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In the early twentieth century so many dead bodies surfaced in the rivers around Aberdeen, Washington, that they were nicknamed the "floater fleet."
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In the early twentieth century so many dead bodies surfaced in the rivers around Aberdeen, Washington, that they were nicknamed the "floater fleet."
When Billy Gohl (1873-1927), a powerful union official, was arrested for murder, local newspapers were quick to suggest that he was responsible for many of those deaths, perhaps even dozens-- thus launching the legend of the Ghoul of Grays Harbor.
More than a true-crime tale, The Port of Missing Men sheds light on the lives of workers who died tragically, illuminating the dehumanizing treatment of sailors and lumber workers and the heated clashes between pro- and anti-union forces.
More than a true-crime tale, The Port of Missing Men sheds light on the lives of workers who died tragically, illuminating the dehumanizing treatment of sailors and lumber workers and the heated clashes between pro- and anti-union forces.
Goings investigates the creation of the myth, exploring how so many people were willing to believe such extraordinary stories about Gohl. He shares the story of a charismatic labor leader-- the one man who could shut down the highly profitable Grays Harbor lumber trade-- and provides an equally intriguing analysis of the human costs of the Pacific Northwest's early extraction economy.
Aaron Goings is associate professor of history and chair of the History and Political Science Department at Saint Martin’s University. He is coauthor of The Red Coast: Radicalism and Anti-radicalism in Southwest Washington and Community in Conflict: A Working-Class History of the 1913–14 Michigan Copper Strike and the Italian Hall Tragedy. His newest book, The Port of Missing Men: Billy Gohl, Labor, and Brutal Times in the Pacific Northwest is available now from the University of Washington Press.
David Price is a Professor of anthropology at St. Martin’s University in Lacey Washington. His research uses the Freedom of Information Act, archives, and interviews to document historical interactions between anthropologists and intelligence agencies.
Call Third Place Books to order any book: 206-366-3333.
Aaron Goings is associate professor of history and chair of the History and Political Science Department at Saint Martin’s University. He is coauthor of The Red Coast: Radicalism and Anti-radicalism in Southwest Washington and Community in Conflict: A Working-Class History of the 1913–14 Michigan Copper Strike and the Italian Hall Tragedy. His newest book, The Port of Missing Men: Billy Gohl, Labor, and Brutal Times in the Pacific Northwest is available now from the University of Washington Press.
David Price is a Professor of anthropology at St. Martin’s University in Lacey Washington. His research uses the Freedom of Information Act, archives, and interviews to document historical interactions between anthropologists and intelligence agencies.
Call Third Place Books to order any book: 206-366-3333.
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