Search Results for: "Gig Harbor Now and Then"

Gig Harbor Now and Then: A familiar name paved the old Jerkovich dock

Sep 25, 2023

The previous history questions in Gig Harbor Now and Then were several. They concerned part of the old Jerkovich dock, which is now incorporated into the city of Gig Harbor’s Ancich Waterfront Park. It is used today only by seagulls and crows for breaking clam shells. The questions: Who paved the old dock? When was

Gig Harbor Now and Then: Sports scores from the 1930s may not be what you expect

Sep 11, 2023

The previous question posed by Gig Harbor Now and Then was: What two different sports were the girls’ teams playing in 1930 when Gig Harbor’s Union High School beat Vaughn Union High 17-15, then lost to Olalla 5-4; and in 1935 when Rosedale School beat Crescent Valley School 66-22? Answer: basketball and baseball, respectively. In

Gig Harbor Now and Then: Library hall used a form of lighting your insurance agent wouldn’t approve of

Aug 28, 2023

We concluded our last column with the question: What kind of lighting system upgrade was installed in the Vaughn Library Hall in 1920? Answer: Interestingly enough, the answer lies in that fun little riddle many of us memorized in childhood. For those too young to remember, it goes like this: How do you make firemen

Gig Harbor Now and Then: Squatters were early adopters of tiny houses

Aug 14, 2023

Our previous question asked: What was the average size of the 32 squatters’ houses on Military Reservation 23, at point Evans, barely north of the Narrows bridges, in 1916? Answer: 215 square feet. However, Lillian Young apparently didn’t have a house, so perhaps the total square feet should be divided by 31 houses. That would

Gig Harbor Now and Then: The search for a needle (or a stabilizer) in a haystack (or Burley)

Jul 31, 2023

Our previous question of local history concerned a cash reward offered for the return of a critical piece missing from a Boeing B-17 bomber that crashed in Burley in March 1943. How long did the kids of the Burley/Glenwood/Purdy area search for the bomber’s missing part? Answer: All through the summer of 1943. During a

Gig Harbor Now and Then: Gig Harbor Lumber Company wood built this home, but it’s not in Gig Harbor

Jul 17, 2023

Our last question concerned the lumber sawed at the mill of the Gig Harbor Lumber Company, which operated from 1888 to 1891. There is only one remaining building known to have been constructed with Gig Harbor Lumber Company lumber, a house built in Gig Harbor in 1888. Where is the Gig Harbor house built from

Gig Harbor Now and Then: The Vine, government land and unpaid sailors

Jul 03, 2023

Two weeks ago, the debut column of Gig Harbor Now and Then featured three questions of local history. All concern the schooner Vine, the second ship built in Gig Harbor. This week we provide the answers. They are as follows: Question 1: Where in Gig Harbor was the Vine built? Answer: The Gig Harbor Lumber

Gig Harbor Now and Then: The Vine sailed into local history

Jun 19, 2023

With this, the debut of Gig Harbor Now and Then, Vince Dice, the editor of Gig Harbor Now, has placed his employment in great peril by trusting me to provide a worthwhile column of Gig Harbor Peninsula history. How it works I’ll try to do that by presenting small but interesting bits that by themselves

A look inside 3509 Harborview Drive

Aug 18, 2026

Greg Spadoni spends his time chronicling and preserving Gig Harbor’s history. But after taking a look inside 3509 Harborview Dr., he says the home deserves a decent burial.

Plaque honors former mayor Chuck Hunter for work on Donkey Creek ‘daylighting’

Jan 26, 2026

The former construction professional spearheaded efforts to get the new bridge built, removing a fish-passage barrier on Donkey Creek.