Lynden, Washington

Lynden was begun in 1871 and established in 1874 by Holden and Phoebe Judson near the site of the Nooksack Indian village Squahalish (Nooksack: Sqwehálich). It was named by Phoebe Judson after the riverside town in Hohenlinden, a poem by Thomas Campbell, stating:

On Linden, when the sun was low,
All bloodless lay the untrodden snow;
And dark as winter was the flow
Of Iser rolling rapidly.

According to her book, A Pioneer's Search for an Ideal Home, she changed the spelling of "Linden" to be more visually appealing. The city was officially incorporated on March 16, 1891.

The city lies in a broad valley along the winding path of the Nooksack River, which empties into nearby Bellingham Bay. The surrounding area is filled with dairy, raspberry, strawberry, and blueberry farms. Even though not founded by them, the region saw significant Dutch immigration in the early and mid 1900s, spurring the growth of dairies. Today, Lynden pays homage to some of its Dutch heritage through locations such as buildings on Front Street, where some businesses have been made-over with a Dutch theme, complete with a windmill. Along that street, you'll find the Lynden Dutch Bakery, Dutch Mother's Restaurant, and numerous local businesses. Some local supermarkets contain Dutch food sections, but Dutch is spoken by very few of the city's residents today. In the last two decades, the population has nearly doubled in size, with Dutch being more predominate than other ethnic ancestry.(see 2010 census figures).

The Raspberry Festival is held the third weekend in July every year. The festival includes the Curt Maberry 3-on-3 basketball tournament, the Razz & Shine Car Show, The Raspberry Fun Run, tours of raspberry fields and wineries and the ever-popular Raspberry & Ice Cream All Day social and a rock wall. Other notable events are the Farmer's Day Parade, the Sinterklaas/Lighted Christmas Parade, the Antique Tractor Show, and many other events that can be seen in more detail at Lynden's website calendar.[10]

The city is noted for its manicured lawns, Dutch architecture, and abundance of churches. In August, the Northwest Washington Fair lures over 200,000 people and allows Whatcom County residents to display the agricultural products, art, crafts, and wares. This regional fair is highly regarded as one of the best family friendly fairs in the state.

In 2005, Lynden gained renown for its infamous Lynden Drug Tunnel, built by a band of Canadian drug-smugglers in the basement of a residence 5 miles (8.0 km) north of Lynden along the Canada–US border. This is the only known drug tunnel along the US-Canada border.

Lynden is one of the few cities in the world whose main entrance is between two cemeteries. At one time, Lynden held the world record for most churches per square mile and per capita, although that is unsubstantiated. That title currently goes to Wheaton, Ill. Due to the town's large population of those who attend or are members of Lynden's many churches, the town has had a long tradition of most businesses closing on Sunday.[11] In recent years, businesses have started to open on Sundays, as in other communities, but the area remains mostly unchanged. Similarly, a law of 41 years prohibiting Sunday alcohol sales was repealed on October 20, 2008 due to a shift in public opinion.[12]

In May 2016, the then-presumptive Republican Party nominee and eventual victor in the 2016 United States presidential election, Donald Trump, held a campaign rally in Lynden at the Northwest Washington Fairgrounds. This marked the first time that the presumptive presidential nominee of a major political party in the United States visited the city during general election campaign season.[13]

As of the census[7] of 2010, there were 11,951 people, 4,594 households, and 3,248 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,311.6 inhabitants per square mile (892.5/km²). There were 4,812 housing units at an average density of 930.8 per square mile (359.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 89.7% White, 0.7% African American, 0.9% Native American, 2.5% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 4.0% from other races, and 2.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.7% of the population.

There were 4,594 households of which 32.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.1% were married couples living together, 8.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 29.3% were non-families. 26.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.11.

The median age in the city was 38.6 years. 26.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.5% were from 25 to 44; 22.8% were from 45 to 64; and 19.6% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 46.8% male and 53.2% female.

As of the census of 2000, there were 9,020 people, 3,426 households, and 2,500 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,208.8 people per square mile (853.6/km²). There were 3,592 housing units at an average density of 879.6 per square mile (339.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 93.07% White, 0.27% African American, 0.45% Native American, 2.26% Asian, 2.51% from other races, and 1.44% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.73% of the population.

There were 3,426 households out of which 34.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.8% were married couples living together, 7.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.0% were non-families. 24.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 3.11.

In the city, the age distribution of the population shows 28.2% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 25.5% from 25 to 44, 19.0% from 45 to 64, and 19.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.7 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $42,767, and the median income for a family was $50,449. Males had a median income of $39,597 versus $23,292 for females. The per capita income for the city was $20,639. About 4.1% of families and 6.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.5% of those under age 18 and 12.7% of those age 65 or over.