Bellingham in Whatcom County, Washington — The American West (Northwest)

Commercial Point Shipyard

Photographed by Andrew Ruppenstein, July 21, 2021

1. Commercial Point Shipyard Marker (lower panel)

Inscription. Unable to rely on private carriers to serve its far-flung canneries from Southeast Alaska to the Aleutian Islands, Pacific American Fisheries built it's own shipyard to produce a line of vessels to insure the transfer of crew, materials and the salmon pack. The yard, which laid its first keel in May of 1916, produced a line of top quality 1,800 ton wooden steamers including the Redwood and the Firwood, each capable of carrying 60,000 cases of canned salmon.

Dead Man's Point, a bluff at the end of Harris Avenue, was leveled to create land for the busy shipyard which at times had hulls under construction in each of its five marine ways. The reputation and quality of the ships was such that the U.S. government called upon Pacific American Fisheries to produce a number of transport vessels during World War I.

Following various changes in ownership through the decades, the shipyard is still active, providing repair service to numerous commercial fishing and government vessels.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical month for this entry is May 1916.

Location. 48° 43.302′ N, 122° 30.778′ W. Marker is in Bellingham, Washington, in Whatcom County. It is on Harris

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Avenue. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 355 Harris Avenue, Bellingham WA 98225, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Washington’s Puget Sound Region.

It is also on the American Pacific Coast,

in the Pacific Northwest,

and in the Lewis & Clark Corridor.

Globally, it is in North America,

in the Cascade Range,

in the Inside Passage,

on the Ring of Fire,

in the Pacific Rim,

in the Western Hemisphere,

in the Western World,

and in the Anglosphere.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Schooner Zodiac (a few steps from this marker); Northwest Shipbuilding Company (a few steps from this marker); Pacific American Fisheries (within shouting distance of this marker); Original Inhabitants of the Area (within shouting distance of this marker); Early Bellingham Bay (within shouting distance of this marker); Fairhaven (within shouting distance of this marker); The 1909 Fairhaven Empress Tree (about 600 feet away, measured in a direct line); Site of Puget Sound Sawmills and Shingle Company (approx. 0.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Bellingham.

More about this marker. This marker is the seventh of seven related markers surrounding the perimeter of the Bellingham Cruise Terminal.

Also see . . . Shipyard produced world-famous fleet: PAF fleet.... (Bellingham Business Journal/The Free Library). (Submitted on November 22, 2021.)

Commercial Point Shipyard Marker - wide view image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Andrew Ruppenstein, July 21, 2021

2. Commercial Point Shipyard Marker - wide view

Commercial Point Shipyard Marker <i>(upper panel)</i> image. Click for full size.

1918

3. Commercial Point Shipyard Marker (upper panel)

Salmon packers under construction sit cradled in their ways in the new shipyard in 1918.

Credits. This page was last revised on June 12, 2025. It was originally submitted on November 22, 2021, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California. This page has been viewed 273 times since then and 6 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on November 22, 2021, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California.