Bellingham grew up along its streetcar lines
In the pre-automotive era, the electric streetcar or trolley profoundly influenced Bellingham's development. Both New Whatcom and Fairhaven built streetcar systems in 1891, but due to municipal rivalry refused to link tracks. To get from one town to the other, one took the trolley as far as the city limits and then hiked the intervening blocks, often in the mud, to the other town's trolley. Spurred on by public demand, the competing towns eventually joined tracks, a union that encouraged New Whatcom and Fairhaven to eventually consolidate as the city of Bellingham. The busiest trolley route was always the Main Line, which ran between Eldridge and Harris avenues by way of downtown, via Holly and State streets. As new trolley tracks reached the city's outlying stump fields, new neighborhoods or "streetcar suburbs" sprung up along their routes. At its height, Bellingham's network of trolleys spanned nearly fourteen miles linking neighborhoods with downtown businesses and waterfront industry.
The Garden Street trolley served the Sehome and South Hill districts, as well as the Bellingham State Normal School (now Western Washington University). Broadway Park, Sunnyland, Roosevelt and Alabama Street neighborhoods developed along the North Street trolley line. Streetcars ran through the York Addition and Happy Valley. The Courthouse Line connected
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Bellingham's trolleys were retired in 1938, replaced by diesel buses that were better adapted to sharing the streets with automobiles.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Railroads & Streetcars. A significant historical year for this entry is 1891.
Location. 48° 45.015′ N, 122° 28.721′ W. Marker is in Bellingham, Washington, in Whatcom County. Marker is on Cornwall Avenue, on the right when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1311 Cornwall Avenue, Bellingham WA 98225, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Bellingham bloomed during its Tulip Festival in the 1920s (here, next to this marker); The Great Water Fight (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); Bellingham Public Market Had Everything Under One Roof! (about 500 feet away); Performance Theater in Bellingham (about 700 feet away); Downtown was the hub of commercial activity (about 700 feet away); Metasequoia glyptostroboides (Dawn Redwood) (approx. ¼ mile away); Pickett Bridge (approx. 0.4 miles away); Washington State's Oldest Brick Building (approx. half a mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Bellingham.
More about this marker. The other side of the panel for this marker is the "Bellingham bloomed..." marker.
Credits. This page was last revised on July 23, 2021. It was originally submitted on July 23, 2021, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California. This page has been viewed 405 times since then and 103 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on July 23, 2021, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California.
