In this episode we explore the history of taxidermy in Bellingham, tracing the legacy of various practitioners thereof from "curio collectors" to the founders of our modern museum. Content warning for dead critters y'all.

In Part 2 of “Sanitarium Insanity” our two-part series on sanitariums in Bellingham, Washington, we discuss the “Yoghurt Sanitarium” in Fairhaven, Bellingham's historic south side neighborhood.  More wacky electrical devices, dubious doctors and YOGURT, or as they spelled it, “yoghurt.”  Buckle up your bacilli, it’s a wild ride!

This episode is about exotic birds as pets…  particularly Parrots, weird parrot stories we’ve collected from BellingHISTORY.  You’ll meet a few Polly’s and a parrot thankfully named Mildred, hear the stories of beer guzzling bar birds and Whatcom County’s oldest feathered friend. 

Bayview Cemetery was founded in 1887 when the town of Whatcom purchased a 10-acre plot on the outskirts of town on “the wagon road to the lake.” We’ll discuss what came before, how the cemetery got started and how it’s grown over time. We’ll explore the older sections of the cemetery and visit some of the most intriguing monuments. We’ll say hello to a lot of interesting folks who were laid to eternal rest over a century ago.

Get outside with us and explore Bellingham’s past with free guided tours of Downtown and Fairhaven, hosted weekly throughout the summer by the City of Bellingham. The tours are part of the City’s efforts to highlight history and support economic recovery by bringing people into Bellingham’s historic commercial districts. We are excited to be able to help in these efforts and to make local history more accessible this summer with these brand new tours. We’ll take you back in time to explore Bellingham’s historic people, buildings, sites and landscapes…

Do you love old maps and geography? We do! We love this page and project, if you are interested in how the geography of our shorelines of Bellingham, Washington have changed over time, check this great website out!