A family on Bellingham Bay could rightly think the future looked bright.

The towns along its shore boomed with industry. The surrounding forest and farmland provided products and produce.

There were family-wage jobs to be had: $2.50 a day for a laborer, $2 plus board for a farmhand, $45 a month for a teamster, $45 to $75 a month for a teacher.

And there was new technology, such as telephones and electric lights.

So what was it like for a family in October 1903, when Whatcom and Fairhaven agreed to come together and create Bellingham?

This article, along with another article on Fairhaven,  was first published in hard copy magazine. It is now posted on-line