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…

Before working his way up the Army ranks and rising to unlikely fame as an author, Henry M. Robert played a crucial role at San Juan Island's American Camp. Robert arrived on San Juan Island on August 23, 1859. Then a second lieutenant, the U.S.…

San Juan Town, sometimes called San Juan Village, quickly sprang up at Griffin Bay to meet soldiers’ demand for leisure activities during joint occupation. A reporter for the Daily Alta California, who visited the island in 1859, described a tiny…