Approximately a year ago I wrote an article  Edmonds’ reaction to entering WWII, which you can read here. In that article I referenced the fact that after the attack on Pearl Harbor, Edmonds’ response to the entry into World War II included a wide variety of activities and precautions over the following four years. Black-outs and rationing programs were implemented. Observation towers were erected to look for enemy planes and submarines. The formation and training of Edmonds Home Guard, which was comprised of over 140 men, spanned the entire length of the war.

One item that I didn’t mention in the previous article was the establishment of a U.S. Coast Guard Station at the end of 1942, at Haines Wharf in Meadowdale. For those not familiar with the Meadowdale neighborhood, it is located approximately one and a half miles north of downtown Edmonds.

The role of the U.S. Coast Guard during WWII.

It is important to note that the U.S. Coast Guard played a vital role during WWII, participating in most phases of the war and in many theaters of operation.

The Coast Guard’s most important responsibility during the war was transporting men to beaches and providing support during amphibious operations.  The Coast Guard landed troops at Normandy, Guadalcanal, Guam, Africa and other locales.

The Coast Guard also acted as escorts for convoys around the world. Their fleet of cutters and patrol frigates escorted American and Allied convoys in the Atlantic, Caribbean and Mediterranean, and along America and its territorial shores.

In addition to combat duties, the Coast Guard’s homeland responsibilities included maritime law enforcement, marine safety, port security, beach patrol, and search and rescue. It was these later duties and missions that the two-man Coast Guard Station at Haines Wharf was primarily responsible for.

Brief history of Haines Wharf prior to WWII

The wharf’s earliest beginnings date back to the 1920s, when the original structure was barged across the Sound from Irondale. The structure consisted primarily of pilings and a large barn. According to Snohomish County records, a wood boathouse was added in the 1920s.

In 1939, Herb Haines bought the property and opened Herb Haines Sport Fishing Wharf.

Haines and his family successfully ran a business comprised of renting out kicker-boats (boats with small motors for slower trolling) and fishing motorboats, as well as selling fishing goods and snacks. The wharf also had an area where people could fish from the dock and enjoy a breakfast in the cafe at the break of dawn. Later, boat storage also became an extensive revenue generator.

The Coast Guard at Haines Wharf

The plans for the Meadowdale station were first conceived by Captain W.H. Munter, a veteran Coast Guard officer stationed out of the 13th Naval District in Seattle, and the captain of the Port of Seattle.  Captain Munter believed, given the large expanse of rough water between the Coast Guard stations in Seattle and Everett, that it would be prudent to have a station located between the two cities, and that it be equipped with a small two-man crew, a speedy Coast Guard crash boat and appropriate search and rescue equipment.

Haines Wharf was identified as an ideal place to house the Coast Guard crash boat as it was equipped with an elevator, by which the boat could be easily raised out of the rough waters along the Puget Sound shore, and safely stored until needed. The boat when raised was placed on a dolly, which could easily be rolled back to the elevator for lowering into the water.  In several test-runs the boat was successfully rolled back and lowered in less than a minute.

Once the boat and equipment arrived at Haines Wharf, the U.S. Coast Guard assigned coxswain J.B. Haines, and Seaman J.S. Mills, United States Coast Guard Reserve, to the station.

A March 28, 1943, Seattle Times article outlined the operations: “Day and night, seven days a week, the two-man Coast Guard crew are alert, and already have sped to three plane crashes, from two to five miles distant, rendering valuable service.”

Captain Munter in the article further stated: “Beyond the emergency responses, the station is to prevent violations of federal laws for which the Coast Guard is the designated law-enforcement agency.”

Author’s note: The U.S. Coast Guard is the law enforcement agency for federal maritime laws. Maritime law, also known as admiralty law, is a specialized legal framework that governs activities and disputes on the high seas, navigable waters,and related matters. It encompasses regulations for shipping, navigation, marine commerce, and maritime accidents.

Activities in 1943-1944

In a July 25, 1943, Seattle Times article as well as in regional newspapers in 1943 and 1944, the U.S. Coast Guard Station at Haines Wharf received consistent accolades for the work they were involved in.

The Seattle Times article reads:

“Coast Guard crash boat No. 1338 which serves the Haines Wharf station, has a log as interesting as that of a cutter of the Coast Guard’s mercy fleet returning from a cruise to Arctic waters. 

A few of its entries follow: 

• Went to the assistance of planes forced down
• Picked up halibut schooner disabled and floundering
• Located barrage balloon, deflated it and left for pick-up by the Army
• Pulled tug from the beach

Censorship prevents publication of details of other services rendered, but the value of the property saved in a few months runs into a large figure.” 

A December 1943 Everett Herald article read:

“Two Navy flyers were killed Sunday morning when their training plane from Sand Point crashed about a half mile north of Edmonds. The local Coast Guard station responded along with local firefighters as a portion of the plane broke off after impact and flew into a shed which started a small fire.”

The two-man crew responded to situations where boats had become disabled or had broken away from their moorages during heavy storms.  According to their logs, the crew also ran nightly trips into fishing and navigation areas to assure that the maritime laws were being obeyed.

An Aug. 19, 1943, article in the Edmonds Tribune-Review documented an unusual type of rescue for the station.

“Mrs. H.V. Proctor of Meadowdale Hill asked this paper to express her gratitude to the local Coast Guard unit who came to her rescue with their truck to take her to the hospital, during the night, Tuesday, when she was taken seriously ill. Mrs. Proctor was able to return home later.”

In an interview in late 1944, Captain Munter summarized the impact that the Haines Wharf station, and its crew had during the critical war period.

“The Army, Navy, Merchant Marines, the towing and fishing industries plus pleasure craft owners have a valuable asset available to them in the Meadowdale station if an emergency arises.

We soon realized the value the station provided us, not only in the time of emergencies, but also in the enforcement of federal regulations, which has been greatly increased by the war.”

Today and final thoughts

Today, the pilings and wooden structure are largely gone. The boat elevator’s frame can still be seen to the right of the metal building. The metal structure was added for enlarged boat storage in 1976. Signs clearly state that no one is allowed on to the wharf and a high metal fence prevents access to the unsafe structure. 

While researching this article I had the pleasure of talking to numerous people who fondly remember spending time at Haines Wharf during their childhood. I couldn’t, however, find anyone who is old enough to remember the Coast Guard station’s presence and operations, over 80 years ago.

I also wasn’t able to definitely establish when the station’s operations were discontinued. I assume that it occurred at the end of WWII.

It is, however, important to remember the Coast Guard station at Haines Wharf and what its two-man crew provided during the war years. Working with civilian spotters and the other Coast Guard stations, they helped ensure that those of us who followed had the opportunity to kayak around the wharf, fish off the pier, rent kicker boats and motor boats, and enjoy the great environment that the Haines family provided.

This article was researched and written by Byron Wilkes. Thanks go to the Seattle Times, the Everett Herald, Edmonds Historical Museum and numerous people who provided their memories of Haines Wharf.