The Rise And Decline Of The Olympia Oyster 



plosion and fire and Captain Cheadle lost his life. 

 Between 1910 and 1915 Captain Chris Grinrod operated 

 the "Lark" and the "Hyak." The "Noble" (owned and 

 operated by Ira Noble) then the "Leota" and "Dove" 

 (owned and operated by John and Robert Wallin) came 

 into service on the Olympia Oyster run. At one time it 

 took three large, fast boats to carry the oysters from 

 Oyster Bay, Mud Bay and Little Skookum, in addition 

 to oysters taken on irregular runs by the larger oyster 

 producers. As the industry declined this was reduced to 

 two boats, then to one, and finally none. 



EARLY OPENING AND PACKING. 



By the time these problems were worked out, plans 

 were in progress to develop markets for these oysters. 

 At first all oysters were sold in the shell. Captain Doane 

 had a Chinaman who opened his oysters. Each restaurant 

 or hotel had to provide their own opener; often the open- 

 er had his booth fixed up in the window, thus providing 

 a very attractive advertisement. The oyster actually 

 went from the shell into the pan, the stew or the cocktail. 

 This, in turn, created a desire by the public to use them 

 as a family food. The opening process was slow and dif- 

 ficult for the housewife. This need was observed by our 

 old friend J. J. Brenner, who opened up a small Olympia 

 Oyster House in Olympia in the year 1898; from this 

 place of business oysters were shipped, both in the shell 

 and opened. (See picture). 



To keep pace with these developments in taking care 

 of the culling and preparing of the oysters for market, 

 and the marketing of them, what was being done on the 



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