New Vashon History
Vashon-Maury Island (Arcadia) by Vashon authors Bruce Haulman (Ellisport) and Jean Cammon Findlay (Newport) is now available. Organized around major themes of communities, economics, transportation, ecology, politics, and shifting populations and their viewpoints, the book traces the evolution of the island’s history. It is a story of change: from many small beach communities to one town center, from an extractive industry base to a human resource economy, from a myriad of steamboat landings to two ferry docks, and growth from a small entirely native population, the S’Homamish, to the diverse 11,000 residents today. To see the book Index CLICK HERE
About the authors
Bruce Haulman is a retired professor of history who has lived on Vashon-Maury Island for 37 years. He is the Director of the Vashon History Project (vashonhistory.com) and on the Board of the Vashon-Maury Island Heritage Association.
A PhD in History from the University of Washington, Bruce’s major interests are Pacific Northwest History and Film History, which he taught for over 25 years. He is currently Director of the Green River Australia-New Zealand Study Abroad program, and works each summer with young women leaders from South Asia and North Africa in a U.S. State Department Program for Women’s Leadership and the Empowerment of Women. He directed the Clayoquot Summer Program on Vancouver Island for over ten years and has taught abroad in Australia, China, Great Britain, and New Zealand.
An avid sailor and boater, Bruce and his wife Pam enjoy cruising Puget Sound on their trawler Vashona, named for the Mosquito Fleet steamer that served the Burton-Tacoma route in the 1920s and 1930s. Bruce is also an accomplished carver and musician.
Jean Cammon Findlay grew up on Anderson Island in south Puget Sound where her great-grandparents were homesteaders. She came to Vashon Island 50 years ago through marriage to her husband, Gilbert, and now resides here full time on his old family property.
With a bachelor’s in English from Washington State University and a master’s in education from the University of Northern Colorado, Jean is retired from a 30 year elementary school teaching career. She now devotes her time to volunteering at the Vashon-Maury Heritage Association where she is board secretary, chair of the Education Committee, and serves on the Collection and Exhibit committees. Previously, with Robin Paterson, she wrote the Arcadia book Mosquito Fleet of South Puget Sound (2008).
Her hobby is researching and writing about her family’s genealogy.
