Whatcom Creek
By Curt Cunningham

Whatcom Creek is the outlet for Lake Whatcom and is about 4 miles long and flows over a series of waterfalls while on its way to Bellingham Bay. In 1854 Henry Roeder and Mr. Peabody established a sawmill near the falls. By 1859 a wagon road was constructed from Bellingham along the north side of the creek to the sawmill. All travel going north or south through the city of Bellingham must cross over this creek.

The Military Road Bridge

The first bridge across Whatcom Creek was constructed in 1857 by the U.S. Army for the Military Road which which was to be constructed between Fort Steilacoom and Fort Bellingham. On August 26, 1856 Captain George Pickett arrived in Bellingham by ship with a company of soldiers. After landing on the shore he found about 30 frightened settlers who had crowded into the blockhouses to sleep at night. These settlers were completely defenseless and were glad to see the soldiers.

Pickett and his men quickly set to work building a fort on a site that had been selected and surveyed by the army a few months before. The fort was located on a bluff about 80 feet above the sea level. The post was named Fort Bellingham and eventually included 2 blockhouses, an officers mess, soldiers barracks, a blacksmith, store, hospital, laundry houses, and a vegetable garden. The men cleared a field for drills and installed a 70 foot flag mast.

In 1857 Pickett had his men build a wooden bridge over Whatcom Creek on the Military Road that was to be constructed between Fort Bellingham and Fort Steilacoom. By 1860 the military road only made it as far as Snohomish before the project was abandoned. From Fort Bellingham the road had been constructed to the town of Whatcom now known as Bellingham. Pickett anticipated the wooden structure would be capable of lasting 10 or 15 years with only occasional repairs. This bridge lasted until 1873 when it was rebuilt. The second bridge lasted until 1903 before it was declared unsafe to cross over and barricades were placed at both ends of the bridge.

The Pacific Highway

Sometime after 1904 a wooden bridge was constructed over Whatcom Creek at Dupont Street. Dupont Street is about 200 feet or so west from where the old military bridge crossed the creek. This wooden bridge would become a section of the Pacific Highway in 1913 and it lasted until 1918 when it was replaced by a new 68 foot concrete bridge. This reinforced concrete arch bridge was opened for traffic on April 16, 1918. This bridge would remain a part of the Pacific Highway until 1964 when the freeway was completed through Bellingham.