Many factors, including the disaste...

Many factors, including the disaster of fire, have shaped Bellingham's central business district. Since the city's beginning as Whatcom in the early 1850 several major fires have had a significant impact onward business activity in the downtown area and are an important part of Bellingham's commercial history.

The first fire to have a large impact onward the city's business center occurr in the waterfront area now known as old-fashioned Town. In the early 1880 Whatcom's businesses were clustered between Astor road on the shoreline north of Whatcom classical and Dupont Street up the hill to the east.