Customer Reviews

Backroads of Washington

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is one beautiful book. The pictures are superb and the writing is outstanding. A treasure to leave out on the coffee table to be perused at leisure and with the enjoyment of learning about Washington's unique beauty. A great joy, well done.

I really liked this book and thought the format and content were great. An interesting and enlightening guidebook for the motoring wanderer.

This book falsely states that "Oak Harbor was founded in 1894 by Dutch emmigrants from Holland" This is incorect info. Oak Harbor was founded in 1851 by three men who took out Donation land claims, they were Ulrich Freund a Swiss man, Martin Taftson, a Norweigian and C. Sumner, a Yankee..They were followed by several Irish Pioneers, such as Capt. Edward Barrington, Frank McCrohan, Thomas Nunan, Maurice O'Leary, Samual and Thomas Maylor and L.P. Byrne. As well as numerous other Pioneers who were here in Oak Harbor where I live, about 40 years before any Dutch arrived..Oak Harbor is often reported as a "Dutch town" when this is not true history at all. These Irishmen and their families established the first stores, businesses, schools, and churches in Oak Harbor. This was started in the 1850's continuing through the 1890's.. The Dutch who arrived in 1894 came from the midwest to farm, hearing about the fine farm land offerred on Whidbey Island.
Oak Harbor is just as old as the town of Coupeville which is just across Penn Cove. The mentioned "windmill" at City Beach park in Oak Harbor is a recently built "pretend" not real windmill, which houses beach supplies and snacks for the near by swimming lagoon.
Not to be confused with a real old functional windmill. Oak Harbor celebated their centennial in the year 1951, when it was 100 years old. Other then this incorrect history of our town, Oak Harbor, I find the book very interesting and great photos.