If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 710

 

 

 

 

The Church, Pioneer Park, Ferndale, Washington, ca 1968-1970s

 

This unused color postcard was published by F. Wear Photographers, Blaine, Washington in conjunction with Dexter Press, Inc. of West Nyack, New York.  The picture is of the church in Pioneer Park, Ferndale, Washington.  The code:  41062-C is located at the lower left corner on the reverse.  There is a blurb at the upper left corner on the reverse:  “The Church,  Pioneer Park, Ferndale, Washington.  This Church, the first in Whatcom County, was built in 1876 of massive hand hewn cedar logs.  It was inspired by Rev. (Father) W. M. Stewart, who at the time was an 80 year old patriarch.  The Church was moved from its original site on California Creek to its present location in 1968 under the sponsorship of Edna Pike.”  Since the photograph shows the church in the park, it is possible to estimate the date as to sometime between 1968 and the 1970s.  It is likely it was available at the park headquarters as a souvenir card.

 

In 1901 the Whatcom County Old Settles Association purchased 4 acres of uncut cedar trees that now form the Pioneer Park.  The association has held an annual pioneer picnic on the park grounds since that time and it is considered one of the oldest celebrations of its kind in the Pacific Northwest.  A dance hall and headquarters building were added in 1925.  Gradually, beginning in the mid to late 1930s and 1940s, abandoned pioneer structures from the 1800s were relocated to the park land to be preserved as examples of rustic pioneer architecture.  The grounds are open to the public without charge.  However, guided tours of the cabins are given from May 15 to September 15, 11 am to 4 pm, for a small fee.  

 

The Ferndale Heritage Society web page has links to more information including some YouTube videos.  One video is from the 2009 Annual Old Settlers Association Picnic, another video explains more about how the cabins were acquired and moved to the park.  HistoryLink.org has an article by Kathleen Moles “Ferndale—Thumbnail History” that provides more detailed interesting historical information about Ferndale.

 

For additional information, see:

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferndale_Washington

https://www.ferndaleheritagesociety.org/about-pioneer-park

https://www.historylink.org/File/10806