End of Watch: 12/16/1863
Agency: U.S. Customs Service
County: Clallam County
On Wednesday, December 16, 1863 Inspector William Goodell and Deputy Collector James Anderson of U.S. Customs drowned after being swept into the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
The men were working in the Port Angeles Customs House, located at the foot of a creek, when a severe flood swept the house off of its foundation. A log jam upriver broke free during a storm, causing the flood waters to sweep through the valley and take the house out to sea.