<Begin Segment 5>

NS: And anyways, I remember a train trip when I was about ten years old up to, toward Bellingham. At that time I know he was in conferences with Dr. Kincaid at the university, who was head of the zoology department; they probably found the best place where they could propagate these oysters. So he shipped the seeds there and started the oyster business in the area around Bellingham. Then it wasn't until '31, or thereabouts -- after I was twenty-one and could own property -- that he went with some people and started the oyster company in Willapa Harbor.

DG: The New Washington?

NS: New Washington Oyster Company. And so he didn't have interest in the Samish Bay oysters, but had interest with the New Washington Oyster Company, which we had until he died.

DG: Now, you mentioned that Mr. Shitamaya was involved also? The NP Hotel?

NS: No.

DG: No, he wasn't involved?

NS: No.

DG: Oh, he was involved with another company there on Willapa. I thought you had mentioned his name.

NS: No. It wasn't Mr. Shitamaya, it was Nakao.

DG: Okay. And they...

NS: There was a Nakao.

DG: And they were living out there already.

NS: And they were all living out there, uh-huh.

DG: And your father never moved out there.

NS: No, but he got the oysters and sold them and retailed them in Seattle.

DG: The Tolan Report says that the New Washington was one of the largest...

NS: Uh-huh. It became one of the largest, larger, oyster companies, and he shipped them. He did the shipping and he shipped to California and to Chicago area.

DG: So he initiated that distribution?

NS: Well, it was part of the business. He was the outdoor salesman of Jackson Fish and...

DG: That was back here in Seattle.

NS: That's here in Seattle.

DG: And that was located where?

NS: It was first, 511 King Street, and then they moved and bought the area on Sixth and Dearborn; he opened his fish store there.

DG: So he maintained that also all these years?

NS: Yes. Well, he maintained that until he died. Then when he died, his partner took over.

DG: Mr. Nakao? No, that's...

NS: No, Nakao was New Washington Oyster. No, Kanazawa.

DG: Here?

NS: Here at Seattle.

DG: At the Jackson Fish Company.

NS: Jackson Fish Company, uh-huh. But when he died, my mother had to sell his interest or settled with them about his interest in that. But she kept the interest in the oyster company.

<End Segment 5> - Copyright © 1998 Densho. All Rights Reserved.