Bellingham, Washington
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Template:Infobox City Bellingham is the county seat of Whatcom County in the U.S. state of Washington. It is situated on Bellingham Bay, which is protected by Lummi Island, Portage Island, and the Lummi Peninsula, and opens onto the Strait of Georgia. It lies west of Mount Baker and Lake Whatcom (from which it gets its drinking water) and north of the Chuckanut Mountains and Skagit Valley. Whatcom Creek runs through the center of the city. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 67,171, although a recent calculation places the city's population at 73,469.[1]
The boundaries of the city encompass the former towns of Fairhaven (now home to the southern ocean ferry terminus of the Alaska Marine Highway System), New Whatcom, and others. Bellingham is home to Whatcom Community College, Bellingham Technical College, and Western Washington University, which in addition to its primary programs includes Fairhaven College [2], Huxley College, and Woodring College of Education.
The Bellingham International Airport serves regularly scheduled commuter flights to and from Seattle and Las Vegas, Nevada. In June 2006, Delta Air Lines begins daily service to Salt Lake City, Utah. As of August, 2004, the airport is home of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's first Air and Marine Operations Center, to assist with border surveillance. Amtrak also serves Bellingham, and the city is the first stop in the United States for southbound trains from Vancouver, British Columbia.
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History
The name of Bellingham is derived from the bay which the city is situated on. George Vancouver, who visited the area in June 1792, named the bay for Sir William Bellingham, the controller of the storekeeper's account of the Royal Navy.
The first white settlers reached the area in 1854. The original settlement was named Whatcom, located where Whatcom Creek empties into the bay. In 1858, the Fraser River Gold Rush caused thousands of miners, storekeepers, and scalawags to head north from California. Whatcom grew overnight from a sleepy northwest village to a bustling seaport. The first brick building in Washington was built at this time, the T.G. Richards brick warehouse. The first newspaper in Whatcom County, the Northern Light, was published by William Bausman during the boom. Just as soon as it started, the boom went bust with the miners being forced to stop at Victoria, B.C. for a permit before heading to the mining fields. Whatcom's population dropped almost as quickly as it had grown, and the sleepy little town on the bay returned.
Coal mining was commonplace near town, with the Blue Canyon mine at Lake Whatcom being the site of Washington's worst industrial accident, which occurred April 8, 1895. In time the mines were closed down and sealed off.
Bellingham was officially incorporated on November 4, 1903. It was the result of the consolidation of four towns initially situated around Bellingham Bay: Whatcom, Sehome, Bellingham, and Fairhaven. A fictionalized account of the history of Bellingham in this era is "The Living" by Annie Dillard.
In the early 1890s, three railroad lines arrived, connecting the bay cities to a nationwide market of builders. The foothills around Bellingham were clearcut after the 1906 San Francisco earthquake to help provide the lumber for the rebuilding of San Francisco. In time, lumber and shingle mills sprang up all over the county to accommodate the byproduct of their work.
The Bellingham Riots occurred on September 5, 1907. A group of 400-500 white men with intentions to exclude East Indian immigrants from the local work force mobbed waterfront barracks.
Fishing has also played an important part in the development of the region. By 1925, eight salmon canneries were doing business in Whatcom County - two on Bellingham Bay, the rest at Lummi Island, Semiahmoo and Chuckanut Bay. Together, they packed nearly a half-million cases of salmon one year. Image:Bellingham Railroad and Holly Corner.jpg
Increased efficiency in the canneries, combined with the cold efficiency of the fish traps, decimated the state's salmon runs. Traps were banned in the 1930s, prompting canneries to move their fish-catching operations to Alaska, where salmon were still abundant and traps were still legal.
Bellingham's proximity to the Strait of Juan de Fuca and to the Inland Passage to Alaska helped keep some cannery operations here. P.A.F., for example, shipped empty cans to Alaska, where they were packed with fish and shipped back for storage.
On June 10, 1999, the Olympic Pipeline ruptured in Whatcom Falls Park near Whatcom Creek, leaking 237,000 US gallons (897 m³) of gasoline into the creek. The pipeline carries gasoline, diesel and jet fuel from refineries near Ferndale to locations as far south as Portland, including all the fuel for Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. The vapor layer from the spill overcame an 18 year old man who was fishing in the creek. An explosion was somehow set off and burned over a mile (1.6 km) of the creek bed and sent a black smoke cloud over 30,000 feet (10 km) into the air. Two younger boys died the next day due to extensive burns from proximity to the blast. Although some buildings were destroyed, due to road closures and evacuations around the creek, there were no further fatalities. The explosion resulted in over $45 million in property damage. Several years later, the families of the pipeline victims sued Olympic Pipeline Company and settled for around $100 million in damages, which they pledged would help support pipeline safety and provide legal representation for pipeline accident victims.
Local culture
Events
- The Ski to Sea Race - This longstanding Bellingham tradition, first held in 1973, but traceable to the 1911 Mt. Baker Marathon, is a relay race made up of seven legs: Cross country skiing, downhill skiing, running, biking, canoeing, mountain biking, and kayaking. The racers begin at the Mt. Baker Ski Area and make their way down to the finish line on Bellingham Bay. The Race has evolved into the "Grand Daddy" of all races, attracting participants from all over the world. In 2005, the Ski to Sea Race was featured nationally on the "Fox Sports Northwest" network, reaching 3.2 million households.
Local attractions
Popular locations for both residents and visitors include:
Image:Bellingham hendersons.JPG
- Whatcom Museum of History & Art - The museum sponsors art, natural and local history exhibits, fund-raising events, gallery walks, walking tours of the historic buildings of the city, history and art lessons for local schools and adult groups, and historic cruises on Bellingham Bay.
- American Museum of Radio and Electricity
- Bellingham Farmers Market
- Village Books - An independent bookstore located in the Historic Fairhaven district.
- Henderson Books - Found on Bellingham's "used books block," Henderson's is one of the best, most extensive used book stores north of Seattle, and a popular attraction for regional book-collectors.
- Bellis Fair Mall - The region's largest mall, Bellis Fair also attracts a steady stream of Canadian shoppers. [3]
- Mount Baker Ski Area (Official site) - The ski area holds the world record for the greatest amount of snowfall in one season (winter 1998-1999).
- Whale watching tours
- Chuckanut Drive
- Whatcom Falls Park
- Boulevard Park
- Larrabee State Park
Future development
In March 2005, Kiplinger's Personal Finance named Bellingham one of the top retirement cities in the nation. Purchase price of homes has risen, however rent has remained relatively stable. Many of the condominiums recently built as a result of the demand for affordable housing have subsequently become rental units.
Bellingham has seen a resurgence of real-estate development as house prices climb, caused in part by new residents moving in to the community. In order to accommodate this growth, new properties have sprung up all over the city, including the Downtown, Fairhaven, Happy Valley, Cordata, and Barkley neighborhoods. The city has reiterated their commitment to developing a wide range of housing options for all income categories, while retaining the integrity of existing communities. Annexation of surrounding farmland and county wilderness has been kept to a minimum due to public concern for environmental preservation, but several controversies have risen over the city's decisions to counteract the loss of land by allowing taller buildings in the city core, major new development on previously undeveloped land, and a lack of parks and open spaces in some of the more recently developed areas.
Waterfront development
Bellingham's long-term urban planning includes the creation of a waterfront development in the current location of the Georgia Pacific downtown facility. The 137 acre waterfront acquired by the Port of Bellingham in early 2005 provide the foundation for a 20-year redevelopment plan, with land use proposals ranging from a waterfront extension of Western Washington University to permanent public ownership of the site to the creation of a park in the ASB (Aerated Stabilization Basin) to help increase property values, increase the allure of the site for businesses, and fully remediate the entire site. The public is largely paying for the remediation of this old "brown field," and many feel that the public, ergo, should be the permanent beneficiaries of that investment through public ownership. The Port of Bellingham has proposed building a new marina on the ASB. The new marina would generate revenue to cover expenses of the costs of the cleanup and renovation of the waterfront. The proposed marina has vocal resistence from those who believe that proposed site of the marina (G.P. lagoon) should be used for a community park or other use.
The official plan from the City of Bellingham includes "a new city neighborhood with homes, shops, offices and light industry, as well as parks and promenades, a healthy shoreline habitat along Bellingham Bay...." Despite the expense and scope of this project, it has received a relatively high level of support throughout the community. Some concern has been expressed by residents over the loss of viable industrial land in the city, however residential and commercial use of the area is seen to prevent further urban sprawl on undeveloped land at the edges of the city. Though the plan is still being developed, demolition of the GP site has begun.
Geography
located at 48°45'1" North, 122°28'30" West (48.750178, -122.474975)Template:GR.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 82.2 km² (31.7 mi²). 66.4 km² (25.6 mi²) of it is land and 15.8 km² (6.1 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 19.19% water.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 67,171 people, 27,999 households, and 13,999 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,011.5/km² (2,619.3/mi²). There were 29,474 housing units at an average density of 443.8/km² (1,149.3/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 87.88% White, 0.98% Black or African American, 1.48% Native American, 4.25% Asian, 0.17% Pacific Islander, 2.16% from other races, and 3.08% from two or more races. 4.63% of the population is Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 27,999 households out of which 23.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.5% were married couples living together, 9.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 50.0% were non-families. 33.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.24 and the average family size was 2.83.
In the city the population was spread out with 17.7% under the age of 18, 23.8% from 18 to 24, 26.5% from 25 to 44, 19.6% from 45 to 64, and 12.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females there were 92.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $32,530, and the median income for a family was $47,196. Males had a median income of $35,288 versus $25,971 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,483. 20.6% of the population and 9.4% of families were below the poverty line. 17.2% of those under the age of 18 and 9.0% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.
Sports
Media
Newspapers
The Bellingham Herald is published daily in Bellingham. Other newspapers include The Cascadia Weekly and The Whatcom Independent.
Television
KVOS is an independent television station licensed in Bellingham. The station broadcasts on channel 12.
AM Radio
| Frequency (kHz) | Call Sign | kW (day) | kW (night) | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 790 | KGMI | 5 | 1 | Saga Broadcasting, L.L.C. |
| 930 | KBAI | 1 | 0.5 | Saga Broadcasting, L.L.C. |
| 1170 | KPUG | 10 | 5 | Saga Broadcasting, L.L.C. |
FM Radio
| Frequency (mHz) | Call Sign | kW | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|
| 89.3 | KUGS | 0.1 | Western Washington University |
| 91.7 | KZAZ | 0.12 | Washington State University |
| 92.9 | KISM | 50 | Saga Broadcasting, L.L.C. |
| 104.3 | KAFE | 60 | Saga Broadcasting, L.L.C. |
Notable people from Bellingham
- Doug Pederson - former NFL quarterback -- attended Ferndale High School
- Hilary Swank - Academy Award winning actress but born in Lincoln, Nebraska
- Ryan Stiles - actor / comedian
- Death Cab for Cutie - indie band
- The Pale Pacific - indie/rock band
- Idiot Pilot - hardcore/techno band
- Penelope Houston - musician -- member of The Avengers
- Joel Connolly - Seattle P-I newspaper columnist
- Steve Martini - Author of several law thrillers including "Critical Mass"
- Edward R. Murrow - Journalist. Grew up in nearby Blanchard, WA
- The Posies - pop band
- Michael Koenen - Ferndale native, WWU alum, kicker for Atlanta Falcons, NFL
- Harry Everett Smith - legendary anthropologist/musicologist and compiler of the Anthology of American Folk Music
References
- National Transportation Safety Board (October 8, 2002) Pipeline Rupture and Subsequent Fire in Bellingham, Washington Report (PDF)
- City of Bellingham - Home
- New Whatcom Strategic Guidelines (PDF)
- List of radio stations in Washington
External links
- City of Bellingham Website
- Bellingham Whatcom County Tourism
- Livebellingham.com - Bellingham information for residents and tourists
- Bellingham Bay WebCam
- Bellingham Region Culture and Arts
- Bellingham - Whatcom Chamber of Commerce
- The Bellingham Herald
- Downtown Bellingham Renaissance Network
- The Bellingham Business Journal
- Bellingham Mt. Baker Region Outdoor Adventure
- Bellingham.net
- Bellingham Farmers Market
- Aerial photos from Planning Department
- Fairhaven Website
- Fairhaven Neighbors Website
- Whatcom County Historical Society and Whatcom County History
- Whatcom Museum of History & Art
- Blue Canyon Coal Mine
