10/27/2026
AS WE WERE PREPARING for THE GREAT LYNDEN TRICK OR "DUTCH" TREAT 2026! at the office yesterday, we go into a bit of Lynden's history.
We found this photograph, but unfortunately there was no written date, so we had to play a type of Dutch Bingo of "Name The Date", so we began putting together tidbits of information we could use to determine when was when.
For instance, one can see the current Lynden Christian School High School, which we believe was dedicated in 1965, the same time the current Second Chance Thrift Store became the grade school and the original Grover Street school school constructed in 1911 was located, which was about where the Heritage Apartments, across the street from the Northwest Propane and Fullner Food Service Contracting LLC, are located.
So that gives us a rough date as to how far back the photo doesn't go.
Sticking to the school-based clues, one can also see the Lynden Schools (c'mon, when are you going to use the "Lynden Public" handle?) grade school that was located where school yard park is, but that didn't get demolished until 1980 or so, somewhere in there. The current Main Street Campus is there, which itself was a tear down/ build new in 1962 or 62, somewhere in there, although the gymnasium and Judson Auditorium were build in the mid- to late 1930's, '36 or '38, somewhere in there.
Just to the east of there, where the CHS Northwest offices and Aunt Pearl's gas station and convenience store sit, better known by it's new name "Lynden Express", was Bajema's Market on the corner of Depot/ Third and Main Street.
Downtown Lynden is giving off some clues, too.
The Phoebe Tree still by the site of the Lynden Chamber of Commerce office, though then it was a gas and repair station, originally a Gilmore Gas station and repair shop, but which brand in the photo we cannot recall, as gas stations were prolific in downtown, such as:
+ Where WaFd Bank - Lynden was Joe's Texaco, (A BIG Chamber Tip O' the Cap to Joe for getting us the occasional ice cold bottle of Dr Pepper from the machine. Oh so good!)
+ Just north of there, in what would now be the Lynden Library parking lot, sat the Exxon. Not sure if Mr. Geylense owned it then or not, or when the car wash was added, but a fine two-bay garage it was
+ Syl Wiedkamp's Service Station was in the building where Lamphere Insurance is now located, just across the street from WaFed, so the south (one moment while we extend our hands out to point in various directions to get our bearings) southwest corner of Third and Grover.
+ Van Loo's Auto Service will need to help us out here, but we recall being told in was Van Loo's Mobil Gas Station and Repair was where U.S. Bank is now located
+ And in the taxpayer-owned parking lot west of The Newsroom Pub,(the Pub was the home of the Lynden Tribune) and across from The Encore Lounge ( then home of Hinton Chevrolet, Inc.) on Front Street) there was what we recall being told was a Wagter's Shell station, but we could be running on a half-cylinder memory wise once again, so the chances we're incorrect are higher than that "Fire Risk" gauge that sits close to where Copeland Lumber was before Lynden City Hall was built.
+ And yes, those are ball fields in the middle of the horse track at the The Northwest Washington Fair and Event Center, conveniently located just east of the VanZee Motor Inn, about in the Bostec Inc./ Coconut Kenny's area.
The ball fields were there because one, it was city-owned land, and tow, Bender Field were just... fields, but of the crop bearing, not ball playing variety
There a whole lot more in the photo, from the Lynden L**e And Auto/ Milts Market connection, to the Harolds IGA/ Lynden Ace Hardware transformation, with a J.C. Penny thrown into the mix (the big store at Fairway, not the smaller store where Andy Jewell Farmers Insurance and 508 Lynden coffee shop are).
It's endless.
But if you're willing to play a round or two of "What Year is it Anyway", please do.
Just know that regardless of the day or date, YOU are loved!
