This episode is about exotic birds as pets…  particularly Parrots, weird parrot stories we’ve collected from BellingHISTORY.  You’ll meet a few Polly’s and a parrot thankfully named Mildred, hear the stories of beer guzzling bar birds and Whatcom County’s oldest feathered friend. 

In this episode we tell the story of Hill’s Ostrich Farm, operated by William E. Hill in 1911 in Bellingham, on Electric Avenue near Whatcom Falls Park.  We delve into the history of Ostrich Farming and how there came to be such a feather-brained idea in the first place, the fate of the farm and the Ostrich plume craze, as well as some more recent news from the world of ratite farming.  Ostrich burger anyone?  

Last fall when I started thinking of ideas for columns for the Betty Pages, I was excited to write interesting stories about early drag performers here in our corner of the world. However writing about these stories has taken on a weightier context as a wave of anti-drag hysteria has escalated across the country, and bills designed to restrict and prohibit drag performances work their way through state legislatures.

Our second episode is now live! The Good Time Girls have teamed up with the ladies of The City of Subdued Podcast to bring you the darkest, the most oppressive, the spookiest, and the baaaaaadest parts of Bellingham History! This episode is on its surface about “local lore” that is creepy and bad indeed, but in the worst way. Because the reality behind it is undeniably dark and shameful.

#Onthisday in #Bellinghistory, November 13, 1913, the Herald reported on a scandalous affair involving the arrest of a pair of traveling clairvoyants on charges of “lewd living.” 

This story ties in with one of our favorite topics – Spiritualism!  If you’ve been on one of our “Gore and Lore” tours you may have heard us talk about the Spiritualist Congregations of Bellingham.

Although the idea of communicating with the dead has likely been around since the dawn of time, “Spiritualism” is said to be a “purely American invention.”  Like Jazz!

This post was inspired by a 1908 news blurb about a new building on Railroad Avenue to be occupied by Curt Pless’ Feed and Seed business, and Pless’ mysterious disappearance soon after. #Onthisday in #Bellinghistory October 3, 1908 the Herald reported on the “New Headquarters for the Pless Hay & Grain Company,” on the corner of Railroad and Magnolia, better known in recent years as the home of Avalon Records and Clark’s Feed and Seed, recently gutted by fire.  “One of the most up-to-date buildings of the year erected for housing a feed and grain business is the above warehouse, built at the corner of Railroad Avenue and Magnolia Street and leased for a long period by Curt Pless & Co.”  

While doing some research for the Horseshoe Café, I recently found myself sidetracked into the world of the Barnum and Bailey circus on their visit to Bellingham in 1908.  As a fan-girl of old-timey performers of the vaudeville and circus scenes, it was fairly easy to do….  Since today is the anniversary of the arrival of the Barnum and Bailey Circus in Bellingham #onthisday in 1908, I thought I’d share…

In 1911 two young Bellingham women caused a “Flurry” on Holly Street by wearing the latest controversial ladies’ fashion… the “Harem Skirt.”  Despite the name, the scandalous aspect of the “Harem Skirt” was really about women wearing “men’s wear,” or pants.

From these articles, it appears that Lorena was harassed while she was with customers, peeped-on through a spy hole, beaten by her accuser, and the case against her relied entirely on eyewitness testimony that itself relied heavily on euphemism and innuendo. The city brought forth witnesses who were almost entirely local business men and whose testimony is dripping with hearsay.