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All the United States Washington Bellingham Fairhaven Historic Markers

Fairhaven Historic Markers

Stones speckled along Harris Avenue reveal hidden nuggets of the past.

Bellingham, Washington

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Ethan Maas
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Poor Mathew.   plethora2many (atlas obscura user)
Drowning pool.   plethora2many (atlas obscura user)
Chinese deadline.   plethora2many / Atlas Obscura User
Fire wagon.   plethora2many / Atlas Obscura User
Town pillory.   plethora2many / Atlas Obscura User
  spencerboock / Atlas Obscura User
Chinese deadline plaque in Peace Park   MikeInSanFrancisco / Atlas Obscura User
  noahbritton / Atlas Obscura User
Plaque at end of Harris in the Peace Park down by water   MikeInSanFrancisco / Atlas Obscura User
  CatAshbee / Atlas Obscura User
Frank ‘Spider’ Biles was the assistant fire chief who was caught setting fire to the Tontine Saloon. 1892   CatAshbee / Atlas Obscura User
Frank ‘Spider’ Biles was the assistant fire chief who was caught setting fire to the Tontine Saloon. 1892   CatAshbee / Atlas Obscura User
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About

Walking along Harris Avenue in Bellingham, Washington, is like embarking upon a scavenger hunt into the city’s past. Inscribed stones speckle the walkway, tucked just out of sight and waiting for keen-eyed pedestrians to spot the nuggets of history they reveal.

The historic markers are the work of Tyrone Tillson, a local newspaper publisher and historian. In the late 1980s and again in the 1990s, he received a community grant to install the various markers and plaques that highlight pieces of Fairhaven’s past.

Fairhaven was originally founded in the late 19th century. It existed as its own little hub for only a couple of decades before being absorbed into Bellingham. Thanks to Tillson’s markers, the many events and structures—some sad, some mundane, some outright odd—that transpired within the community are cemented in the present.

You never know what tidbit of town history you’ll stumble across while searching for the scattered plaques. One marker denotes the prejudice Chinese miners faced (with a bonus line about a 21st-century mayor's apology). Another macabre stone marks the spot of the city drowning pool, which was apparently for dogs only. Yet another stands gravely atop the place where some poor soul named Mathew was “cut in two by a streetcar.”

Related Tags

Rocks Roadside Attractions Hidden Plaques Geology

Know Before You Go

The GPS coordinates lead to the train station. Upon arriving in Fairhaven, you may park near the Amtrak station and walk to the main part of town along Harris Avenue. Or, you may park at 12th and Harris and walk toward the Amtrak Station. The markers are on the ground so be sure to keep an eye out for them!

Community Contributors

Added By

plethora2many

Edited By

MikeInSanFrancisco, Kerry Wolfe, spencerboock, CatAshbee...

  • MikeInSanFrancisco
  • Kerry Wolfe
  • spencerboock
  • CatAshbee
  • noahbritton

Published

July 25, 2018

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Sources
  • http://klipsun.wwu.edu/archives/s08b/story.php?name=devilsrow
  • https://cedar.wwu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1550&context=wwuet
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairhaven,_Washington
  • https://www.fairhavenhistory.com/
Fairhaven Historic Markers
401 Harris Ave
Fairhaven
Bellingham, Washington
United States
48.720461, -122.51105
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