Given the fact that Camano is the oysters from other beds in the an Island, many newcomers may area. One such company was on Beach, wonder about the Potential - Past land just east of JuniPer and present - for a shellfish econ- the Port Susan BaY OYster Com- omy in our sun'ounding waters. pany with George Weerda, Even Perhaps the story of local oyster Eide, Lars Eide and Ole Eide as companies has the answer. investors. called tJre Cooperative Food Prod- As one of these investors, Ole In the midst of the DePres- ucts announced that it wouid be Eide reports that this venture did sion, the Camano Blue Point* taking over the Blue Point buiid- succeed. He sPat Oyster Company was formed bY not Planted ing to specialize in canning of from Japan off of Hatt Slough and George Kosmos. Mr. Kosmos rabbits and fish. They would also very hard to exPeriment purchased 5300 acres of tide- worked process and pack certain white with the best location. The oYs- lands between JuniPer Beach and fish in the Norwegian stYle cakes grew best at a2 foot tide he Livingston Bay of which 3500 ters and balls. Following that, it aP- found and the shells were large. acres were suitable for growing pears that the Edlund ShiPYards But the "stomachs" were unappe- oysters. They planted 20 cases of leased the processing building to tizingly disproPortionate. The seed (spat) from Japan in a test be used as part ofthe shiPYard New Engiand Fish Co. in plot and by 1932 were anticiPat- buyer, where seven barges were built for would not be able to sell ing enough to fil1 a growing de- Seatfle, the U.S. Army. and refused to buY. It mand for commercial oYsters. them there was not the right be the end Indeed, in the State of Washing- seems That appeared to amount or combination of miner- shellfish busi- ton oyster production increased of oysters and the and plankton in tlte Port general 1943 when from 31,000 gallons in 1931 to als ness in until Susan waters to suPPort commer- ComPanY 1,131,100gallons in 1941due to the Gaetz Oyster Pur- activities. Ole also Point flats near the introduction of the JaPanese cial Planted chased the Blue oysters in Skagit BaY north of Ar- (Livingston BaY). The oYs- or Pacific Oyster seed. The native town rowhead Beach for a different Puget Sound as Ol5.'rnpiaoyster seed was not suc- ters from all over group of investors in Everett* Susan were cessful at the time and growers well as Port Proc- died from freezing during a Hardware (encouraged by the State and they essed in the Stanwood cold winter. (Home Center) and then University researchers) wanted to building This avoid dependence on Eastern oYS- It was a precarious business. moved to the waterfront. business had been ters. In 1938 the Twin Citg Neus re- father and son ported that "Mr. Kosmos 1932 the first In September of says he can buy oYsters was towed scowload of oysters at 30 cents per gallon from Livington BaY to the Stan- and the cost of harvest- workers are wood wharf. "All the ing them is 24 cents" taught local people and must be therefore they were not of the art of taking the oYsters out worth harvesting. At Mo- the shells. Mr. and Mrs. Sam this time he hoped that have been secured to act rimoto the smaller oyster Pro- of the as instructors and most ducers would droP out are workers after some Practice and the price would go able to make fair wages.... the up to make them Profit- wage is determined by the num- able again. That Year is able to ber of gallons a worker the piant was used for shuck." processing peas. Then The first cargo ofoYsters was large headlines apPeared sent out by refrigerator truck to in tlre April27 ,1939 Pa- the re- Seattle. It was hoped that this per announcing economy would replace the de- opening of the Plant' clining lumber industry with the But alas, in JanuarY to company contracting Process of 1940, a company StanwoodArea Echoes,Issue 28, March, 2005, p-2 buying fish at Utsalady and !n 1946 they planned a are stiil seeking more specific reasons for the de- plant expansion to include freezing facilities as well mise of this industry in this area. One source said as canning of crabs, clams, salmon and bottomfish. the oil spill did not leave prolonged effects but per- They offered to provide canning services for house- haps witJ' that, combined with the navigational wives, which was a long, tedious, smelly process in problems on the river, Mr. Gaetzwas sufficiently the home kitchen. A smokehouse was also built. discouraged to discontinue the oyster business, at They also began construction of 60 ton capacity least here. And the following year, TVin City Foods oyster dredge with living quarters, its own lighting was formed from the previous canning business system employing 16 men. He expected to soon be that occupied tlle waterfront, Lien Brothers Can- canning 70,000 pounds of clams and more if the ning Company and this company grew into Stan- channel of the Stillaguamish River could be dredged wood's most important local business taking advan- for better navigation ofvessels of seafood products tage of the rich agricultural lands in the river delta. -_Editor to the cannery. Ultimately, in spite of repeated at- tempts by local business interests to have the Corps l.Oyster Stew--Celebrating100 Yearsof Oysteretlture in of Engineers fund this, dredging was occasional and WashingtonShte- had little effect in making the channels navigable. http://www.wsg.washington.edu/oysterstew/oystermain.html 2, DavidG. Gordon,Nanc,y E. Blantonand Terry y. Nosho, In 1947 an oil spill occurred in port Susan that Heavenon the Half Shell: TheStory of the Nofthwe*,s Love contaminated the Livingston Bay oysters. The oil Affair Withthe Oyster.Washington Sea Grant progam, Uni- leaked from a Russian tanker Donbass that had versityof Washington,2001. puget broken apart in the Aleutians in Februarv 1946. 3. Shellfish& Seawed Haruestsof Sound.Daniel p. Che- neyand Thomas pro- Newspaper arlicles failed to explain wtry ihe bow of E. Mumford,Jr.. WashingtonSea Grant gram,University of Washington,1986 a broken Russian tanker full of oil was towed to 4.AficeB*>4 TheShnwod Story Vol.III and news Port Susan to spill its contents into port Susan. articles form the StunwoodNews& Twin The company CityNews, lg2f*lg4g. closed the oyster beds and stated it 5.htp://oldcamano.neVbluepoint.html would turn to Samish Bay for its supply of oysters. 6. xBlue More articles on this topic are conspicuously Pointis the namefor oy#ersoriginally found off Long absent from the newspapers, but at this writing we Islandand now usuallyreferto any EastCoast oyster and are not the JapanesePacific oyster.

Curent Exhibit ! Steamer,Ships & Shorelines Steamers, Ships & Shoreliraes phorograph Explore our historic connectionto our surroundingwaters- A Historical Tow of Stmvood & Cammo Island Port Susan,Saratoga Passage, the StillaguamishRiver and Skagit Bay. Featuredare the Native American canoes,local workboats andmosquito fleet, the steamboats,the storyof Vancouver,s groundingin Port Susan,ferries, tall shipsand a local shanghai- ing story. Also includedare tle CamanoIsland and port Susan resortswith their boathousesand fishing that broughtvisitors, manyof whornultimately boughtcottages or retired in the area. Through December2005.

It'smt too euly to Blar for &s hdopondom Daytuaio ald tm cmu looid! Antiquecars, floats, farm vehicles, wagons, buggies and other moving vehi- clesshould plan on thisevent held this year on Monday,Juty 4th, 2003. A costumecontest is heldfor childrenwho enterthe paradeto be presentedin the shortprogram that followsthe paradeat the FloydNorgaard cultural Center.The lce CreamSocialfollows the programuntil2 pm. River, Railand Rodd- E Gamwood GenealogryrWorkshop meets to Pictorial History of Stan- discuss genealogy the second Monday wood & Easf Stanwood is for salefor at the of each month $10.00 on the second floor of Snow Goose Bookstore the museum at I p,m. or theMuseum. (Galf Dave at 360-387-9220)

Stawvood Area Echoes,Issue28, March, 2005, p. 3