Ferndale, Washington
Ferndale is a city in Whatcom County, Washington, United States. The population was 11,415 at the 2010 census.
History
First settled in 1872, Ferndale was given its name because of the ferns that once grew around the original school house. Ferndale was originally called Jam because the town was located next to a log jam on the Nooksack River. The original schoolteacher decided it needed a more picturesque name. Ferndale was officially incorporated on March 19, 1907.
One colorful figure in Ferndale’s pioneer past is “Blanket Bill” Jarman (1820-1912) who was once ransomed for a stack of blankets (1848?) and acquitted of homicide (1871). He is buried in Ferndale’s Woodlawn Cemetery.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 6.69 square miles (17.33 km2), of which, 6.61 square miles (17.12 km2) is land and 0.08 square miles (0.21 km2) is water. Downtown Ferndale is located near the river, along with Griffintown and a largely industrial area east of the Nooksack River. Northwest of these areas are suburban developments.
