The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1903-04-02
RESERVES
A LETTER TELLING OF THEIR SELEC-
TION AND SURVEY IN 1874
4 Profitable Church Festival-Origin OF
the Valley Presbyterian Church, One
of the Oldest in the State-A Little
Pioneer Church History.

The passage 10y the late legisla''re
of the memorial calling upon congress
or the war department to open to set
tlement the various military reserya
tons in this county, with the eScep-
ton of the Cattle point reserve, lends
interest to the following communities
ton written by Capt Warbass nearly
twenty-nine years ago and published
in the "Northern Light at Whatcom,
one Of the pioneer papers of the Sound
country The dominant idea in the
selection of the reservations surveyed
10y Gen. Michler and his party seems
to have been to retain government con
troll Of all points commanding the
channels leading to Griffin bay, which
had been strongly recommended by a
board of naval officers as a desirable
site for "harbor of refuge" and naval
dry dock. AS it is presumed that the
government long since ceased to enter
tain the idea of utilizing Griffin bay
for the purpose recommended there is
believed to be no reason why the
reservations never occupied for any
military purpose should not be per-
mitted to pass into private hands to be
improved and subject to taxation. The
letter of Capt Warbass is as follows:
San Juan Island, Sept. II, 1874.
Publisher Northern Light, Whatcom.
Dear Sir: General Michler with his
party of civil engineers, numbering
nearly thirty, lett on the steamer Fa-
vorite on Monday, August 81, for Ia
coma, en- route to Portland, after two
months sojourn among us.
Seven government reservations were
taken, surveys and plats made, shores
meandered and the waters adjoining
accurately sounded commanding the
channels leading into the chosen Har-
Dor of Refuge (Griffin's bay or Man of
War Harbor). The reserves are To-
Gated as follows:
On San Juan island-Point Caution,
commencing on Friday harhor, near
the new store house, and running
thence in direct line across the Hill
to the northeastern beach, taking Nc
Carty's sheep run, called by the set
tiers "Channel prairie" The present
U. s. military post lately occupied by
Company II, 2lst infantry, including
the whole penipsular to the south.
On Lopez island-The North end,
known as "Sandy point" and the
South end known as panama Jacks"
or Mr.. A. J. Shars-640 acres each.
Two on Shaw's island, opposite re
spectiyely the reservations on Sandy
point, Lopez island, and Channel
prairie, Point Caution; and one small
island close to Shaw's and Sandy
point.
Notes and boundary lines of the
above reservations have been forward
ed by General Michler to Messrs.
Whitworth & Reed, contractors, now
surveying under contract from the
land Office at Olympia to survey San
Juan and Lopez islands.
Mrs. Michler got up church festi-
val in return for attentions shown the
survey party by the settlers of the
island, which came off on Friday, Au-
gust %, which proved great success,
$3.50 being taken in at Rebecca's well,
postoffice, bazaar. supper and ball, the
money to be expended towards build
ing church on the island. on the Rev.
T. J. Weeks raising from the Presby-
terry $4OO to put with 1t, which has al
ready been done.
Very sincerely,