Friday Harbor Packing Co. salmon cannery Friday Harbor and Puget Sound Navigation Co.'s steamer Whatcom at dock, 1915
In 1845 the Hudson's Bay Company laid claim to San Juan Island. In 1850 they built a salmon curing station. A few years later they started a sheep farm.[7]
The town's name originates from Joseph Poalie Friday, a native Hawaiian. Friday worked at the Pugets Sound Agricultural Company's Fort Cowlitz, from 1841 to 1859–60 and later moved north to San Juan Island, raising and herding sheep around the harbor.[8]
After the peaceful settlement obtained following the Pig War, the San Juan Islands became a separate county in 1873. Friday Harbor was named the county seat.[9] Friday Harbor was officially incorporated on February 10, 1909. It remains the only incorporated town in the San Juan Islands.[10]
Sailing ships, and later, the steamships of the Puget Sound Mosquito Fleet, visited the harbor on a regular basis hauling passengers, mail and freight. Freight from the island would include apples, pears, cherries, strawberries, peas, cream, eggs, chickens, grain, salmon, and lime. All were produced on or around San Juan Island. The Great Depression, World War II, the pea weevil, and competition from Eastern Washington growers brought about the decline of traditional island industries, diminishing Friday Harbor's export trade. The 1970s brought new industries - tourism, retirement, real estate, and construction. Today, Friday Harbor is again busy and prosperous.
Osamu Shimomura harvested jellyfish from the docks of the harbor. Eventually he purified the proteins that allow the jellyfish to fluoresce green when exposed to blue light. One of them, green fluorescent protein, is now widely used as a marker of molecular activity.[11]
Geography and climate
Friday Harbor is located on the east side of San Juan Island facing the San Juan Channel. According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 2.16 square miles (5.59 km2), of which, 2.09 square miles (5.41 km2) is land and 0.07 square miles (0.18 km2) is water.[12]
Friday Harbor has a Mediterranean climate (KöppenCsb) with warm, dry summers and cold, though not severe, and rainy winters.
Climate data for Friday Harbor, Washington (Friday Harbor Airport), 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1998–present
As of the census[3] of 2010, there were 2,162 people, 1,015 households, and 481 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,034.4 inhabitants per square mile (399.4/km2). There were 1,273 housing units at an average density of 609.1 per square mile (235.2/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 83.1% White, 0.3% African American, 0.5% Native American, 2.0% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 10.9% from other races, and 3.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 15.9% of the population.
There were 1,015 households, of which 27.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 30.2% were married couples living together, 12.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.1% had a male householder with no wife present, and 52.6% were non-families. 46.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.05 and the average family size was 2.88.
The median age in the town was 41.3 years. 22.6% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.2% were from 25 to 44; 28.7% were from 45 to 64; and 17% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 47.2% male and 52.8% female.
2000 census
As of the census[5] of 2000, there were 1,989 people, 896 households, and 468 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,467.7 people per square mile (564.7/km2). There were 1,053 housing units at an average density of 777.0 per square mile (298.9/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 92.01% White, 0.65% African American, 1.31% Native American, 1.41% Asian, 0.20% Pacific Islander, 2.61% from other races, and 1.81% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.23% of the population.
There were 896 households, out of which 28.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 34.6% were married couples living together, 12.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 47.7% were non-families. 38.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.13 and the average family size was 2.81.
In the town, the age distribution of the population shows 23.1% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 26.5% from 25 to 44, 25.7% from 45 to 64, and 17.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 84.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 78.4 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $35,139, and the median income for a family was $45,208. Males had a median income of $35,625 versus $24,741 for females. The per capita income for the town was $19,792. About 7.7% of families and 12.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.2% of those under age 18 and 6.0% of those age 65 or over.
A passenger ferry at Friday Harbor's dockSeaplane at Friday Harbor on arrival from Seattle's Lake Union
Friday Harbor's primary connection to the mainland is via Washington State Ferries, which sail between the town and Anacortes, Washington, several times per day. Friday Harbor can also be reached via ferry from Sidney, British Columbia, on Washington State Ferries' only international route. This service is available seasonally, only (i.e., May to October). Seasonal passenger ferry service is available from Bellingham, Port Townsend, and Seattle to Friday Harbor.[17] On the island, there are taxis, seasonal shuttles, bicycles, and mopeds for rent.
The Friday Harbor Airport features limited airline service. The midtown Friday Harbor Seaplane Base is also served by regular daily floatplane scheduled services from the downtown pier to Seattle's Lake Union seaplane terminal or the South tip of Lake Washington at Renton Municipal Airport with Friday Harbor Seaplanes.[18]
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