Recent Stories
The Lopez Historical Museum – Be sure to stop in for some more Lopez History!
The Mission of the Lopez Island Historical Society is to collect, preserve, interpret, and share local history to increase awareness and appreciation of this resource for the benefit of future generations. The Lopez museum opened in 1980 and has…
A Beloved Historic Building, Still in Regular Use - Lopez Center Church
"Of all the historic structures on Lopez Island, none is more beautiful, nor more beloved, than Center Church. Now a candidate for the National Historic Registry, the old building serves as a focal point for the community, and stands as a…
Arbitration Explained
In 1872 two colonial powers, Great Britain and the United States, peacefully agreed to end - through arbitration - the joint occupation of San Juan Island. Ambiguous language in the 1846 Treaty of Oregon, a boundary agreement between the two…
3. Weeks Point Way
From this vantage point, you can see where Charley dug drain ditches in the 1860s or 1870s. Charley, known at the time as Siwash Charley, is one of the few Indigenous men on island we have record of. (Siwash, from Chinook Jargon, is considered a…
4. Lopez Stores Over Time
In the early 20th century, just about from here, a long pier stretched out into the water, towards the marker you can see in the channel. Steamships, like the Georgia, would deliver passengers and goods to “Lopez” — one of three centers of commerce…
1. Indigenous Peoples of Sx’wálech (Lopez Island) – Indigenous peoples have called these islands home since time immemorial
Indigenous People have lived and stewarded Sx’wálech (Lopez Island) since time immemorial. The earliest evidence of people arriving in the Puget Sound area comes from over 12,500 years ago — a time when these islands were likely still under ice.…
Featured Stories
Burning the Forest – Native Americans shaped their environment through fire
Evidence suggests that the Coast Salish peoples of San Juan Island took an active part in managing and modifying the ecosystem they lived in. This included controlled forest burnings, where the dense forests of the island were purposefully set on…
Friends of Moran – The nonprofit group that supports Moran State Park
Most tourists visiting Orcas Island have Moran State Park on their travel itinerary. With nearly 40 miles of hiking trails, several lakes, scenic picnic vistas, and home to the highest point in the San Juan Islands offering a stunning view at 2,409…
Roche Harbor: From Lime Kilns to Sailboats – A limestone quarry turned history-rich resort town resides at the northwestern tip of San Juan island.
The northwestern tip of San Juan Island formed part of the Whelaalk territory of a Coast Salish Lhaq'temish, or Lummi, community until its occupation by British and American settlers in the 1800s.
In its early days of settlement, the harbor…
Take a Tour
Eastsound Walking Tour
9 Locations ~ Curated by Clairessa Walker and the Orcas Island Historical MuseumsIsland Histories
A project by Larry Cebula, Eastern Washington UniversitySan Juans Explorer is a digital guide to the history, natural history, and culture of the San Juan Islands. A project of the Public History Program at Eastern Washington University, the geolocated stories on San Juans Explorer were created by EWU students. Initial content will be deployed in the summer of 2018, and the project will grow one student cohort at a time. For questions or complaints, please contact Larry Cebula, at LarryCebula@gmail.com. This site is powered by Omeka + Curatescape, a humanities-centered web and mobile framework available for both Android and iOS devices.
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