Sumas’s history is
mostly unwritten
The public archives hold only 3 old photos of Sumas. The rest are in attics, shoeboxes and the historical society. Help start the collection.
The story
from WikipediaRead it all ↗The area was home to the Nooksack Indians in the millennia prior to the arrival of the first permanent settler Robert Johnson in 1872.
It was called "Sumas" meaning "land without trees" or "big flat opening." It is derived from a Cowichan tribe who also resided in the region.
Originally called "Sumas City," the town was officially incorporated on June 18, 1891. A post office with that name has been in operation since 1897.
The town was a railroad hub and briefly supported the Mount Baker Gold Rush, with some gold mining operations still ongoing in the area such as at Lone Jack mine. It was also known for a large rodeo in the early 20th Century, the "Sumas Roundup."
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Timeline
built from the dates on the items belowStart Sumas’s collection
The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Sumas’s history is told.
2 of 10 decades since 1900 have photos 🔁Retake an old viewScene, 1907: stand where they stood+15 📦Share a family photoSign in to add one+10Famous people from Sumas
See all 5 →
Sumas, decade by decade
1990s
Nothing in Sumas is on the National Register yet
That’s true of most small towns. It doesn’t mean Sumas has no history, only that no one has written up a nomination. The closest listed place is Lynden Department Store in Lynden, 9.1 miles away.
Sumas and the nearest listed places
How a place gets listed
Then & now
No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as Scene (1907) and it appears here side by side.
🔁 Retake this view · +15Stories next door
nearby towns’ historyFrom Wikimedia Commons (5) and the Library of Congress (1). Images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.