My, how time flies captures the intimate, grassroots transformation of Whatcom County, tracing its evolution from a rugged, heavily timbered frontier into a consolidated maritime and industrial center along Washington’s northernmost seaboard. Hunsby details how the region's formidable geography—characterized by the dense old-growth forests of the Nooksack River valley, the deepwater anchorages of Bellingham Bay, and the towering, glaciated foothills of Mount Baker—strictly dictated early pioneer lifeways and economic expansion. By chronicling firsthand experiences in isolated logging camps and the arduous engineering efforts required to carve the Mount Baker Highway through impenetrable alpine terrain, the narrative highlights the immense physical labor required to navigate and extract resources from this unforgiving landscape. Furthermore, the compilation of these historical accounts illustrates how the isolated coastal and mountainous topography of Fairhaven and Bellingham fostered a fiercely independent, self-reliant community deeply tied to its natural surroundings. Ultimately, this collection serves as a deeply personal spatial history, demonstrating how the dramatic environmental extremes of the Pacific Northwest’s extreme northwestern corner inherently shaped the enduring pioneer character and physical footprint of Whatcom County.

History, Hunsby, George, Washington (State) Whatcom County, Whatcom County (Wash.) History