Fairhaven - Whatcom Boundary Marker — Bellingham, WA
Posted by: Dunbar Loop
N 48° 44.130 W 122° 29.818
10U E 536987 N 5398175
Marking the civic boundary of Fairhaven and Whatcom at the consildation of the two cities in 1903. These two cities joined to become today's City of Bellingham.
Waymark Code: WME1KH
Location: Washington, United States
Date Posted: 03/21/2012
Views: 11
Located on the South Bay Rails-to-Trail running along the shore of Bellingham Bay, this monument shows the boundary between the cities of Fairhaven and Whatcom in 1903. Today these two communities, along with New Whatcom and Sehome, have merged into the City of Bellingham.
From the monument:
FAIRHAVEN
This marks the northern boundary of Fairhaven at the consildation of 1903. On land to the south, between Sehome and Fairhaven, the Union Coal Company operated a mine and established a small settlement called Unionville. The mine failed and the town was destroyed by a forest fire. The land was platted as Bellingham in 1883. This first Bellingham did not prosper and in 1888, as the Fairhaven land boom began, Nelson Bennett and the Fairhaven Land Company bought the township and merged it into Fairhaven.
WHATCOM
This monument marks the 1903 Boundary between Whatcom and Fairhaven. At the consilidation of these towns in that year the City of Bellingham was born. Initially land to the north had been platted as Sehome. Sehome and Whatcom merged as New Whatcom in 1891. It dropped "New" from its name in 1901 and merged with Fairhaven two years later. At consildation on December 28th, 1903 this boundary was relegated to history and commemorated by this monument.
Dedicated in 2004
A City of Bellingham Centennial Project
Gift of the Rotary Club of Bellingham
To access this monument the closest trailhead of the South Bay Rails to Trail is at Boulevard Park - 48° 43' 57.05" N., 122° 30' 4.06" W. Then follow the trail to the northeast.
The 'distance' photo is taken looking west.