The Self-Appointed Governor of the Nooksack
A rancher barricades himself on an island in the Nooksack River, claiming authority and defying intruders until captured by the sheriff.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Deputy Sheriff Conlin returned today with Joseph Dobman, the crazy Wickersham rancher, who fled to the woods a few days ago and barricaded himself on an island in Nooksack river. When taken yesterday he was poorly clad and had no blankets and nothing to eat except a few potatoes and a little flour. He had a United States flag flying to the breeze above his barricade and had announced his intention of defending the island in the name of the government, against all encroachments. He is an unmarried man, about 63 years of age and was a good rancher.
“He had a United States flag flying to the breeze above his barricade and had announced his intention of defending the island in the name of the government.”
This incident reflects the isolation often felt by settlers in the rugged landscape of Whatcom County in the 1890s. While reported with the blunt language of the day, it underscores the lack of social support for those experiencing severe mental health crises on the frontier.
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