Pictured above, two photos from the Web site. The top photo is Astoria's Elmore Cannery in 1908; bottom, a group of men seine for fish.
The Ear called Norgaard, who now lives near Longview, Wash. Calling the Web site his "labor of love," Norgaard says he's "loved boats, fishing and fishermen all my life." He got his inspiration for the project when he was driving back to Astoria one day and realized that "if I had grandchildren, I had no way to show them them what I love." There were "too many good things, and a way of life - people were positive and joyous - it's all gone." With the Web site, he hopes to "bring it all back, preserve the history of the industry and make sure that everybody is remembered."
Where did he get all those photos? Norgaard fished the West Coast for years, and has conversed with old timers from Alaska to San Diego. "It fed itself," Norgaard said. Once fishermen found out another fisherman was doing this project, more and more photos came rolling in.
"We have had many requests for photos from the History Channel, Discovery Channel, people writing books, families putting together family histories, etc." added Holmstedt, who built the site and has been working with Norgaard for six or seven years. "It really has blossomed into quite a project."
When the project started, Norgaard didn't even know how to turn a computer on. The Ear asked him how many images have been scanned and are online right now, and he said, "It's still 11, 245 - but who's counting?"
Elleda Wilson
Reprinted with permission of The Daily Astorian of Astoria, Oregon.
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