The lowest tide I’ve ever seen at Blakely Harbor revealed some interesting remnants of the Port Blakely mill town that bustled in the harbor a century ago.
On Wednesday, a rarely-seen blanket of water-logged lumber was visible on large portion of Blakely Harbor Park’s beach. Not sure why it forms a zig-zag pattern. Any ideas?
Head down below to see a few more low-tide curiosities.
Head over HERE to read my story about the effort to preserve the many artifacts at Yama, a Japanese immigrant village that took shape near the Port Blakely mill in the late 1800s and faded away 80 years ago. The story features a photo gallery of a few artifacts that remain at the site.
Bainbridge Island Historical Museum Curator Rick Chandler has done a good deal of research about the village. His exhibit about Yama is currently showing at the museum. It features photos, maps and several household items once owned by some of the island’s first Japanese residents.
Below is a short history by Rick about the Takayoshi brothers, two of Yama’s most prominent residents. Known by the village’s residents as the ‘general’ of Yama, Tamegoro Takayoshi owned a general store that was the epicenter of activity at Yama. It had, among other things, a photo studio, ice cream parlor, bathhouse and tea garden.
This week is your last chance to see island photographer Philip Meadow’s Port Blakely mill exhibit at Cafe Trios.
Meadows, a transplant from the U.K., was quite taken by the ever-changing canvas that the old lumber mill building has become. For years, graffiti artists have created overlapping images on the walls, ceiling and floor of the crumbling concrete structure at the center of Port Blakely Park.
Meadows’ exhibit features huge images and 360 degree panorama shots of the artwork spraypainted on the building’s interior.
He’s looking for a new place to show the exhibit. You can reach him here, and check out his online gallery (here) and blog (here).
Here’s what Meadows had to say about the exhibit in a recent post:
The mill was shut down in 1922 and over time, the mill’s buildings were destroyed. All that remains of Port Blakely mill today is the old generator building which has become a canvas for graffiti artists and a playground for BMX and skateboard riders. Although some people may find these activities to be somewhat unfitting use for such a piece of history, it has to be said that the young people that are attracted to this location remain respectful in their own way.
