Another trip to San Juan Island this weekend took us to the National Historical Monuments there that commemorate the famous Pig War. Not that famous? Let me tell you all about it.
The treaty that designated the 49th parallel as the border between Canada (British territory) and the new United States excepted huge "Vancouver's Island" as belonging to Britain even though it extends south of the line. It didn't specify who owned the smaller islands between Vancouver Island and the the mainland. Of course, both countries claimed them and tensions rose as more people moved in. In 1860 the shooting of an American pig by a British settler angry about its depredations in his vegetable garden resulted in troops being stationed by both countries at the north and south ends of San Juan Island. They stayed there for twelve years while negotiations were conducted. Finally the matter was referred to Kaiser Wilhelm of Germany for mediation and he chose in favor of the United States. The British immediately ceded the land their fort was built on and removed themselves. Except for the ones that killed the pig, no shots were ever fired.
Now the two camps are parks. They are from the same time period of course, but their locations make them very different. English Camp borders a protected inlet which is heavily wooded and very tranquil. In the years that they were stationed there the British constructed a log blockhouse, handsome barracks and officers quarters, sturdy stone walls and a formal garden. They took pride in their camp. The Americans built their fort on the open windswept heights at the south end of the island. By all accounts they lived a rougher and less civilized life than the British, receiving much less support from their government which was distracted by the Civil War. Only a few buildings still stand, but the sweeping views are amazing.
I didn't get any good pictures of American Camp this time, but as we investigated the prairie outside the camp we were approached by a red fox. I saw him from a distance and was amazed as he ran straight towards us.
This is a first for me. Foxes are rare on our island and I have never seen one. I thought it was great to meet one up close like this. It was a good day in many ways.