Sid Wills, Ship Harbor caretaker and crusty old coot, 1940-81.
Original Photo
The original photo used as reference for the mural was photographed by an unknown photographer in December of 1980.
Sydney Ambrose Wills was born April 22, 1890 in Friday Harbor, Washington. He was one of nine children born to Mary Jane Wotton and William Ambrose Wills.
He received his schooling on San Juan Island and did plenty of farming on his family’s land. During his teenage and adult life he did logging and construction and also worked on the original Swinomish Slough Bridge and the Deception Pass Bridge. Sid also served in WWI.
In his later years he was a caretaker at Ship Harbor and lived in the old bunk houses.
Sid passed away on December 7, 1985 in Anacortes, Washington and is interred at Valley Cemetery in Friday Harbor, Washington.
