On My Office Shelves

     The teacher in me says, “Give books for Christmas.”  The history buff in me says, “Make it one about long ago.”  The ‘local’ in me says, “Make it about here – especially Oysterville.”  The writer in me, of course, says, “Make it one of mine!”
     There are so many wonderful books about our area that should be on the ‘must read’ list of everyone who lives here, who visits here, or who just plain loves it here.  Some of my favorites include:
          1. The Journals of the Lewis & Clark Expedition, Volume 6, November 2, 1805-March 22, 1806 edited by Gary E. Moulton.  This volume deals with the time period of the expedition’s journey from the Cascades of the Columbia through their winter at Fort Clatsop.  Moulton’s edition not only presents the full text of the journals, but is well annotated giving added insight and understanding to the original works.
          2. The Northwest Coast or Three Years’ Residence in Washington Territory by James G. Swan.  This remarkable volume is a first-hand account of the author’s 1852-1855 stay on Shoalwater (now Willapa) Bay when only a few dozen white setters lived among the Indians in the midst of a yet untamed wilderness.  His observations of the area and of its indigenous peoples provide the perfect yardstick against which we can measure our ‘progress’ of the last hundred and fifty years.
          3. Coast Country: A History of Southwest Washington by Lucile McDonald. Written in a straightforward, almost chatty style, this book gives a behind-the-scenes look at the peninsula of the mid-twentieth century and of its history as seen through the eyes of local residents.  Sometimes the facts are a little skewed, but the enthusiasm of the author makes for delightful reading and the photographs will remind many readers of barely remembered peninsula landmarks.
          4. Oysterville: Road’s to Grandpa’s Village by Willard R. Espy.  Published shortly after Alex Haley’s 1976 blockbuster, Espy’s book has been hailed “the white man’s Roots.”  It is the culmination of his thirty years research into the Espy and Richardson family genealogies, but it is the author’s beautifully interweaving of anecdotes and stories about the early Shoalwater Bay region that make it a must for anyone interested in the history of our area.
          5. The Nickel Plated Beauty by Patricia Beatty.  Set in Ocean Park, Washington Territory in 1886, this is the story of the seven Kimball youngsters and their struggles to earn (secretly) $27 for a new stove for their mother.  This is children’s historical fiction at its best.  I read it to my classes each of the 23 years I taught in the Ocean Beach School District.  I still feel it’s a must for anyone growing up here at the beach.  Or for anyone else!
     There are two other books, each with a specific focus that also should be on the list for anyone seriously interested in our history:  The Railroad That Ran by the Tide by Raymond J. Feagans and Pacific Graveyard by James A. Gibbs.  
       And, of course, anything by Sydney Stevens!  Check out my website for titles!