Reachable only by ferry; Vashon Island is a breathtaking rural retreat from the bustling activity of nearby Seattle and Tacoma. The islands first inhabitants; the sx???bab"; took advantage of its evergreen forests and rich marine resources. In 1792; George Vancouver was the first Anglo to discover the island and named it after Captain James Vashon. By the late 1800s; the first white settlers had established farms and greenhouses that supplied nearby cities with berries; tomatoes and cucumbers. Ferries drove development in the later half of the century; introducing new industries and tourism to the area. While both influenced by and isolated from the mainland; the island developed its own unique character treasured by locals. Merging human and natural history; author Bruce Haulman presents the rich heritage of this thriving community.
#552976 in eBooks 2016-05-23 2016-05-23File Name: B01F3B2MTC
Review
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Important History With Flawed Presentation!By JorgeHenry J. Kaiser was to shipbuilding what Henry Ford was to automobile production. But. Kaiser went one step further and proved that he could build a virtual self serving city for 40.000 inhabitants in barely a years time. In 1940 Kaiser had won a contract to build ships for the British Government. When the United States entered World War II in December 1941. this need for ships multiplied. Kaiser needed workers and suitable housing for them. With three shipyards on the Portland/Vancouver waterfronts. Vanport was the answer. Construction began in August 1942 and by August 1943. almost to the day the city was ready. Supplementing the completely furnished living units. it had commercial/shopping centers. schools. a day care center. a hospital/clinic. fire and police services. a movie theater. a cafeteria. recreation centers and park like areas. The collection of photographs of Vanport published in this book is sufficient for its excellence rating. Conversely. the textual contents are substandard. repetitious. and in at least two examples. just plain erroneous. With regard to the record setting construction of the SS Star of Oregon. sadly torpedoed near Trinidad-Tobago on August 20. 1942. the book contains the comment that "...it was headed home after traveling thousands of miles for the United Nations (the Allies ?) when it was sunk..." The organizing conference for the United Nations convened in San Francisco on April 25.1945 with the official founding occurring on October 24.1945. The United Nations did not exist in 1942. Furthermore. with regard to the May 1948 flood the text states that flood stages all along "...the Columbia River Basin. stretching from Vancouver. British Columbia. to Montana. Idaho. Washington. and Oregon..." were causing increased apprehension among residents. Vancouver. British Columbia. is part of the Fraser River Basin. These errors are either just the result of poor editing or failure of attention to accurate detail. But when they do occur they raise questions of accuracy as to other comments also. But. maybe most importantly this book does detail an important part of our Nations response to the worlds tyranny of World War II and the imaginative efforts that were vital to our successful concluding of that conflict. The Wars end with the closing of the shipyards and lay offs of the workers brought an almost immediate decline in Vanports population with a portion of the buildings even being dismantled and removed. Less than six years from its inception the flood of 1948 destroyed what remained.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Great North Portland HistoryBy D. GriguhnWonderfully detailed book about an historical event that happened in Portland Oregon. Having grown up in North Portland. it was interesting to learn about this disaster through mostly old photographs.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Quick-to-read HistoryBy Siobhan HarkinThis book is a very readable and fast way to learn about the Vanport. Oregon (on Columbia River) Flood of 1948 that wiped out this second largest city in Oregon (at the time.) Photographs and captions on every page give a complete picture of the history of this town built for shipbuilders and their families during WWII. the lifestyles of the residents. and the disastrous flood which wiped away the town after less than two years. Well researched. well-written. with loads of historic photographs.
