San Juan Island Administrative History

CHAPTER 4:
San Juan Island National Historical Park Management

Segismand Zachweija, 1974-1980

Coming on board in April 1974, the first task attended to by Superintendent Zachweija was the collapse of negotiations with San Juan County for the road exchange. Zachweija continued the management goals and program planning initiated by Stoddard, which included a new general management plan to replace the park's initial master plan.

In 1975, NPS historical architect Harold La Fleur, Jr. completed a List of Classified Structures inventory for the park, and in 1977 he completed the study entitled Historic Structures Report: Architectural Data for the American Camp McRae House/Officers' Quarters and Laundress' Quarters and the English Camp Hospital. In 1978, a contract for rehabilitation work on the McRae house was awarded. Between 1977-78, park staff worked on audio-visual scripts for interpretive programs for use in the English Camp Barracks. The park also worked to complete the first resource management plan for the park, which was approved in 1979.

Complicating things for management, GSA informed the park in 1977 that the landlord for the Friday Harbor office was terminating their lease. The landlord had given the NPS two or three months notice to be out of the space and GSA informed the park that no other suitable space was available in town and offered no other solution. A building regulation in place in 1977 limited building construction on site to under $3,000 unless approved by Congress. [11] However, a trailer could bex installed on site, so Laurin Huffman, regional historical architect, designed a structure for use as a temporary headquarters building until funding and planning could be completed for a permanent visitor facility/office building. The plan was to move the trailer to North Cascades National Park for their use after completion of a permanent visitor center at San Juan.

The park trailer serving as the administrative headquarters.

Huffman designed the trailer in a hurry and submitted it to procurement but no one bid on the job. After a quick day-and-a-half redesign, Huffman sent out a new design, which was contracted to Evergreen Mobile in Issaquah, Washington. Walt Manza worked to complete site construction at American Camp. [12]

Manza's work was jeopardized early on when the largest ferry making runs to San Juan Island, and for which Huffman had designed the trailer to fit on, broke down. The project was delayed until the rudder on the Kaleetan was repaired and the large ferry put back on island runs. The trailer was then trucked and ferried to the island and assembled onsite. In the meantime, the lease ran out on the office space in the Carter Building, and a trailer previously used as seasonal housing had to suffice as the administrative headquarters until the new trailer structure could be transported and assembled. This "temporary" structure is still in use today, as a visitor contact station containing lobby exhibit space. Located at American Camp, it also houses offices for interpretation, resource management, and the park library.

General Management Plan, 1979

Programming for a new general management plan (GMP) for the park began in 1973. The 1967 master plan was intended to get the park through its initial development phase and most of those objectives had been completed or determined to be outmoded by park staff. [13] A new general management plan identified current development needs and the programming/appropriation of funds to meet those needs.

American Camp as drawn by an unknown artist, detailing the parade ground and buildings.

The park's 1979 general management plan identified the following management objectives:

1. Historic resources: to identify, evaluate, protect, and preserve the historic scene and resources of English Camp and American Camp, as well as prehistoric remains, in accordance with historic preservation laws, management policies of the National Park Service, and the purpose of the park.

2. Natural resources: to manage natural resources in order to recreate and perpetuate the historic scene; to work cooperatively with the state of Washington in managing tidelands; and to identify threatened or endangered species and preserve their habitat.

3. Interpretation: to foster understanding and appreciation of the historic events that occurred from 1853 to 1871 on San Juan Island in connection with the final settlement of the Oregon territorial boundary dispute between the United States and Great Britain, including the Pig War of 1859.

4. Visitor use: to encourage visitor use and enjoyment of the park through provision of adequate facilities and services for activities that are compatible with the cultural, natural, and scenic values of the park.

5. Acquisition of information: to acquire information through archaeological investigations, documentary research, and other means, as appropriate, for the purpose of preserving and interpreting the park.

6. Cooperation: to cooperate with other agencies, private groups, and the public for the purpose of protecting and encouraging compatible use and development of the island's resources.

The 1979 GMP placed the highest priority on the preservation of historic structures at American Camp. Restorations at English Camp had taken place as early as 1970, but the Officers' and Laundress' Quarters at American Camp remained unrestored. The planning team, in combination with public opinion, believed that created an imbalance between the two camps.

Historic Base Map, American Camp (click for larger image ~148K)

Historic Base Map, British Camp (click for larger image ~148K)

Resource management needs identified in the 1979 GMP covered a variety of restoration, management, research, and reconstruction projects. At English Camp, minor relocations to the flagpole and the formal garden were planned, as well as developing picnic tables and an information office outside the historic area. Larger projects included the restoration of the Hospital structure; reconstruction of the parade ground fence; marking of the foundations of all non-extant buildings; research and replanting of the formal garden; and monitoring/research of the Garrison Bay shoreline.

The majority of resource development projects were at American Camp, and focused on restoration of the Officers' and Laundress' Quarters. The plan also recommended the reconstruction of the picket fence enclosing the parade ground, all HBC fences, and the marking of all non-extant American Camp and HBC structure foundations. Projects designed to recreate the historic setting of 1859-72 included the burial of intruding power lines, the reconstruction of the HBC vegetable garden, and reestablishment of the forest landscape north of the campsite. Temporary headquarters were to be moved to American Camp and some form of rabbit control developed. In addition, studies of the relationship between eagle and other raptors and populations of non-native wildlife species at American Camp were recommended. Finally, the plan called for cataloging and photographing the park collections.

A number of general development needs were identified to provide better visitor access and to give park staff a better work environment. English Camp needs included: re-graveling the access road, expanding the lower parking lot (if determined necessary), widening and graveling the Garrison Bay access road and parking area, developing a picnic site at Garrison Bay, designing and constructing a parking lot and a trail to Young Hill, and erecting a commemorative plaque for Jim Crook, recognizing local efforts to preserve English Camp. At American Camp, the plan called for creating a parking area

in front of the interpretive shelter, designing and constructing a park headquarters, and utilizing non-historic buildings for park operations or removing/salvaging them.

The GMP called for development of a permanent visitor facility and offices, employees quarters, a maintenance facility, and construction and installation of a boat dock and mooring buoys. Despite previous planning attempts, the county and by-pass roads at American Camp were both listed as "no change", indicating the park planned to continue the status quo for the contentious issue of the county and by-pass roads. [14]

Visitor use and interpretation needs for English Camp included the proper inventory and assessment for retention or donation of the remainder of Jim Crook's equipment that was left on the property. No changes were identified for the Barracks exhibits.

At American Camp, identified interpretation needs included a new interpretive sign at the Redoubt. The GMP also considered re-designation of the Jakle's Lagoon Road into a nature trail with interpretive markers placed for more involved natural history interpretation. The existing interpretive shelter was identified as too small and limiting for proper interpretation and visitor needs and a new facility for the camp was recommended.

The GMP also recommended securing office space in Friday Harbor for a staffed information office. This recommendation carried over from initial park planning, but a lack of adequate space in Friday Harbor, in addition to an unconvinced regional office, would delay this move. The plan also identified the need for road signs identifying mileage to two park units and the need for interpretive exhibits or, at minimum, brochure dispensers for placement aboard island-bound ferries to help guide visitors to the park.

The GMP scheduled each of the proposals into three, five-year phases, with dollar amounts associated with each specific project. Phase one projects identified what park management believed was the highest priority for park development; specifically, bringing American Camp up to the same level of restoration and quality as the historic scene that existed at English Camp. Prioritized phase one projects were listed as:

• Restoration of buildings at American Camp

• Reconstruction of American Camp picket fence

• Move temporary headquarters to American Camp

• Construct a maintenance facility at American Camp

• Develop water and sewer systems and bury powerlines

• Develop interpretive markers along Jakle's Lagoon trail

• Develop and install brochures and dispensers for island bound ferries

• Install park mileage road signs in Friday Harbor

• Reconstruct parade ground fence at English Camp

• Research and replant formal garden

• Upgrade existing roads and parking at English Camp

• Construct Bell Point nature trail with interpretive trail exhibits and markers

All other projects fell into the second and third five-year phases. Total cost estimate for all the projects proposed for development: $2,033,000.00.

Development of campsites at American Camp was a major planning item in the new GMP that carried over from initial park planning, but shortly thereafter, was dropped for two reasons. First, the public on the whole viewed the proposal unfavorably. The primary reasons for their lack of support on this issue were a dislike of anything that might aid or precipitate increased visitation to the island, but more importantly was the fear that the campsites would hurt the business of two privately owned and operated campgrounds on the island. Secondly, the park could not accurately determine that adequate potable water supplies existed at the camp to support large-scale camping, especially during the summer seasons. These two factors combined to end serious planning attempts for campsites.

Public comment on the 1979 GMP raised one interesting point: a large percentage of those who commented on the plan and its BORDER=1 ALTernatives remembered initial development planning for the park and items identified in the 1967 Master Plan, most specifically the fact that the headquarters had not been moved into Friday Harbor as proposed. One letter stated that the park should complete one master plan before starting a new one.

One of the largest gaps in the park's written record is the period of Zachwieja's superintendency. Aside from planning documents and correspondence for the new GMP, little written evidence exists, including any references to where or why Zachwieja left the park. In interpretation, Zachwieja did hire Patricia Milliren, the park's first full time park ranger dedicated to interpretation. It was under Milliren's direction that living history programming at the park began (see Chapter V).