront and 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=1109  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 Stanich Netshed go to http://www.cityofgigharbor.net/files/library/bf1f879d2cd91897.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 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 range in age from their 60s (maybe 70s) to their early 20s. They are 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 reuse and rebuilt retaining little if any of the original features.  

When you look at the west side of Gig Harbor Bay and you see  the 17 net sheds we are identifying in this and the other 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 and Ancich Brothers netsheds these netsheds 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.

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