Jim in boat
Jim took no time in getting back into the swing of things on Orcas. Here he is in his boat in May 1914. 1970--65 726
Burned house
The Geoghegan home burned in 1904, and this was all that was left when he returned in 1914. 1970-344
School sports track meet May 1914026
School sports, the May 1914 track meet. 1970-57 679
Eastsound school & children May 191733 (1280x908)
District 5, Eastsound School taken from Pike’s Orchard, May 1914. Note the playground equipment. 1548
Aquaplane
Al Coffelt on the “aquaplane” pulled by the Mayo G, July 1914. 1970-84 832
Eastsound from Hotel Hill 1915
Eastsound Village and Crescent Beach from “Hotel Hill,” later known as “Romance Rock,” April 1915. 1040
Pole vault & sports May 1915030
Sporting events always caught Jim’s eye, and his camera. Here is an amazing photograph of a pole vaulting competition on Crescent Beach in May 1915. 1970-106 1070-31
Maypole at school 1918014
The “rites of spring,” the Maypole Dance at Eastsound School, May 1918. 1970-148 1610-50
New school gym Aug 1918031
The whole town turned out to build a new school gym in Eastsound, August 1918. 1970-151 1637A 82
Story of Santa Claus Jimmie and Richard Dec 1919016
Jimmie, the oldest of Jim and Lola’s sons is telling Richard, the second in their line, the story of Santa Claus. Note the stockings on the mantle, and the Christmas trees are live and awaiting decoration, December 1919. 1724
Jim Cultivating with Jimmie June 1919021
Starting them out early, Jim and helper Jimmie cultivating with a chest press plow, June 1919. 1970-153 1666-87
Kathleen G by Hollyhock Aug 1919023
Kathleen poses by the Hollyhock at the west end of the Geoghegan place in August 1919. 1970-154 1712
Jimmie on Terrills Beach hubting crabs with fish June 1920020
Jimmie, learning to catch crabs with fish as bait on Terrill’s Beach, June 1920. 1970-165 1766-30
Boats at Echo Bay, Jim Geoghegan in the BRENDA July 1920039
Boats at Echo Bay are Jim’s Brenda, July 1920. 1783
Geoghegan family at Echo Bay, Sucia July 1920040
The Geoghegan family at Echo Bay, Sucia, July 1920. From the left, Richard, Lola and Jimmie, Lola’s children Henry, Kathleen and Clara Bessie. Jim’s boat is seen in the background. 1784
Harbor Road at Merchantile Co Store from Oddfellows July 1920012
Harbor Road at the Mercantile Company Store from the Odd Fellows Hall (Madrona Point), July 1920. 1970-171 1805
Road to Doe Bay
On the road to Doe Bay, May 1921. Sons, Jimmie F and Richard T, are passengers. 1970--186 1880-10
Jimmie and Richard cultivating July 1921018
Using a remote timer, Jim captures himself plowing behind a horse, with Jimmie and Richard riding, July 1921. 1970-193 1905-17
Picnic Cascade Lake 004
Picnic at the west end of Cascade Lake, August 1921. This is the most complete family picture of the Geoghegans that the collection holds, and one of only two including wife Lola, here holding baby, Harold. She died in May of 1922. Her daughter Kathleen, from the left, Richard, her son Henry, Lola and Jimmie. Jim’s hat is seen beside Kathleen. 1970--197
Children with snowman Dec 1922019
Jimmie, Richard, and Harold with a snowman too tall for them to build by themselves, December 1922. 1970-205 1996
Jimmie with pig Nov 1923024
Jimmie with his pig, November 1923. 1970-224 2076
Harding Gows Radio Set June 1925032
Harding Gow’s Radio set, June 1925. Jim loved radios! 2153
Richard with calf c 1930017
Richard with his calf, looks like he just won a 4-H ribbon, circa 1930. 1970-286 2386
Hilberts with Fish Buckhorn Lodge015
The Hilberts, guests at the Buckhorn Lodge, with their catch of fish too heavy to hold, May 1932. 1970-295 2427
Don Gerard in dugout canoe with kids swinning at Crescent Beach Aug 1940027
Donnie Gerard in a dugout canoe on Crescent Beach, August 1940. Even after his boys were grown, where boys were playing around in the water, Jim and his camera were there! 1970-325 2518
YMCA Gymnasts at Crescent Beach 006
YMCA gymnasts at Crescent Beach, August 1940. From the first year he returned to Orcas, Jim Geoghegan frequented every sporting event and gathering, preserving all this history for his beloved island home. 1970-329 2519
Inlaid table and bowl, turned lamps and candleholder June 1940029
Jim loved working in his shop, keeping busy and being meticulous. This view shows two turned wooden lamps, an inlaid and turned bowl and a pen/pencil holder, June 1940. 1970-338 2534
Lamp made of car parts
Jim’s handiwork, an inlaid table, turned candle holders, and a lamp made of car parts. The shade is a hub cap, a piston and connecting rod for the body of the lamp (likely June 1940).1970-339 2535
Jimmy F, Richard T, Harold hayride April 1925022
Harold gets a hay-wagon ride with Jimmie pushing and Richard pulling, April 1925. 1970-2302141
Brehms Family Deer Harbor013
The Brehms family harvesting their fruit, Deer Harbor, July 1928. 2469
Bessie Gertrude Willis Geoghegan
Bessie Gertrude Willis married Dr.Richard Taylor Geoghegan, a young Irish physician in 1863, and raised a family including Richard Harold “Harry,” Frederick, James Theodore “Jim,” Nina Mary Swainson, Mercy, and Christopher John“Jack.” When her husband died after a long illness, she sent Fred and Jim to Orcas to build a home for them in 1889, where her brother Richard Charles Willis had homesteaded. She followed in 1891 with the rest of the family. This photograph was loaned by Jane Barfoot Hodde.
Photo Index
A scan of one of the pages of Geoghegan's extensive image indexes.
The James Theodore Geoghegan Collection, a gift to the Orcas Island Historical Society and Museum from Catherine and Dale Pederson in 1989, then owners of the Darvill Rare Print Shop, is one of our finest collections. In 1943 when Jim moved to Seattle to work for Boeing, he must have left his photographic equipment and negatives with Fred Darvill, who sold Geoghegan’s photographs as postcards.
The photo negatives and prints were appraised at $34,476 in the year of their donation. The camera, enlarger, and other paraphernalia have not been appraised.
When Jim died in 1953, his body was returned to Orcas for a graveside service. While records do not tell us where he was buried, the most likely spot is in the Mount Baker Cemetery, beside his wife, Lola. There is no marker.
More about James T. Geoghegan:
Meet Your Neighbour by Beatrice Cook
Neighbours Respect Memory of Friend by Roy M. Reddick
