Author sniffs out details about founder of Fairhaven
An author and former cardiologist, H. Leon Greene retired to Bellingham in 2012. Since then, he has written a history of Lake Whatcom, published two years ago. His newest book, “Dirty Dan Harris: Scandalous Father of Fairhaven,” is the first full-length biography of the smelly but legendary local figure.
Kahn: What stirred your interest in Dirty Dan Harris?
Greene: As a local resident, I was familiar with Harris’ name, but I had no idea who he was or what he had done. I knew the name “Dirty Dan,” and he seemed to be simply a happy-go-lucky person who loved to tell tall tales. But to me he was a mystery figure. What did it mean that he was the “Father of Fairhaven,” and why did he deserve a sculpture at Village Green? I love mysteries, and finding data about Harris was like a grand treasure hunt.
Kahn: Why do you think it took so long for someone to fully detail his life?
Greene: First, the documents detailing Harris’ life were a bit obscure and spread out over the entire United States, his life extending from New York to the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, to Antarctica, Russia, the Pacific Northwest and California. Second, it’s likely that everyone was satisfied with a romantic image of a jolly, old, independent man who happened to strike it rich dealing in real estate. No one wanted to expose the potentially dark side to a pleasant legend — and we all have dark sides.
Kahn: Bellingham retiree Ralph Thacker, now deceased, was a would-be Harris biographer. While Thacker’s research papers haven’t been found, were there still ways his work helped your project?
Greene: Thacker’s work was absolutely essential to the writing of this book. He was the first to search for those obscure Harris documents, and he had begun to write a few small booklets about Harris. Sadly, upon Thacker’s death, his papers disappeared. However, he had posted some of the early versions on the internet, and they led me to the appropriate primary sources.
In addition, other reporters and historians had assembled many of the tales of Harris, the grand storyteller. Frank C. Teck, a newspaperman in 1903, collected many of Harris’ stories. Michael Sean Sullivan, in 1981, published a collection of Harris’ tales. Noel V. Bourasaw, in the early 2000s, tracked many connections to Harris. Kamalla Rose Kaur most recently generated a list of Harris’ most famous legends. I am indebted to all of them as well as scores of others who helped me in the writing of my book.
Kahn: Harris platted the land that formed the core of Fairhaven, but other people — including Nelson Bennett and J.J. Donovan — oversaw the detailed work to develop the area into a town. Does calling Harris the “Father of Fairhaven” overstate his contribution?
Greene: Likely not. Harris platted the town, built many of the early structures in the city and was clearly the first to develop the area that he called Fairhaven. Others, such as Bennett and Donovan, were essential as well, but their influence came slightly later.
Kahn: Children don’t pick their families, and communities generally don’t pick their founders. What should Fairhaven residents today think of Harris?
Greene: Harris should be known as a visionary for seeking a deepwater port for his town; he rightfully receives accolades for founding Fairhaven. He was a grand storyteller. But he also was a scoundrel. He had many encounters with the law. His morals and certain aspects of his behavior don’t deserve to be emulated.
Kahn: Is Harris still a worthy focus and namesake for community events in Fairhaven?
Greene: Certainly. He began this community. He was a pioneer. Fortunately, the memories of his good qualities have outlived his scandalous behavior.
Kahn: As you detail in your book, Harris was a hard-working, independent, storytelling, energetic cuss. He also was a stinky, foul-mouthed, hard-drinking lout who was as repulsive as he was magnetic. From what you could glean about the inner Harris, why was he that way?
Greene: His early life was extraordinarily difficult. He left home as a teenager. Apparently, there was some sort of rift between him and his family. He went to sea. His formative years were spent on a whaling ship, one of the most difficult forms of existence of his era. The toughness formed at sea enabled him to survive in the wilds of the Northwest. In particular, dirty was normal. Dirty was necessary. Social graces, including physical appearances and odors, were unimportant.
Kahn: There are many tall tales, much misinformation and missing details about Harris. How did you endeavor to separate the true from the false?
Greene: This aspect of writing the book was the most difficult. Where I could find corroborating evidence — newspapers, legal records, shipping manifestos, letters, etc. — I concluded that the stories were real. Otherwise, I had to assume that they were only legend.
Kahn: Are there major mysteries about Harris that you wish you could answer?
Greene: Yes. His childhood is a real black box. Knowing his upbringing would help to explain his departure from his family on Long Island. I would love to find documents that traced his movements from the whaling ship in the Pacific to the Northwest. I would also like to be able to track some of the riches that seemed to disappear after Harris’ death.
There are many aspects of his life that remain a mystery. But in writing a book, there comes a time when an author must declare that most of the data have been located. Unlike sculpting an image of a man, when it’s clear that chipping away any more of the rock will ruin the artwork, researching a book can be never-ending. The endpoint is both more arbitrary and more difficult to define.
Kahn: Based on what you now know, what do you personally think of Harris as a person?
Greene: He’s a perfect subject for a story or a movie, but an imperfect person for your grandchildren to copy.
—By H. Leon Greene and Dean Kahn
When H. Leon Greene is not at his writing desk, he is interacting with his four adult children, their spouses and his six grandchildren in Bellingham. He also enjoys hiking, woodworking, photography, birding and eating exotic foods.
Retired since 2016, Dean Kahn worked for The Bellingham Herald for 29 years as a reporter, editor and columnist.