Peggy Darst has quickly become North Whidbey’s most prolific compiler of local history, as she has just published her second book in as many years.

“Spirit of the Island, a Photo History of Oak Harbor,” is now available in local bookstores or by contacting the author.

“Spirit” follows on the heels of her first book, “Step Back in Time,” which took a look at North Whidbey’s history from the point of view of its Irish settlers.

The second volume in what Darst plans to be a three-part series is photo-centered, with the informative and entertaining pictures interspersed with short historical family essays submitted by descendants of pioneer families such as Neal Noorlag, Jr., Elizabeth Heller Ruff, Marilyn Fakkema, Earl Darst and Leandr Reuble.

“They all did an excellent job,” said Darst of the writers.

Many other island families contributed cherished old photographs to the effort, and Darst took many modern photos herself so the reader can compare the old and the new. For example, an old picture of the prosperous Riksen Farm in Clover Valley is contrasted with the modern view of the Navy base, which occupies the same property. Another shows the old Maylor brothers store and dock, built in the 1890s, and how it looks today with a different store front but basically the same building.

There are more than 500 photos. “Great care was taken in the scanning and even enhancing and adjusting the contrasts to bring out the best possible image,” Darst said. The book is printed on high quality paper to better present the photos.

The book’s 340 pages are designed to appeal to everyone, Darst said. “Oldtimers, newcomers, tourists, Navy personnel, pioneer descendants, Irish, English, Swiss, Norwegian or Dutch, all will find stories and photos they will love,” she said.

The book documents more than 150 years of history, starting with the 1851 founders of Oak Harbor and tracing the town’s progress over the decades.

For Darst, an eighth-generation islander, it’s been an enlightening tour through her own family’s past. “I did the books as I wanted to preserve, document and share our rich history and teach others what I have learned,” she said.

She hopes to have volume three in the series ready for publication next year. Its working title is “More Whidbey memories and nostalgia of the good old days in Oak Harbor, San de Fuca and Coupeville.”