R

Ross

John Ross Sr. was born “Jadrovich” in Premuda, Croatia. By 1909 he was brailing salmon of the Puget Sound aboard his 42-foot seiner, Bogdan. John had the boat built at H.W. Lake Shipyard in Seattle. The Bogdan was a sleek and beautiful little vessel for her day, and John operated her until 1914. He then had the 52-foot seiner Brooklyn built at the Strubstad yard in Tacoma. Along with his brother Luca, John also held an interest in the 1915 Babare-built seiner Juno. John's sons Emmet, Adam, and Johnnie became fully involved in the fishing business when, in 1924, they purchased the 62-foot Home II, built at Blind Slough, Oregon, in 1916. In 1928, the Ross brothers acquired the 63-foot seiner Westland, built at the Martinolich yard in Dockton, on Vashon Island, the year before. Now there were two boats but still three brothers. It is believed that the reason for not acquiring a third seiner was the fact that Johnnie wanted to have the option of pursuing his ferry boat career when he was not running a fishing boat. Johnnie, the eldest of the three brothers, was a ferry skipper for the Skansie Transportation Company for a number of years. It seems that Johnnie divided his time between ferry boats and the fishing business. It is known that he ran both the Providence and the Advocator for Lee Makovich, Sr. at different times and was the skipper of the Majestic for a number of years. It was also reported that early on Johnnie skippered the old Juno for one season for his uncle Luca Ross. Johnnie may best be remembered, however, at least by the younger generation, as being a familiar figure on the Salmon Banks, as skipper of Gerald Crosby's shiny, new Hansen-built seiner, Sea Comber. Adam ran the Home II exclusively until he became ill in 1966. Adam was a top skipper around the San Juan Islands and the old Home II proved to be a training ground of sorts for a number of future skippers. Several young men who fished with Adam later went on to own their own fishing boats. One of those young men is Adam's son, Adam Jr., who went on to own and operate the seiner Chinook. He later sold the Chinook and, in 1968, had the 58-foot seiner Adana R built at the Don Bishop yard in Richmond, California. He ran the Adana R in Southeast Alaska until his retirement in 1994. Emmett ran the Westland from the time the brothers purchased it until he became ill about 1967. However, Emmett's first year as the skipper of a seiner is believed to be 1923 when he ran the Providence for Lee Makovich, Sr. (source: "The Ross Brothers, at Home on the Salmon Banks," by Lee Makovich, "Fishermen's News," October, 1996)

Rowley

Charles Rowley was born in New York. He met his wife, Caroline Weeks Roberson, in her hometown of St. Clair, Michigan, where they married and established a 330-acre homestead. They had seven children: Edward, Clarence, Charles, Harry, May, Emma & Anna. It was difficult to make a living in St. Clair and Charles wanted to move west. He found a man in Gig Harbor willing to trade 80 acres for his farm in Michigan. Charles came to Gig Harbor, liked the property, and sent instructions back home to his son Harry to sell the farm’s stock, tools and machinery. Harry then brought the rest of the family out to Gig Harbor. Charles’ son Clarence moved to Skagit County to work for some years before joining the family in Gig Harbor and marrying. He purchased land on the spit at the entrance of the harbor and built a home for his new bride. Eventually he left the home to his wife and moved on to Oregon, then later California. It’s rumored that when his wife passed away she was laid to rest on the spit. Harry helped his parents build their home and farm. For two years, he worked in Skagit with his brother, logging and building a stage route. He returned to Gig Harbor and became superintendent of a logging company. Harry met and married Eva Peacock. They settled on a farm in Crescent Valley and had two children. Together they ran a dairy farm. Harry was a charter member of the Commercial Club, a fire marshall, a census taker and active in the Kitsap County Dairymen’s Association. He and Eva sold the farm in 1956 and moved to Tacoma. (source: Paul Alvestad) GHPHS

Rust

Hiram Herbert Rust was born in Huntington, Quebec and raised in New York state. In 1861, he enlisted in the Union Army and fought in the first battle of Bull Run. After the war, he studied medicine at the University of Vermont Medical College and graduated in 1875. Dr. Rust married Estella Dunham in 1872. Estella brought to the union three children from a previous marriage: Wilbur, Etta and Fred. She lost two others (Effie & Charles) in infancy. Estella grew up in Beekman, New York, where she became a school teacher. Her first husband, Lyman Sheldon, died in a horse-riding accident. Estella and Hiram had four more children: Endora, Benjamin, Lilian and Marion. Of their combined children, only two, Etta and Benjamin, survived to adulthood. Hiram, Estella, Etta, Benjamin and Estella’s father, Leander Dunham, left New York and came to Gig Harbor in 1890. Hiram was the first full-time practicing physician on the Peninsula. Daughter Etta “proved up” a 40-acre tract in Wauna and received ownership in 1892. In 1894, she married Arthur Johnston, a house painter and farmer who came to Gig Harbor in 1879. Tragedy struck when Bennie, Hiram and Estella’s only surviving son, left for the Yukon to mine for gold. He came down with Typhoid fever and died in 1899. Dr. Rust continued to practice medicine. As an entrepreneur, he purchased the local newspaper, The Courier, and the drugstore. He remained active in the community, serving on the school board and as president of the Chamber of Commerce, until his death in 1922. Etta and Arthur had one son, Herbert. Several of their children still live in the area. HHMA, GHPHS