The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-08-02
WHATC0N AND BELLINGHAM BAY

withdrawn. however they and feet Of
safxng vessels had landed On the shores
OF that hay 1900 or =. on souls. All who
could DO SO lex immediately far the
mines Within sixty days from the arrival
OF the firss load cf passengers. upwards
OF l0.sHs people had pitched their tents
or erected temporary buildings in and
around Whe tcom, with a view of iocas-
ing there permanently. When the steam
srs ceased 10 land passengers At What
com. as they did when their destination
was changed 20 Victoria. then commenced
an exodus as rapid and as extraordinary
as was the influx. A newspaper called
the Northern Light tof which the RevsiIle
has the ffss) was started there in the
height OF the excitement by man from
Sacramento. IL had been issued about
TWO months, when. seeing the town
doomed, the editor inserted a vaIedicgory
in the words. ''Whatcom has gone IN and
the Light has gone out Folded his tent
and returned 10 the scene OF his former
trials and trihulatfons I'm California.
The future OF Victoria was assured.
From an isolated trading post OF the Hud-
son Bay Co. il speedily becaos a city,
and within a year boosted Of as large
stores and as valuable stocks OF goods
as San Francisco. Some estimate the
number OF miners attracted 10 the Fraser
river at 10000. Others think the number
much greater. When it Is remembered
that they arrived al the rate of Leo day.
and often 1000 IN a single day. the esd
mate VIII not he considered unreasonable.
In a few weeks Wha.com was worse of
than Goidsmsths deserted village. Like
a mushroom IL had sprung up in n night
and whitheres in a day. and when the
horde OF adventures who had
peopled IL left il. they took
their habltations with them. Bat
the little band OF pioneer settlers re-
manned. going about their daily tasks as
they had done before the coming OF the
Argonauts and waiting many years before
there were any considerable accessions to
their numbers. The most conspicuous land
mark OF the early boom period now stand
ing is the plain two-story brick building
on g street. one story below grade. which
was built by a firm OF San Francisco mer-
chants and used as a store and Office Of
the Wells Fargo Express Co. IL was finally
purchased by the county and Lszsd as a
courthouse and Office building until the
completion OF the fine new stone court
house I'm 1891. The old building is said TO
be the first brick structure erected on the
coast north of the Columbia river.
As the years rolled on the number Of pio-
neers on the edge or the forest on tho
big bay gradually increased, but the set
tiement received no considerable impetus.
except that given 10 IL by the develop
meng or the Sehcme coal mine anu the
shipment of its prodact TO San Francisco.
until the coming of Kansas colony in
1883. The permanent growth OF Whatcom
may be said to date from that year. The
colony built a large saw mill at the mouth
OF Whatcom creek and a long wharf
across the intervening tide fiat out to deep
water. In the same year Will d. Jenkins.
now publisher of the Champion. and Il. G.
Nicklin. since chief clerk of the house OF
representatives and secretary OF the SEN
ate. began the publication OF the Belling-
ham Bay Reveille. weekly. In fSss Il was
sold TO Adams a. Evans. who began the
publication of morning daily in the fol-
lowing year. and both daily and weekly
ara now published by Mr.. Evans. Mr..
Adams. who was regarded ay one OF the
ablest editors OF the state. having. for
some unknown cause, taken his own life
IN ST. Paul last year. Ii was in isSs also
that the Bellingham Bay British CO.
iumhia railroad was built ont 10 the In
ternational boundary and other extensive
improvements were inaugurated by the
Bellingham Bay Improvement Co, which
owned thousands of acres OF land. inciud-
ing the greater portion OF the townsite.