The Port of Missing Men: Billy Gohl, Labor, and Brutal Times in the Pacific Northwest

A compelling biography of the Ghoul of Grays Harbor In the early twentieth century so many dead bodies surfaced in the rivers around Aberdeen, Washington, that they were nicknamed the "floater fleet." When Billy Gohl (1873-1927), a powerful union official, was arrested for murder, local newspapers were quick to suggest that he was responsible for many of those deaths, perhaps even dozens--thus launching the legend of the Ghoul of Grays Harbor. More than a true-crime tale, The Port of Missing Men sheds light on the lives of workers who died tragically, illuminating the dehumanizing treatment of sailors and lumber workers and the heated clashes between pro- and anti-union forces. Goings investigates the creation of the myth, exploring how so many people were willing to believe such extraordinary stories about Gohl. He shares the story of a charismatic labor leader--the one man who could shut down the highly profitable Grays Harbor lumber trade--and provides an equally intriguing analysis of the human costs of the Pacific Northwest's early extraction economy.

About the Author :
Aaron Goings is associate professor of history and chair of the History and Political Science Department at Saint Martin's University. He is coauthor of The Red Coast: Radicalism and Anti-radicalism in Southwest Washington and Community in Conflict: A Working-Class History of the 1913-14 Michigan Copper Strike and the Italian Hall Tragedy.

Review :
"[P]art whodunit mystery, part biography, and part case study of Grays Harbor's itinerant workers and their labor movement...The Port of Missing Men makes major contributions to both local history and the larger story of industrial capitalism." -- "Oregon Historical Quarterly" "Consider putting your preconceptions of Billy Gohl's story back on the shelf and immerse yourself in this compelling new read." -- "The Daily World" "Goings smashes through the mythology to deliver a compelling and exciting story that is at once real crime and labor history." -- "H-Net" "In this thoroughly researched study of Gohl's career and trial, Aaron Goings persuasively argues that the union activist was framed by Grays Harbor elites.... The Port of Missing Men illustrates how untruths can be repeated often enough to be widely believed, and difficult to dislodge.... [Goings's] laser-like focus on this isolated deindustrialized area...reveals the interconnections between business and political leaders at the local and state level and how they marshaled repressive tactics to silence Gohl, the IWW, and others." --Laurie Mercier "Pacific Northwest Quarterly"