- Sou’westers Then and Now
For anyone interested in Pacific County history, the best bargain ever is the sou’wester – the quarterly magazine of the Pacific County Historical Society. Well, it used to be quarterly, but in the most recent issue I see that it is now billed as a “semi-annual” publication. Even so, it comes free with the $25 annual membership ($35 for a family) and back issues are available for a modest amount.
The publication was begun in 1966 by the late Ruth Dixon in order to provide a forum for the details of Pacific County’s history. For the next thirteen years she served as the sou’wester editor, gathering, writing, publishing stories about our past and encouraging others to share and document their memories.
Over the years, a number of editors and guest editors have continued Ruth’s vision and countless writers and chroniclers have made their contributions. I, too, have been a guest editor from time to time. The first issue I did was in 1985 – “The Story of Medora” – and, as it turned out, it was the precursor to my 2007 book, Dear Medora:Child of Oysterville’s Forgotten Years published by Washington State University Press.
Since then I’ve edited three additional double issues of the sou’wester: “Growing up in Oysterville,” Winter 2005/Spring 2006; “Gin’s Tonic,” Summer 2007/Fall 2007; and “A Summer Camp on Willapa Bay,” Summer 2008/Fall 2008. And, I’m pleased to report that I am beginning to work on yet another – this one in conjunction with the Columbia Pacific Heritage Museum who have agreed to provide the content for one issue a year. Our plan for this one is a look at the history of the Ilwaco waterfront.
Sometime between my first and second stints as guest editor, the format of the magazine changed. It had begun as a small, 6×9 inch format publication – a bit old-fashioned looking and in keeping with its historical content. At least I thought so. Unfortunately, in 2000 (perhaps in some misguided effort to honor the new millennium) the powers-that-be decided to ‘go modern’ with an 8½x11 format and a glossy, nondescript cover. I’m really sorry about that, but I tell myself that it’s the content that counts.
And so it does! The sou’wester remains the very best, most entertaining source for Pacific County history anywhere, as far as I know. There are profiles of the characters who lived in our towns and there are photographs of buildings and of people who are no longer with us. There are first-hand accounts of early-day events and there are letters and diary excerpts carefully saved by the descendents of the pioneers.
I think I have all the issues. They are a treasure trove and I can pick up any one of them and lose myself for several hours, effortlessly gleaning precious information and all-but-forgotten facts. Definitely the best bargain in the county!
As a child I spent summers at my grandparent’s beach house in Seaview. I think it was at Sugarman’s store that my dad picked up copies of the Sou’Westers during the 1960s. There was no television at the beach house so reading was a family occupation and besides Nancy Drews and National Geographics from the 1940s, I enjoyed the Sou’Wester since I loved the Peninsila so!