Bellingham’s Past, Preserved

When I relocated to Bellingham, editors of the history anthology, “Western Washington Reflections” invited me to contribute a personal essay on Bellingham. I turned to Jeff Jewell at the Whatcom Museum of History and Art. After climbing the long stairway to the museum’s archive department, I engaged in my first conversation with Jewell, which lasted several hours and much of it ended up in my essay.

Jewell possesses in depth knowledge of Bellingham’s history which spans around 150 years. The museum’s archives and Jewell’s immense knowledge of Whatcom County’s past, presented a treasure trove. Any journalist or researcher benefits from a visit with Jewell, who is also a gifted storyteller.

After graduating from Western Washington University with a degree in Anthropology, Jewell began sleuthing Bellingham’s past.