San Juan Island Heritage Collection is a collection of historic materials documenting the early culture, industry, and community life of San Juan Island, Washington. Two projects were undertaken to identify and digitize these materials. The first project, the Jim Crook Collection, focused specifically on island pioneer Jim Crook. The second project, San Juan Story, reached out to all island families to capture a broader spectrum of stories and information. Together these collections make up the San Juan Island Heritage Collection available online courtesy of the Washington State Library.
The Jim Crook Collection
The items in the Jim Crook Collection tell the story of a respected San Juan Island pioneer. Jim Crook’s family homesteaded English Camp in 1875 when Jim was one year old. Jim lived at English Camp until his death at age 93 caring for the land and people on it. Jim Crook’s spirit of ingenuity and resourcefulness show a way of life highly valued on the island. Items in the collection include photographs, newspaper clippings, letters, equipment, clothing, audio interviews, and video. The majority of the items are held by the San Juan Historical Museum. …visit the San Juan Island National Historical Park website for more information about English Camp and the history of the island.
Project partners include the San Juan Island Library; San Juan Historical Museum; San Juan Island National Historical Park; and the Town of Friday Harbor. Grant funding has been provided by the Washington State Library.