Tragedy off the Coast of Camano Island

A party of loggers discovered the bound body of a Chinese man near the southern end of Camano Island, pointing to a brutal crime.

The Case of the Beachcomber's Shoes

A pair of old shoes found on the beach, stenciled with a name, failed to convince a federal judge that a local cook was an illegal immigrant.

“An old pair of Chinese shoes cast up on the beach of the Sound at Utsalady... was the principal evidence against Ah Ying.”

An 1891 Investor's Case for Utsalady

In 1891, real estate promoters pitched Utsalady as the inevitable future metropolis of the Puget Sound, promising that its deep-water harbor and timber wealth would eclipse every other city in the region.

“I would much rather take my chances in one of those young, vigorous towns than in the older ones, where values are already pretty high.”

The Bankrupt of Island County

A legal notice from 1876 reveals the swift, unforgiving reach of territorial bankruptcy laws in early Washington.

“The payment of any debts and delivery of any property belonging to such Bankrupt to him, or for his use, and the transfer of any property by him are forbidden by law.”

The Ghost City of Utsalady

In 1891, a developer touted Utsalady as a burgeoning industrial giant on the Sound, envisioning it as a 'second Seattle' fueled by timber, coal, and mineral wealth. History took a different path.

“Such a place, for instance, is Utsalady. I do believe that if a town had been started on that beautiful harbor in Utsalady Bay ten years ago it would have been the largest city on the Sound today.”