Many years later in 1852 the first settlement was built along Bellingham Bay. Captain Henry Roeder and Russell Peabody of San Francisco were searching for a place to build a sawmill. This sawmill was to be run by waterpower. They needed a strong waterfall to provide energy for the mill's saws. Chief Cha-wit-zit of the Lummi Tribe took them to a waterfall now known as Whatcom Falls. A sawmill was built at the foot of the falls in 1853.
William Prattle arrived in the area in1853 and was interested in finding coal. Working with information from the Lummi Tribe, he found coal and opened the Sehome Mine. The mine was a source of employment for many people in the region for the next 25 years.
In 1858 a gold rush in Canada along the Fraser River brought between 75,000 to 100,000 people to the Washington border with Canada. Ten thousand miners camped in tents next to Bellingham Bay. Here they prepared for the trip up Canada's Fraser River. After a while the Canadian government required all miners to get permits in the town of Victoria across Puget Sound. This caused most miners to leave the Bellingham area.
The Lummi tribe of Native Americans lived in the Bellingham Bay area. In 1855 the tribe moved to a reservation. Unfriendly Canadian tribes would come into the area and cause trouble for the Lummi tribe. In order to protect the Lummi people and to keep out the Canadian tribes, United States soldiers were brought into the area in 1856. Captain George Pickett and his men built Fort Bellingham. Captain Pickett also built a home for his family on Bancroft Street in 1856. This home still stands as the oldest home in Bellingham.
Before 1903 there were four settlements on Bellingham Bay. They were Whatcom, New Whatcom, Sehome and Fairhaven. In 1903 they came together to form the city of Bellingham. At this time there were eight major sawmills and shingle mills in the area and four salmon canneries. Bellingham had the largest sawmill as well as the largest salmon cannery in the early 1900's.
2. Chief ___________________ of the ___________ tribe lived in the Bellingham area and helped the early settlers.
3. In 1853 men from San Francisco were looking for a ______________ so they could run a ______________ using water power.
4. William Prattle came to the area searching for _________________ and opened the ______________ ______________..
5. In 1858 a Canadian __________ __________ brought thousands of miners to the shores of _____________________ ________________ where they camped in tents.
6. United States soldiers under Captain _______________ __________ came to the area in 1856 and built _______________ ______________..
7. The four early settlements on Bellingham Bay which were formed later into the town of Bellingham were _________________________, ___________________, _________________and ________________..
8. In 1903 _____________and ____________________________were
the largest industries in Bellingham. If you lived then, which one would
you choose to work for and why?
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________.
9. Both the Native Americans and the early settlers were attracted by the natural resources around Bellingham Bay. List some of the natural resources in the Bellingham area. Tell what they might be used for. __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________.
People of many ethnic backgrounds live in Bellingham. The largest population group is of European heritage, followed by Native Americans, Hispanics, Asian and Pacific Islanders and African Americans.
The lumber industry is still important in the Bellingham area. The Puget Sound Pulp and Timber Company is one of the largest wood pulp manufacturers in the United States. It turns out tons of wood pulp daily for use in paper and paper products such as napkins and tissue.
The countryside around Bellingham has many dairy and poultry farms. Whatcom County has become a leading dairy and poultry area for the state. The lush pastures supply grass for ten months of the year for the dairy herds. Two dairy plants produce butter, cheese, and powdered milk used locally and shipped far and wide. There are hundreds of poultry farms, some with a few hundred chicks and others with more than ten thousand chicks. The area ranks first in egg production in the state.
Agriculture is important today in the Bellingham area. The mild climate makes it an ideal place to grow fruits and berries. Strawberries, raspberries and blueberries thrive in the rich soil. Pears, apples, plums, cherries and filbert nuts do well there. Vegetables such as potatoes and string beans are also grown in this region.
Bellingham has become a diverse city today. Western Washington University admits ten thousand college students each year. The deep water port of Bellingham Bay is visited by ocean-going ships from Asia and Alaska. Fish processing and boat building take place near the bay. Tourists visit the area due to its natural beauty.
2. The largest population group to live in Bellingham today is ______________________. Which ethnic group do you think was the first to live in the area?_____________________________________.
3. What industry was important to Bellingham in the past and is still important today?___________________________________________.
4. Name the two kinds of farms that exist in the region around Bellingham. __________________________and ____________________________.
5. What are some of the products of these farms? __________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________.
6. Why is agriculture successful in the Bellingham area? ____________ __________________________________________________________.
7. Name one fruit, one berry and one vegetable that are grown in the area. _________________, ____________________, __________________.
8. Why do college students, Asian shippers, and tourists come to Bellingham?________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________.