The City in Lynden, Washington

Lynden is approximately five miles, 8.0 km, south of the U.S.-Canadian border and home to the Northwest Washington Fair. The second largest city in Whatcom County, Lynden was named and established in 1874 on the site of the Nooksack Indian village Squahalish by Holden and Phoebe Judson. Phoebe Judson's influence over the town is so substantial that she is locally known as the 'Mother of Lynden'. She is credited with providing Lynden with its name, taken from the poem 'Hohenlinden' by Scottish poet Thomas Campbell. Judson also founded the Northwest Normal School, which became and is now known as Western Washington University. Judson lived until 1926, witnessing the cultural infusion of Dutch and Scandinavian immigrants who came to Lynden from the late 1890s through the mid 1900s. This heritage can be seen in the Dutch-style buildings along Front street, some of which house eateries and bakeries serving traditional Dutch cuisine and pastries. Most importantly, the heritage of these early inhabitants of Lynden show through in the day-to-day lives of its modern ones. It is a town, nestled among the beautiful natural surroundings of northwestern Washington state, where faith, family, and community are paramount.