History of Smuggling in the American San Juan Islands

History of Smuggling in the American
San Juan Islands

The San Juan Islands, a remote island paradise in the Pacific Northwest seem serene but have a turbulent history.
Image by Janalyn Voigt (all rights reserved).

Mists often shroud the San Juan Islands, an archipelago off the coast of Washington state. Add to this an intricate network of waterways, hidden harbors, secluded coves, and an international border, and it's easy to see why smuggling became an important industry in the San Juan Islands.

Following the signing of the Treaty of Washington between the United States and Britain in 1871, the San Juan Islands became an American territory. Shortly thereafter, the United States imposed import duties on woolens, silks and other goods entering the San Juan Islands. Many local residents didn't take well to having to pay for something they'd long received for free, so they simply ignored the law.

In response to popular sentiment that the immigrants from China were robbing American nationals of jobs, the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 banned Chinese workers from entering the United States for the next ten years. This gave rise to the smuggling of Chinese laborers to build railroads and work in the mines. Thousands of illegal immigrants were willing to pay $100 a head for transport from China.

Illustration, "Central Pacific Railroad–Chinese Laborers at Work." Public domain image.

Lawrence "Pirate" Kelly and Ben Ure, both notorious smugglers, operated from a base on Ben Ure Island just off Washington state's Deception Pass. Ure is said to have tied illegal Chinese immigrants into burlap bags, to be thrown overboard when customs agents approached. Dead Man's Bay off San Juan Island, came by its name because the tide often washed the bodies ashore at that location.

In 1890, high tariffs were placed on the importation of opium, which led to this drug becoming a profitable item for smugglers.And in 1919, the Volstead Act ushered in Prohibition, creating a market for bootlegged alcohol until 1933, when Prohibition was repealed and "rum running" ended. Cigars and wool were also smuggled to avoid tariffs and turn a profit.

Drug smuggling continues in the San Juan Islands, today. One of the most recent incidents occurred in August 2015, when a Coast Guard crew confiscated 24 kilograms of the drug, MDMA (known as ecstasy or molly), from a boat near San Juan Island in August 2015.

As long as there are taxes, laws, and a profit to be made from circumnavigating them, smuggling will go on, and the seclusion of the San Juan Islands makes them one of its favorite locations.


Deceptive Tide

When murder comes to a peaceful island paradise, what you don’t know could just kill you.

Piper Harrington, struggling to build a new life after her husband’s plane crash leaves her widowed, travels to a remote island in the Pacific Northwest to research a novel. She checks into a resort condominium near the Moran mansion on Orcas Island and soon encounters a wounded teenage girl who seems followed by trouble. Piper wants to help Lindy, but a series of unsettling events lead her to believe she has, herself, become the target of a stalker.

A spectral figure resembling the ghost said to haunt the historic mansion has her questioning her sanity. She has never felt more alone, even while two men vie for her attention. One has an air of charm, while mystery surrounds the other. Remaining heart-whole seems the only way to protect herself, but both become increasingly impossible.

Learn more about this series

About Janalyn Voigt

Janalyn Voigt's unique blend of adventure, romance, suspense, and whimsy creates breathtaking fictional worlds for readers. Look for her upcoming romantic mystery and western historical fiction releases. This multi-faceted author also writes in the fantasy genre. Beginning with DawnSinger, Janalyn's epic fantasy series, Tales of Faeraven, carries readers into a land only imagined in dreams.

Janalyn is represented by Wordserve Literary Agency. Her memberships include ACFW and NCWA. When she's not writing, she loves to discover worlds of adventure in the great outdoors with her family.

The Man Who Didn't Die

This article is brought to you by Janalyn Voigt.

He arrived in Seattle in 1875, an untried youth of eighteen with one thin dime in his pocket. From this humble beginning, Robert Moran grew a shipbuilding empire that made him a millionaire. He rose to prominence as Seattle’s major and won a second term due to his leadership during the Great Seattle Fire in 1889. He overhauled Seattle’s water system to allow a better response to fire during his second term, then went on to serve as a congressman.

Robert Moran arrived in Seattle with a dime in his pocket.

I came across Robert Moran’s story while researching Deceptive Tide, a romantic suspense novel set to release in May. He impressed me as a remarkable man with a brilliant mind. If anyone could and should leave a legacy, it was Robert Moran.

But first he had to cheat death.

After a long career that saw him building a fleet of steamboats built for use on the Yukon River during the Klondike goldrush and the USS Nebraska, Washington State’s only battleship, Robert received a devastating diagnosis from his doctor. He had heart disease and would die within a year.

In his place, what would you do? I wish I could say for certain that such a pessimistic prognosis wouldn’t in itself put me under and that II would live my last days on Earth well.

Robert Moran took his doctor’s advice to retire. He sold his shipyard and moved to Orcas Island, where he purchased 7,800 acres that included 2,398-foot-tall Mt. Constitution, the highest peak in the San Juan Islands and Cascade Lake, a serene setting not far from the last, most poignant monument to his talents.

In 1906, Robert Moran began construction of a 54-room, five-level home that became known as `Moran’s Shangrila' and `Showplace of the San Juans.' Moran simply called it Rosario, after the strait that separates the San Juan Islands from the mainland. Designed to resemble a ship with its sleek profile and chimney stacks rising from the roof, Rosario pays tribute to Robert Moran’s nautical background. The mansion features stained glass transoms, rich paneling, and other rich details adhering to the Arts and Crafts movement, in vogue at the time.

Moran Mansion in 2007, Courtesy of Joe Mabel.

It is not the architectural detailing or even the exemplary craftsmanship that sets Rosario apart, however. The views from every window make visiting this showplace an experience to remember. Moran treasured nature’s beauty and refused to hang pictures to compete with it. A wise move, in my opinion. I visited Rosario several times on research trips, and each time came away awed. Once, while at breakfast in the Moran Mansion restaurant, which occupies the veranda (now enclosed), I stared in utter delight as an eagle glided within feet of the window beside me.

From this picture, which I took on a research trip in the San Juan Islands, makes it easy to see how  such serenity could relieve the stress in Robert Moran's life. © Janalyn Voigt

Any visitor who does not visit the museum upstairs misses the beauty of the mansion. The heart of the mansion is the music room, where Robert Moran entertained guests to his home. Each Saturday night in summer, Christopher Peacock, the caretaker, plays a concert on the 1913 Aeolian organ, which features 1,972 pipes. He also shows silent film episodes and recounts colorful stories of the mansion’s previous residents.

While Moran was building Rosario, the calendar year turned once, then twice, and finally decades went by. He regained his health and vigor, bolstered by the pristine island atmosphere, reduced stress, and the creative labor he enjoyed. Robert Moran lived another forty years, until 1943 and a ripe old age of 86. He had suffered not from heart disease but from job stress. The lifestyle change he made in preparing to die saved his life, but his story doesn’t end there.

Robert Moran’s friend, naturalist John Muir, had a profound impact on him, as did the policies of President Theodore Roosevelt. In 1911, Moran donated thousands of acres (including Mt. Constitution and Cascade Lake) to the state of Washington. This land became Moran State Park and is beloved by visitors today.

My research into the life of Robert Moran revealed a man who lived well but also knew when to let go. This empowered him to leave a legacy for future generations. Today, the Moran Mansion is part of a resort where visitors focus, as Robert Moran did, on health and healing.

I like to think that would make him smile.

About Janalyn Voigt

Janalyn Voigt's unique blend of adventure, romance, suspense, and whimsy creates breathtaking fictional worlds for readers. Known for her vivid writing, this multi-faceted author writes in the western historical romance, medieval epic fantasy, and romantic suspense genres. 

Janalyn is represented by Wordserve Literary Agency. Her memberships include ACFW and NCWA. When she's not writing, she loves to garden and explore the great outdoors with her family.
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Historic Mansions on the Upper Mississippi River

Gabrielle Here:

I thought it would be fun to share some pictures of my childhood home today (no, it wasn't one of these gorgeous mansions!). My dad was the caretaker for the Musser & Weyerhaeuser Estate (above) on the banks of the Mississippi River and we lived in the carriage house below the hill. It sounds a bit like Sabrina, doesn't it? The estate wasn't quite as elaborate as the one in the movie, but it was still a very magical place to grow up. I had a unique upbringing, to say the least, and it greatly impacted my love for history.

This was my childhood home, the carriage house. From the house,
we had a picturesque view of the Mississippi River.

This areal view (courtesy of linden-hill.org) shows the mansions on the hill above the river.
The carriage house is just to the left of the white mansion.

Here's a view of the Mississippi from near the carriage house.

Here's a bit of the history of the estate:

Richard Drew Musser Home

Charles A. Weyerhaeuser and Richard “Drew” Musser came to Minnesota in 1891 and managed the Pine Tree Lumber Company, which was founded in 1890 by their fathers.

The Weyerhaeuser Home (green house) and Musser home (white house) are neighboring mansions that occupy nine acres of wooded land on top of a small bluff called Linden Hill, overlooking the Mississippi river. These homes were designed by Clarence H. Johnston, the most significant architectural figure in Minnesota, and they were built in the shingle style in 1898.

Charles A. Weyerhaeuser Home

In 1920 the Pine Tree Lumber Company closed and the Weyerhaeusers moved their business to Washington State, where the company is still prominent today. Drew Musser stayed in Little Falls and went into banking. His daughter, Laura Jane, took over the green house in the 1950's after returning from New York City where she attended Juilliard. Laura Jane Musser was the last family member to live on the estate and when she passed away in 1989, the property was given to the city and is now operated as Linden Hill Historical Event Center. Laura Jane was a huge fan of the Wizard of Oz and her amazing collection of memorabilia is still in the green house. She and Margaret Hamilton (The Wicked Witch of the West) met in New York City and became life long friends. Margaret visited Laura Jane many times at her home.

Margaret Hamilton (left) and Laura Jane

We moved into the carriage house when I was three years old. I have wonderful memories of Laura Jane and our time on the estate. It's still one of my favorite places on Earth. 

Every year, I host an author retreat in the white mansion. We spend four days writing, brainstorming, relaxing, and dreaming along the banks of the Mississippi River. I also lead a walking tour through my historic downtown for those who might enjoy a little more history.

I hope you enjoyed visiting Linden Hill with me today! Last year, I wrote a story for the Of Rags to Riches Romance Collection set at this estate. It's called A Tale of Two Hearts and it's set at Linden Hill (which I call Basswood Hill) in 1898.

Of Rags and Riches is available here.

What about you? Where did you spend your childhood? Do you ever go back and visit?

Gabrielle Meyer lives in central Minnesota on the banks of the Mississippi River with her husband and four children. As an employee of the Minnesota Historical Society, she fell in love with the rich history of her state and enjoys writing fictional stories inspired by real people and events.

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The Torment of Sarah Winchester

Winchester House, CA

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By Marilyn Turk

When Sarah Pardee married William Winchester in 1862, she enjoyed a life of extravagant luxury. Winchester, manufacturer of the Winchester repeating rifle, became a very wealthy man through the sale of his guns, and the couple were among the elite New England society.

But in 1866, the death of their infant daughter threw Sarah into a depression from which she never emerged.  Several years later, she lost her husband to tuberculosis, and her grief was overwhelming. Sarah sought the counsel of a Boston medium to reach her beloved dead family members.

Sarah Winchester

The medium told Sarah that spirits of those killed by the Winchester rifle – Civil War soldiers, American   Indians and others – had sought revenge by the death of her husband and daughter. She also told Sarah they would kill her too, unless she moved out West and built a great house for the spirits. In addition, Sarah was told construction on the house must never end in order to appease the spirits and keep her alive, perhaps even give her eternal life.

Sarah followed the medium’s suggestions, and in 1884, she moved to the Santa Clara valley just outside San Jose, where she bought a farmhouse and property to build her mansion. Contractors were hired to work in round-the-clock shifts so the work never stopped. What began as an eight room  house became a seven story mansion over the next thirty-eight years, and her property grew to 160 acres of orchards and  imported plants.

Main Ballroom

One of the wealthiest women in the country after inheriting twenty million dollars and stock, money was no object as she built her house. The finest materials were imported for the home, some which were never used by the time of her death. Sarah paid her workmen double the going wage for that era, so they didn’t argue with her eccentric plans.

One of the master bedrooms

Sarah never had a blueprint drawn, rather she held a séance in a special room each night to sketch the next plans for the house. Built to please the good spirits and hide from the evil ones, staircases went nowhere, or went down then up, hidden passageways were installed, and doors led to nothing.

Often her plans involved tearing apart rooms that had just been finished to rebuild them another way, which also explained the stairs and doors that led nowhere.

Stairway to nowhere

Secret doorway

At first, Sarah entertained neighborhood children on her lawn, but eventually her arthritis forced her to become more reclusive.

After the 1906 earthquake which resulted in her being trapped in a front bedroom, she decided the spirits were angry with her and had the front of the house, including a grand ballroom that was never used, sealed up.  She supposedly slept in a different bedroom each night, using various passageways to get around the house and confuse the spirits.

Winchester House, aerial view

When she died in 1922, the house had 10,000 windows, 2,000 doors, 47 stairways, 57 fireplaces, 13 (a number she used frequently in the house) bathrooms, and 6 kitchens. It is estimated that some 500-600 rooms were actually built over the course of time, although “only” 160 remained.

When I visited the “mystery” mansion, tourists were warned to stay with their guides because one can still get lost among the erratic maze of the house’s layout.

There are many more odd and interesting details about the house, but I’ve run out of space.  For more information, see www.winchestermysteryhouse.com.

So, do you think Sarah Winchester ever had peace from the spirits that haunted her?  She’s one more of the sad examples that shows money can’t buy happiness.

Marilyn Turk has been published in Guideposts magazine, Guideposts books - A Joyful Heart and A Cup of Christmas Cheer, The Upper Room, Clubhouse Jr. Magazine, Chicken Soup for the Soul, and Lighthouse Digest magazine. Her book, Lighthouse Devotions was published in 2015, and The Gilded Curse, a historical suspense novel, was released this month. Her weekly lighthouse blog can be found at http://pathwayheart.com. She lives in Florida with husband Chuck and enjoys boating, fishing, tennis, and gardening when she’s not climbing lighthouses or playing with her grandsons. 

It's 1942, and Lexie Smithfield, heir to her family’s fortune, journeys to Jekyll Island to dispose of the family vacation home her deceased mother told her was cursed.  But mysterious events threaten her safety, and only Russell Thompson, a childhood friend, can help her discover the truth before she is caught in a trap that threatens her very life.