Step into the fog of early-1900s Aberdeen, Washington—a boomtown of mills, muddy streets, and a harbor crowded with sailors from every corner of the world. In this episode of Only Murders on the Harbor, we explore the rise of William “Billy” Gohl, the Sailors’ Union agent whose power on the waterfront shaped both labor politics and local legend.

Part 1 traces Gohl’s early activity in the Sailors’ Union of the Pacific, beginning with his participation in the State Federation of Labor conference in Spokane in January 1904, where he represented the needs and grievances of deep-sea workers. By April he was elected as the union’s Aberdeen agent, gaining authority over job dispatching and seafarers’ welfare. His office quickly became the refuge of stranded sailors—and the gatekeeper for every man hoping to work the Grays Harbor ships. ...