What is the one thing that we, on Vashon Island, have in common? Ferries. Whether they are used for your daily commute or an occasional foray into the city, we rely heavily on our ferry system. It can be frustrating when the ferries are down, but thus far we have not had it as bad as islanders at the end of 1940’s. Prior to 1948 the ferries were run through a private company, the Puget Sound Navigation Company. The company was forced into a shutdown during a strike in 1947. During the period of the strike vashonites were forced to find their own solutions for getting off of the island. This resulted in them creating their own ferry system which became the first, and only, King County Ferry District.

During the ferry district’s first year in service, the captain of the Puget Sound Navigation Company attempted to land a ship at the dock to continue providing service to Vashon Island. As he attempted to dock he was met with 25 angry vashonites equipped with pool cues, ax handles, and other tools to push the ship away from the dock.. They successfully kept his ship from being able to tie up and the Puget Sound Navigation Company never provided another ship to Vashon. This ferry district was in place for three years, and it ran with relative success. It eventually was dissolved in 1951 when the State of Washington created their own ferry system, which is still the same system we use today. Ironically, they provided service to Vashon using ships they bought from the Puget Sound Navigation Company.

For a more detailed account of the Vashon ferry debacle visit: https://historylink.org/File/3731