Waterfront Oral History Project

The Waterfront Oral History Project was a collaborative effort between Western Washington University's Department of History and the Center for Pacific Northwest Studies.

In 2006, students in Professor Chris Friday's History 400 class generated oral histories from interviews with eighteen current and former employees of the Georgia-Pacific Corporation's (GP) pulp mill in Bellingham, Washington. In 1925, Washington state businessman and mill owner, Ossian Anderson, acquired the site on Bellingham's waterfront and operations began the following year. Formerly part of the Puget Sound Pulp & Timber Company, the mill was acquired by the Georgia-Pacific Corporation in 1963. Due to increasing pressure for environmental and industrial safety, combined with a major energy crisis in 2001, GP ultimately decided to shut down its Bellingham operations. Most of the major pulp mill operations were phased out by 2001, while production at the tissue mill, the site's final active operation, was finally terminated in December 2007. In exchange for the cost of industrial cleanup, the corporation donated most of the site's waterfront property to the city of Bellingham.

From the description of Waterfront Oral History Project records 1926-2006 2006. (Western Washington University). WorldCat record id: 229379011

The Waterfront Oral History Project was a collaborative effort between Western Washington University’s History Department and the Center for Pacific Northwest Studies. In 2006, students in Professor Chris Friday’s History 400 class generated oral histories from interviews with eighteen current and former employees of the Georgia-Pacific Corporation pulp mill in Bellingham, Washington.

In 1925, Washington state businessman and mill owner Ossian Anderson acquired the mill site on Bellingham’s downtown waterfront from the Bellingham Bay Improvement Company. Pulp mill operation began the following year. Originally part of the Puget Sound Pulp & Timber Company, the mill was acquired by GP in 1963.

At its peak the mill employed hundreds of Bellingham locals and produced hundreds of million of dollars in revenue. The mill was also at the forefront of pulp-making technology, and led the international pulping industry in research and innovation throughout most of the twentieth century.*

During the 1970s and 1980s, the mill faced significant local pressure to both upgrade its environmental safety standards and shut down environmentally harmful operations. A 1999 explosion at the steam plant raised new concerns about the safety of both employees at the mill and the surrounding community. Increasing pressure regarding environmental and industrial safety, combined with a major energy crisis in 2001 led GP to shut down its Bellingham operations. Most of the major pulp mill operations were phased out by 2001, while production at the tissue mill, the site’s final active operation, was finally terminated in December 2007. At that time GP donated most of the waterfront property to the Port of Bellingham.

* Source: "Smells Like Money: The Story of Bellingham's Georgia Pacific Plant," documentary by David Albright in conjuction with Western Washington University and the Northwest Film School.

From the guide to the Waterfront Oral History Project records, 1926-2006, 2006, (Western Washington University Heritage Resources)