Strawberry fields at SE corner of Finch & High School Road, circa 1930's
Credit: BI Historical Museum De Steiguer Collection
This is now the Bethany Luthern Church, large trees (40+ years), in
the distance, Rotary Park (baseball field) and residential homes.
Bainbridge Island has a history of agriculture, many of the farmers
were Japanese/American, and many of them specialized in strawberries.
Unfortunately many of these farms have been lost, however, Bainbridge
has made significant progress toward preserving not only the history,
but the actual farms as well. We'd love to have you take a few
minutes to read the following essays.
Perennial Vintners essay on Suyematsu Farm, Mike Lempriere 03-Nov-2008
The Japanese Internment, Mike Lempriere 18-Dec-2015
GreatNorthwestWine.com came out to Bainbridge Island summer 2016, and
Andy Perdue made an audio recording of myself telling about the
Suyematsu family and the Japanese Internment and how it started here
on Bainbridge Island. click
here for article and to listen, (recording 28mins) Mike Lempriere
22-Jan-2018
Bainbridge Island Japanese American Community, Much detail and personal interviews with those Interned
The BI Historical Museum
(BIHM) has generously provided a brief essay on this topic:
click for BIHM essay -- A Brief
History of Farming on Bainbridge Island
Friends of the Farms website
Bainbridge Fair at Island Center Hall, circa 1920's
Credit: BI Historical Society
Island Center Hall is still in active use today, though I believe the
building has been moved from it's original location.
Interior of strawberry cannery, Eagle Harbor, circa 1930's
Credit: BI Historical Society De Steiguer Collection
The cannery was gone by the late 1970's.
Strawberry fields at Toby Membrere Farm, 1960
Credit: BI Historical Society Florenda Membrere Perkins
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