History Talks! Billy Gohl, Labor and Brutal Times in the Pacific Northwest

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.

Dr. Aaron Goings, history professor at Saint Martin’s University, shares his true-crime investigation and how it shed light on the dehumanizing treatment of sailors and lumber workers and the heated clashes between pro- and anti-union forces.