Our History

Robert “Bob” Gilden, (December 4, 1922 – February 8, 2009), appreciated every day he was alive, especially the Christmas season. Bob was an Air Force navigator on the B-17 Miss Minneapolis during World War II. The Miss Minneapolis was shot down over Germany on August 4, 1944. Bob was captured and incarcerated at Stalag Luft 3, the camp that became famous for the Great Escape. He spent 9 months and both Thanksgiving and Christmas that year as a German POW. He witnessed many atrocities and watched smoke rise in the distance from the human ovens. Bob and his fellow POWs were liberated by Patton on April 29, 1945. After the war, Bob returned to WA and finished his schooling that earned him a degree as an agricultural engineer. He spent many years in Washington D.C. and overseas. After his retirement, he returned to his family farm in Anacortes, WA.

In 1980, Similk Bay Farm was birthed out of a competition with Bob’s cousin in CA to see who could grow a Christmas tree farm first. We’re not sure who won, but 40+ years later, Similk Bay Farm remains.