In 1870, Phoebe Judson and her husband Holden founded Lynden on the lands of the indigenous Nooksack people, near a settlement called Squahalish. Landmarks include Northwest Washington Fair, National Processed Raspberry Council and US Post Office-Lynden Main. Lynden is the birthplace of Gordon Wright, historian.
Lynden, Washington gifts and souvenirs: 30 designs made from Lynden's own map, landmarks and history, from $10 to $95. Printed to order and shipped free in the USA.
| Popular | Price |
|---|---|
| Lynden Hometown Ornament | $23 |
| Lynden Vintage Travel Poster | from $40 |
| Lynden Varsity Crewneck | from $57 |
| Lynden Est. Tee | from $33 |
| Lynden Town Line Mug | from $26 |
| Lynden Market Tote | $37 |
Ceramic keepsake, gold ribbon, in 4 styles
Its landmark photo in a classic travel-poster layout
A local landmark photo as a gallery print
Classic large-letter postcard art, filled with local photos
The town's story in dates, from its own records, for home or classroom
Map of local landmarks, washable fabric
Heavy-blend fleece, street map printed on the back
Red heavy-blend crewneck, knit-stitch town print
Soft Bella+Canvas jersey
Kids' Bella+Canvas jersey, youth sizes
Bella+Canvas toddler jersey
Bella+Canvas baby bodysuit
Large-letter postcard art filled with local photos
Glossy ceramic, dishwasher safe
Large-letter postcard art filled with local photos, 11 oz ceramic
Weatherproof, for the front walk
24″×16″, printed coir-look fibers, rubber back
12″×12″ printed wood, ready to hang
Soft-touch, zip cover
A local landmark photo with the town name, 18″×18″
Sturdy all-over-print tote
Large-letter postcard art on a sturdy tote
Foam-front trucker, printed (not embroidered) with local photos
Glossy top, cork back
Soft fleece, 50″×60″
20 oz, double-wall stainless
6″×4″ postcard, glossy front
6″×4″ postcard, glossy front
6″×4″ postcard, glossy front
The town's earliest Sanborn fire-insurance map, drawn building by building and hand-coloured, from the Library of Congress
Population 2010: 11,951 → 2020: 15,749
From Wikidata (CC0).
In 1870, Phoebe Judson and her husband Holden founded Lynden on the lands of the indigenous Nooksack people, near a settlement called Squahalish. Judson named the post office in 1893 after the Bavarian Hohenlinden as described in Thomas Campbell's poem "Hohenlinden", a town on a hillside by a river with a view of a mountain, because Lynden fit this description. According to her book A Pioneer's Search for an Ideal Home, Judson changed the spelling of "Linden" to be more visually appealing. Lynden was officially incorporated as a city on March 16, 1891. A statue of Judson at the intersection of Front and 6th Street was dedicated in 2017.
The city lies in a broad valley formed by the Nooksack River, which empties into nearby Bellingham Bay. The valley's forests were logged in the 1870s by the first wave of American settlers, and the clearing of log jams on the Nooksack River at the end of the decade opened more land to farming. The first road connecting to Whatcom (now Bellingham) was completed in 1875 and railroads reached Lynden a decade later. The region's raspberry, strawberry, and blueberry farms emerged after World War I alongside the dairy and poultry industries.
The region saw significant Dutch immigration in the early and mid-20th century and the establishment of Calvinist churches and Dutch language schools. The city began promoting its Dutch heritage in the 1980s, including the springtime Holland Days festival and a Sinterklaas celebration in December. Several buildings along Front Street were renovated with Dutch designs and businesses were renamed to match with "Dutch" names and products. Lynden retained its Dutch churches—numbering 28 by 1995—and many businesses voluntarily closed their stores on Sundays. By 2010, the city's population had grown to nearly 12,000 and 30 percent of Lynden residents claimed Dutch ancestry.
In 2005, a drug smuggling tunnel was discovered in Lynden, built by a band of Canadian smugglers in the basement of a residence 5 miles (8.0 km) north of Lynden along the Canada–U.S. border. At the time, this was the only known drug tunnel along the border.
The first time that a presumptive presidential nominee of a U.S. major political party came to Lynden during a general election year was in May 2016, when Donald Trump visited the city. The rally was originally planned to take place at Boeing Field in Seattle, but was relocated to Lynden after the permits were allegedly denied. The rally drew "thousands" of people and protestors outside of the venue; over $129,000 in extra policing and security costs were attributed to the event.
Adapted (trimmed) from the Wikipedia article Lynden, Washington, revision 1380002569 by its contributors, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
We share a part of every Lynden sale with local partners, and we'd love to print from your collection. Old photographs, maps and postcards make the best keepsakes.
Partner with usA favorite landmark, your street, a school or team, an anniversary gift, a different product. Tell us and we'll get back to you by email.
3 free coloring pages of Lynden, each traced from a photo of a local landmark. Print them at home, at school or for story hour.
Lynden's population was 15,749 in the 2020 U.S. Census, up from 11,951 in 2010.
US Post Office-Lynden Main
Northwest Washington Fair
Lynden Department Store