Fairhaven’s scandalous and sordid past is forever entombed in the concrete of Harris Avenue, where markers reveal locations of the town’s shadiest and most gruesome characters.
“Site of Sam Low’s opium den, 1904.”
“First jailhouse occupied by drunks and small town crooks, 1890.”
“Mathew was cut in two by a streetcar, 1891.”
So, are they real? Did Sam Low really run an opium den in 1904? Did the Chinese Mafia really attempt an assassination in 1909? Did a poor soul really spell “Mathew” with only one T in 1891?
It’s tough to say just how sensationalized some of these stories may be. The tiles were developed and installed by a local hobby historian and newspaper publisher, Tyrone Tillson, during the late 1980s and early 1990s, so I’m inclined to trust his historic knowledge of the area.
On the other hand, these markers paint Fairhaven as a den of sin, a vibe you just don’t get strolling the cobbled streets lined with coffee shops, plant nurseries and dog-friendly bookstores of 2022.
Others are a little bit skeptical of some of the tiles, too.
“Some of the markers … reflect perhaps not the history that was, but rather, the history that Tillson wished had taken place,” according to a 2016 masters thesis from a Western Washington University grad student.
Other “official” sources, including the Port of Bellingham, reference the ever-vague “historical writings” that mention the possibility of a Chinese-run opium den serving Fairhaven.
As a journalist, I’m all about the facts.
As a person, though, I love a juicy rumor with a slight sprinkle of the far-fetched. With only a few documents to go on, the barest of knowledge of Fairhaven’s red-light district and brothels, and an unwillingness to dig through Washington state archives for months to determine the validity of each and every stone, I’m going to trust Tillson with a blind faith worthy of apostlehood.
Of the original 50, 48 markers survive around Fairhaven, so next time you’re so inclined to stroll through town, be sure to look down. You just might learn something.
