Silver Beach Amusement Park provided fun for city residents for almost 15 years By Al Currier Whatcom County Historical Society Little remains in today's quiet residential Silver Beach neighborhood to recall the excitement of Bellingham's "White City" Amusement Park, which brightened the north end of Lake Whatcom during the early years of the twentieth century. The waterside park was the product of a fishing outing on Lake Whatcom by local real estate man William F. Gwynn and his friend, C.H. Chandler of Pennsylvania, in May 1906. Chandler, an executive with the Pittsburgh Plate Glass Co., with side interests in insurance and real estate, was greatly impressed with the natural surroundings of Silver Beach, which served as a summer vacation area for many city residents, who often rented cottages or rooms at the Silver Beach Hotel. The development of practical uses for electricity had spurred the construction of amusement parks nationwide, in the 1890s and early 1900s. The Chicago Columbian Exhibition of 1893 had featured one of the first demonstrations of mass electric lighting. Amusement park developers quickly realized that new lighting would be a major attraction in a time when electricity in homes was still rare. Ablaze after dark with large quantities of electric light bulbs, the parks quickly earned the nickname of "White Cities," or "Fairylands." Deciding that Silver Beach offered an excellent location for a "White City" amusement park, Chandler and Gwynn immediately formed the Bellingham Amusement Co. Chandler put up an initial $50,000 investment to begin construction. The Silver Beach Amusement Park was located in the area now bounded by North Shore Drive on the east, Academy Street on the north and extending across Poplar Street on the south and east to the shoreline. In the summer of 1906, a roller coaster, carousel and Ferris wheel were constructed. The main entrance to the park was located adjacent to the Silver Beach Hotel near the corner of north Shore Drive and polar, at the end of the Silver Beach streetcar line. The roller coaster was constructed from high-quality finish wood in a basic figure-eight design. The 75 foot high Ferris wheel, which featured safety netting surrounding each of its cars, offered views of the entire Silver Beach area to its riders. Over 3,000 people rode the Silver Beach Amusement Park's roller coaster during its first weekend of operation in September 1906 and huge crowds continued through the fall. As the only convenient means of transportation to Silver Beach, Whatcom County Light and Railway anticipated upgrading its track and increasing its fleet of cars so that service could be doubled the following season to every 7 minutes. Boosted by these large crowds, Chandler announced grandiose expansion plans for the 1907 season. Among the attractions he hoped to add with an investment of another $100,000 were an Enchanted Castle, Katzenjammer House, Shoot the Chutes (water slides with toboggans), Bump the bumps (slides), Old Mill (tunnel of love), Crystal Maze, a Laughing Gallery (distorting mirrors), and "Airship Swings" and "ocean Wave" mechanized rides. A Penny Arcade would include "phonographs with ear tubes attached" for listening to the latest songs. Also planned were a natatorium (swimming area at the edge of the lake), boathouse, baseball diamond, picnic grounds, and tennis courts, all with plenty of shelter from rain. A featured attraction would be a 75 by 150 - foot dance pavilion that could be used for roller skating. Chandler planned to enlarge the hotel and offer a variety of performances from acrobats, tightrope walkers, high divers, and vaudevillians. From its shoreline location, the park would rent rowboats and canoes, as well as operate a gasoline launch on excursions around the lake. Chandler's goal was to have the finest "White City" in the state of Washington, surpassing parks in Seattle and Spokane, which offered only one or two attractions. Unfortunately, the anticipated investment did not materialize. Bellinghams' "White City" eventually only included the roller coaster, merry-go-round, and Ferris wheel, a bear pit, penny arcade, concessions stands and the dancing pavilion. Even so, large crowds were attracted during the summer months in the early years of operation, keeping the streetcars full. Numerous special events were held, including Chautauqua meetings, group picnics, carnivals and special attractions, such as the visit of Captain James Moore and his "Monster Airship" (hot air balloon), which for a week in August 1908 made two ascensions daily. Youth of the area enjoyed sneaking into the park and searching the grounds for coins that would fall from the pockets of the Ferris wheel and roller coaster riders. The activity associated with the "White City" did not always sit well with the park's neighbors. In August 1908, some nearby residents complained of both men and women engaging in heavy drinking and nude bathing at the park'' waterfront, near the city water intake pipes. The Sheriff promised to appoint a deputy to patrol the lake and put a stop to such activities. In spite of large crowds, operation of the "White City" appears not to have been financially successful. In April of 1909, Chandler applied for a liquor license, arguing that the park was not bringing in enough revenue to make a profit on his investment. The application was denied. Tragedy struck prior to the 1910 season when on May 26, Chandler was stricken with a fatal heart attack at Pallate's neighborhood store. While the park opened as usual, its source of investment funds was gone, and changes began. The hotel and park concessions were leased in 1911 to J.N. Noble, who promised to continue operations as before. At this point several factors seem to have played a role in the continued decline and ultimate closure of Bellingham's "White City." The Silver Beach shoreline became an industrial center. Electricity was no longer a novelty, and the automobile's impact was being felt. Society was sobered with the outbreak of World War I. The park also seems to have suffered losses in a fire, but details are unclear. Park manager William Gwynn became manager of the Family Shoe Store on Holly Street in 1915. Finally, in 1919, the Silver Beach Hotel was closed and sold for debts accumulated against the park. While the date of its closure is uncertain, Silver Beach Amusement Park's final entry in the city business directory was in 1921.