Ferndale’s history is
mostly unwritten
The public archives hold just one old photo of Ferndale. The rest are in attics, shoeboxes and the historical society. Help start the collection.
The story
from WikipediaRead it all ↗A Lummi settlement was historically located on a prairie on the east bank of the Ferndale area. Early European settlers call the area near the Nooksack River the "lower crossing" to distinguish it from the principal river crossing at Everson. Billy Clark, a Texan who came to the Northwest during the Gold Rush, was the first European full-time resident of what eventually became the city of Ferndale. He lived here with his wife and family for over a decade. First settled in 1872, Ferndale was given its name because of the ferns that once grew around the original school house. Ferndale was originally called Jam because the town was located next to a log jam on the Nooksack River, but the original schoolteacher decided it needed a more picturesque name. Ferndale was officially incorporated on March 19, 1907.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Timeline
built from the dates on the items belowStart Ferndale’s collection
The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Ferndale’s history is told.
1 of 10 decades since 1900 have photos 🔁Retake an old viewView of Ferndale, Washington, 1911: stand where they stood+15 📦Share a family photoSign in to add one+10Famous people from Ferndale
See all 7 →
Ferndale, decade by decade
1990s
CommonsFerndale, WA - rail bridge over the Nooksack 022008
CommonsFerndale, WA - rail bridge over the Nooksack 012008
CommonsFerndale, WA - house 012008
CommonsFerndale, WA - Leader Block 01A2008
CommonsFerndale, WA - Leader Block 012008
CommonsFerndale, WA - Central Elementary2008
CommonsFerndale, WA - 2046 Main2008
CommonsFerndale, WA - 2038 Main2008
CommonsDike South of2008
CommonsAlcoa Intalco Works in2008
CommonsLake Terrell in March20071 historic place in Ferndale
Ferndale has 1 listing on the National Register, and they protect 6 historic buildings, because Hovander Homestead alone counts 6.
Where they are
When they were listed
Then & now
No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as View of Ferndale, Washington (1911) and it appears here side by side.
🔁 Retake this view · +15Stories next door
nearby towns’ historyFrom Wikimedia Commons (11) and the Library of Congress (1). Images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.