Lummi Island lies at the southwest corner of Whatcom County, Washington, United States, between the mainland part of the county and offshore San Juan County. The Lummi Indian Reservation is situated on a peninsula east of the island, but does not include Lummi Island. The island has a land area of and had a population of 822 as of the 2000 census. The population nearly doubles in summer when property owners from both Canada and the U.S. arrive for summer fun and relaxation. The island is accessible by a 22-car ferry, the Whatcom Chief, run by Whatcom County Public Works. It is a 6-minute passage from Gooseberry Point on the mainland to the island. Facilities on the island include one general store, two restaurants, several bed and breakfast houses, a small library, post office, fire station, one church, a Salvation Army camp, and a vintage 1919 elementary school. The Beach Store Cafe is a popular local hangout with a small bar, and serves seafood and traditional café fare. The Willows Inn serves more expensive fare, featuring seasonal treats from island farms and fishers. The historic Lummi Island Congregational Church has a quiet, wooded cemetery. Lummi Island is best known for its unique reefnet salmon fishery, eclectic population of artists, picturesque seascapes, and rural setting. Its narrow, scenic and winding roads are popular with bicyclers. A trail to Lummi Mountain takes hikers through the Baker Preserve to stunning high views of the San Juan and Gulf islands. The trail is maintained by the Lummi Island Heritage Trust. Public education for island residents is provided by the Ferndale School District. It operates one elementary school on the island, Beach Elementary School. Middle and high school students attend schools on the mainland.
History
The island was originally called Sa nam a o and Skallaham by the native Lummi people. In 1792 Spanish explorers dubbed it Isla de Pacheco, and British colonists later called it McLoughlin Island. In 1853, the U.S. National Geodetic Survey charted the island as Lummi, naming it after the local tribe. Later British and Americans adopted this term. Some theories suggest the name was derived from a Lummi-language word. The island's post office was established by the United States government in 1882. At that time the town and post office were named "Beach", but today island mail is addressed to "Lummi Island, Washington", though the Beach School and Beach Store Cafe retain the older name. By 1919, the Nooksack Fish Packing Company also had a cannery on the Island at Sunrise Cove.
Lummi Island Quarry
A rock quarry on the island was operated intermittently, but major operations started in 1964. By 1990 the pit was 3 acres and mining rights were sold to James and Kyle Bride of Everett, Washington. The operation became Ace Rock, LLC in 1997, with the Brides, Dick Christopherson, and David Grainger. The underlying land was sold in 1999 to the Brides and Christopherson. In 2005, Valley View Sand and Gravel, Inc. assumed ownership of the land. The Lummi Island Quarry itself operated until 2013 by Aggregates West, Inc. of Everson, owned by Grainger. Aggregates West went into Chapter 11 bankruptcy, having defaulted in 2012 on $3.5 million in Frontier Bank. Only 10% of the output was used on the island by 2007. A land trust, Lummi Island Heritage Trust, became involved to purchase the land for reclamation and conservation purposes. The trust successfully purchased the 105 acres in 2015 for $1.08 million. By 2019 the land trust named the area the Aiston Preserve, after the Aiston family that homesteaded the land in the 1940s.
Events
The island hosts a weekly farmers' market in the spring and summer, a chili festival in mid-July, and a Christmas party for island children. Lummi Island is home to numerous artists who conduct studio tours on Memorial Day weekend, Labor Day weekend, and the second weekend in November.
