Sumas street scene in 1898

Photograph credited to the Whatcom Museum Photo Archives, Bellingham, WA.

The description from the Whatcom Museum Archives: " Sumas street scene in 1898 with group of miners and pack horses in front of Schumacher's and Parkinson's Miners' outfitting stores for the Mt. Baker Gold Fields.  Captioned : Railroad Avenue Scene in "98"."

The businesses are focused on provisions for the miner's headed for the Mt. Baker gold fields.  The Mount Baker Gold Rush was active from 1897 until about 1920.  This included the Lone Jack Mine, the Garget mine and many others.

Railroad Avenue was the original business district in Sumas running north and south facing the railroad track.  Later the business district moved one block to the east onto Cherry Street.   We are looking to the east at the buildings which are facing west.  It would be interesting to try to figure out what the gabled barn- like building is behind Schumacher's store.  Also notice on the far right the drug store. 

According to the 1900 census records, George Parkinson and his wife Florence immigrated to the United State's in 1890 from England.  George was born March 1845 and his wife February 1865.  They settled in Sumas and started a dry good store which prospered due to the Mt. Baker Gold Rush. They still had the dry good store in 1920 but by 1930 they were proprietors of the Grand Hotel.  By the 1940s Florence was widowed and still the Proprietor of the Grand Hotel . (To see a picture of the Grand Hotel look at the earlier posting http://nooksackvalleynostalgia.blogspot.com/2014/02/the-grand-hotel-1917.html. )

Also according to the 1900 census records Anton Schumacher,  an immigrant from Denmark was the owner of the next door dry goods store.  Anton immigrated  in 1879 from Denmark where he was born in 1858.   He maintained his business for many years although it morphed into a men's clothing store and was still mentioned in the 1935 business directory.  I can't find any death records or indications as to where he is buried.