Bellingham’s historic steam whistle from the turn of the 20th century, Big Ole, now lives at Western Washington University.
Installed at the steam plant at Western, the decommissioned steam whistle was built in 1899 and served at two lumber mills along the waterfront until the late 1940s, then modified in Port Alberni, British Columbia, because it was so loud it broke windows.
The Encogen Generating Station power plant tested Big Ole in 1997, where it discovered its sound was significantly quieter; more of a deep rumbling noise.
When Big Ole arrived at WWU in 2008, the university considered using it as a campus emergency notification device or to make announcements, but it was not loud enough.
There are no current plans to use the whistle, but Western’s Facilities Manager, Greg Huff, said he’s open to the idea. Until then, it will remain a historical artifact. There is even an illustrated children’s book about the steam whistle at Village Books called, “Big Ole: A Timber Mill Whistle in Bellingham.”
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