Let’s take a stroll down memory lane—or rather, Granary Avenue.
Exploration of the Puget Sound can be dated back to as early 1791, though it’s been home to the Lummi, Semiahmoo, and Nooksack nations since long before then.
Earlier settlements capitalized on the local resources of timber, coal, gold, fish, and stone. Many structures from this time—the late 1850s through the 1870s, to be exact—didn’t survive as earlier developments were planning for expansion, not permanence. It wasn’t until 1883 when the Peabody, Roeder and New Whatcom land claims were drawn up, that the area really found its foundation. Skip forward, to mid-1903 to early ‘04, and you’ll find the final consolidation of Fairhaven, Bellingham, Sehome, and New Whatcom to form the home we know and love today.
In a 1907 promotional brochure, Bellingham was named ”one of the chief Pacific Coast terminals of the Great Northern, Northern Pacific, and Canadian Pacific railways, and the headquarters and terminus of the Bellingham Bay & British Columbia Railroad.” In 1913, the town had received official recognition from the U.S. government—a Post Office and a Courthouse—and by 1915, had solidified its urban epicenter.
The Waterfront.
Before housing what most of us knew as the Georgia Pacific pulp, chemical plant, and tissue mill, it was the bustling epicenter of local industry—some of which still exist today. Over the next few posts, we’ll dive deeper into just how much change there’s been. We’re so excited for the years ahead as we continue to pave new roads to the future!
If you’re interested in joining the grassroots of what’s sure to be the City’s heart, again, email chris@egandpartners.com or call Erdmann, Graves & Partners at 360-739-4236.