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South Whidbey Historical Society
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Early Winter 2022 www.SouthWhidbeyHistory.org
Untangling a web of history at Sandy Point
An 1860 Snohomish Tribe village just and “white slavery” sex trafficking,
south of Langley is the starting point of and to suppress the illegal sale of liquor
the Tangled Web of History research and opium in saloons and on tribal
project being sponsored by the South reservations in the Pacific Northwest.
Whidbey Historical Society. During the pandemic, the project was
After inheriting a trunk of artifacts limited to online research and prelimi-
and newspaper clippings belonging to nary field surveys outreach with some
her great-grandmother, Ruth Galland residents of South Whidbey. Of sur-
Miller Bown, project historian Kyle prise was the unexpected expansion of
Walker, M.A. decided to focus her re- stakeholders and stories, new artifacts
search in three main areas: and archival materials.
The history of To date, the project
the Snohomish Tribe has established more
on South Whidbey than 31 separate proj- Treasury agent George Miller and BIA
(villages, events and ect files by topic. agent John Brown, worked undercover to
expose crime, corruption and smuggling
notable figures); the Research is final- in Puget Sound. Ruth married John sev-
impact European set- ly able to expand to eral years after George's untimely death.
tlers and Asian immi- regional and state ar-
grants on tribal assim- chival centers, previ- Individuals who have artifacts and ar-
ilation, and challenges ously closed during chival materials pertinent to the project
faced by mixed race the pandemic. to share will be considered donors.
families and women A roundtable dis- Donors will be acknowledged in
in a cross-cultural, ru- cussion with descen- project materials and presentations and
ral setting. Ruth and John Brown made their dants, oral history receive periodic project updates.
How Portuguese home at Sandy Point where John interviews, website For more information, email Kyle
sailor, Joseph Brown, was born. He was an agent for the updates, and a new Walker at walkerkk@msn.com.
and his wife Mary Bureau of Indian Aff airs. museum display on
Shelton, a “high-born” member of the the indigenous history of South Whid-
Snohomish Tribe, altered the cultural bey are all in the works.
landscape of a permanent Snohomish A part-time intern, funded by a grant
village and greater Sandy Point area, from the Washington State Historical
into a thriving center of early maritime Society will also be assisting.
trade and a seasonal residential destina- Research activities require additional
tion. funds to offset costs for materials, sup-
The experiences of Brown/Shel- plies, and travel to archival centers.
ton family members working as un- Donations are welcome and can be
dercover detectives for the Bureau of made in the enclosed remit envelope or
Indian Affairs and the Department of online at www.SouthWhidbeyHisto- Mary Shelton Brown shown with her
Treasury to investigate prostitution ry.org/localresearchproject grandchildren at Sandy Point.
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