| Fishing has been a
fundamental part of the life of Fidalgo Island inhabitants
from time immemorial. The harvest of seafood by the Samish and
Swinomish tribes, for sustenance and trade, continued with the
arrival of European and American settlers in the
mid-nineteenth century. Anacortes’ fishing industry grew
rapidly in the 1890s with the establishment of canneries built
to process cod, clams and salmon. Salmon were caught using a
variety of methods, including cannery-owned fish traps, reef
nets, gill nets, trollers, and the definitive purse seine
vessels that often were built right here in Anacortes. The
Anacortes Museum contains a wealth of information on the
fishing families and boats, as well as books on the subject
including FIDALGO FISHING, LOST AT SEA, CROATIAN FISHING
FAMILIES OF ANACORTES, and, PACIFIC SCHOONER WAWONA.
To search the Anacortes Museum online database
click here. |
 |
