Challenge 2: Anacortes Stories
March 5, 2006 9:38 AM Permalink
"My old town never lets me down.
Things change - but Anacortes has a secret love.
Night-time, cars are passing by.
I'm here, happy by myself."
IN OUR PAST
In 1877, Amos Bowman (the founder and first mayor of Anacortes) decided to name his new post office on Fidalgo Island after his wife, Annie Curtis. He had high hopes that Anacortes would become the western terminus for the transcontinental railroad, and thousands of people moved to town in 1890. When the railroad went south to Seattle, the new arrivals left town in droves, leaving Amos and a few stragglers to lick their wounds and rebuild the town as a fishing and lumber port.
Anacortes remained a town heavily dependent upon the fishing and lumber industries; until of course, the fish were all caught and all of the trees cut down. Thus, in the mid 1950s, the poor citizens of Anacortes were forced to turn to BIG OIL for meaningful employment. This is why we have not one but TWO oil refineries on the way into town. But it hasn't all been about fish, wood, and oil...for instance, Phil's great grandparents raised a gorilla in Anacortes...
Very Sad Gorilla Story from Phil, 3rd generation Anacortesan
"My great grandparents raised a mountain gorilla. (I'm pretty sure it was mountain. Maybe lowland. Whatever.) My great uncle, their son, was in Cleveland and bought a car and the guy who sold it was like "if you buy this car I'll also give you this baby gorilla". This was in the 50's, so apparently this was no big whoop back then. My great uncle was like "Sweet! My mom's kids have all grown up and moved out. She would love this!" and then drove home to Anacortes Washington with a weird baby in a little cradle on the passenger seat, dressed in diapers and everything. He got home and gave it, him, to his mom, my great grandma, and they named him Bobo. (Read the rest of the story, if you wish.)
NOW
Look a little deeper, past the whale watching outfits, past the token fast food restaurants, past Safeway and Chevron, and you will find a close knit community of musicians, printers, painters, photographers, fashion designers, small business owners, fishermen, boat builders, and workers. People labor hard to support themselves and their families, but not so hard that they can't take time to enjoy the company of friends and the beautiful natural surroundings.
We don't have a hundred cool clubs or fifty hip bands playing every night of the week, but we do live in a really nice place. And that's why we stay here.
Lakes and Forests
We have the best swimming lakes in the Northwest. Whistle, Cranberry, Heart, Campbell, Erie, Pass, and a secret lake. Thanks to the hard work of Denise Crowe and many others, these lakes sit in over 2200 acres of permanently protected forest in the Anacortes Community Forest Lands. No more logging! We also sit in a "rain shadow" between the Olympic and Cascade Mountains. This means that we receive 40% less precipitation than Seattle. Anacortes: Where you don't get wet.
Karl Blau
This man is possibly the kindest soul on Fidalgo Island, a local legend, our best kept secret (perhaps no longer), and the human embodiment of all that Anacortes has to offer–the water, the wind, the oyster, the father, the moon, the mountain, the tape machine, the music, the worker. Please consider supporting him and his family by buying some of his incredible music at Kelp Monthly. There's also a "mix your own Blau song" game up on there right now, and I'll be darned if it ain't the most addictive and creative use of frames EVER.
Music
The Anacortes music scene is vibrant and healthy. The Department of Safety and The Business put on regular all-ages concerts, and the various restaurants and bars downtown routinely feature "jazz" and "rock" acts. High schoolers are still forming awesome bands. We have a music festival, What-The-Heck Fest, every July. There are quite a few labels in town: Phil runs P.W. Elverum and Sun, Bret and Dave run Knw Yr Own, Ryland puts out records through Swim Slowly, and Karl has Kelp Monthly!
Bill Mitchell
Bill Mitchell is another notorious Anacortes legend. He cruises around in a modified camouflage golf cart and smokes a pipe. He started the Anacortes Mural Project, in which figures from town history are painted and terrifyingly "brought to life" on the sides of buildings around Old Town. Like these dudes, this guy, and these hippies. If you come to town, you will be scared by these if you walk around at night because they seem like actual people hiding in the shadows, standing perfectly still and just WATCHING. After you get over your initial fright, take a picture with them and preserve it for posterity.
Geeks
On a visit to Anacortes and need to update your blog? Got to send a website comp or a digital press kit to an important client? You want free wifi? Well, for such a small town, Anacortes has lots of free wifi. Penguin Coffee. The Brown Lantern. Adrift. The Rockfish Grill. The Business. The Department of Safety. Johnny Picasso's. The Anacortes Library. Wander around long enough and you'll be sure to find an open connection.
Multimedia Section
>> Please look at the photos in my new Anacortes Flickr Set.
>> Please listen to my Anacortes Rap.
>> Consider watching the soothing Anacortes movie at Vimeo (or just watch it below). If you are having problems viewing this clip, you may also watch it at YouTube.
Anacortes Links:
Jessica makes t-shirts
Adrift makes really good food
Upcoming Events Calendar
The Donut House is open 24 hours for all your late night sugar needs.
Knw-Yr-Own Records
P.W. Elverum and Sun
Swim Slowly
More Friends and Links
"Bellingham is the City of Subdued Excitement?
Well, Anacortes is the City of Functional Alchoholics.
Seriously."
-J. Lynch
By: Alex M. | Challenge 02 | March 5, 2006
Lordy, this place is beautiful. With such a newsy, personal tour including local legends? We might just be looking at 2 immunities in a row...
11:14 AM on 03/05/06There is indeed a bridge to Anacortes. In fact, there are two. If you take exit 230 from I-5 and drive east about 15 minutes, there's a bridge that rises over the Swinomish Channel and takes you onto Fidalgo Island. From there, you can head into Anacortes OR you can go south over the Deception Pass Bridge (also the most visited state park in Washington) and go to Whidbey Island.
Anacortes is also the hub for the San Juan Ferry system. You can walk or drive onto a ferry and visit many of the amazing San Juan Islands. There's even a ferry over to Victoria, BC, if you would like to check out Canada.
1:19 PM on 03/05/06I was soothed by your video! Saddened by the gorilla story! It made me laugh! It made me cry! It made me want to buy the t-shirt!
3:16 PM on 03/05/06You forgot to mention the "Anacortes CURSE."
Karl Blau told me (on my first visit to your home town) that the people indigenous to your beautiful island believed in a curse that if you ever slept on the island your heart would forever ache to return until the pain of separation grew so great that you absolutely could not be anywhere else again! I might be paraphrasing a bit but you get the picture.
This is why I always say, "Anacortes, where my heart is."
It is true, Anacortes I wish to be with you.
4:47 PM on 03/05/06
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