Early inhabitants of Semiahmoo Spit referred to this slender peninsula as Tongue Point. In 1857, it was renamed Semiahmoo Bay. In 1858, the spit was again renamed Semiahmoo City. Today the spit is simply referred to as Semiahmoo.
There were two Semiahmoo Cities back then- one on the Spit and one on the mainland. Semiahmoo of the ‘spit’ was situated on a tongue of the mainland, extending from a heavily timbered point, some seven-eighths of a mile into the bay. A Portion of the area was cultivated, the rest covered with pasture.
Semiahmoo City, established in 1857 to supply prospectors of the Frasier River Gold Rush with shelter, food, and drink, consisted of one hotel and a grocery/ provisions store, closed eventually for lack of patronage, residences of 8-10 homes and several living tents and a population estimated at 18-20 souls.
Mainland Semiahmoo sat in a clearing upon a bluff, amid the thick forest. A street had been excavated and a wharf built across the mudflats to the channel. This town consisted of 2-3 large frame buildings, of which two were saloons, a couple of homes, 3-4 tents and a few log homes on the outskirts. Mainland Semiahmoo is the burial ground of the Semiahmoo Indian tribe.
A small salting business opened in 1876 when settlers discovered how plentiful the salmon were. Fish were packed in wooden barrels and shipped to California In 1894, Alaska Packers Association established a salmon cannery and boat repair facility at the tip of Semiahmoo Spit.
In 1890, the City of Blaine was born (originally Semiahmoo two), and was named after James G. Blaine, a presidential nominee.
The Semiahmoo Harbor Lighthouse was established near Blaine in 1905, after determining that a red lantern hanging from a cluster of three piles at the entrance to Drayton Harbor wasn’t enough. The 1 ½ story dwelling had a lantern in the center of its peaked roof with a fourth order Fresnel lens and a third-class Daboll fog trumpet. In 1939, an automatic light and bell were installed, putting the lighthouse keeper out of a job. But unless weather conditions were perfect, the bell could not be heard even a mile away. It was deactivated and demolished in 1944.
In 1977, a Shoreline Permit Application was approved for a proposed marina on the north end of the Spit to consist of 840 berths.
Construction was underway for Semiahmoo Marina by 1980. Four large ponds were created, later to be used as a repository for hundreds of thousand cubic yards of soil and sand which were dredged from the marina basin. Over one-half mile of floating concrete breakwater fifteen feet wide surrounds the entire marina. Each section was transported by flatbed trucks, lifted by a crane and towed to their final position. Anchoring cables attached to 25 ft. Pilings were driven 29 feet beneath the harbor floor to hold the breakwater in place. The overall height of the breakwater is 56 inches with only 16 inches visible above the water line.
When the marina was completed in 1982, it featured a fully equipped shop, staffed with full-time mechanics experienced in all aspects of Marine repair. Also, on site was a parts department, and a Chandlery stocked with fishing gear, paints, hardware, and clothing. The service area also included a 35-ton lift to haul boats out of the water. Currently, 296 slips are available with room for expansion to 800 slips.
The year 1984 brought the opening of the original Semiahmoo Resort, which featured reminders of the Salish Native tribe, the 1850 Gold Rush boomtown and the lifestyles of the cannery workers from the early 1900’s, along with all the modern facilities of a first class resort.
Today, Semiahmoo offers walking trails, bird watching and sandy beaches for clamming, beachcombing and picnicking. Semiahmoo Resort has reopened under new management and had made many refreshing changes. Condominiums blend into the landscape and Semiahmoo Marina is bustling with boaters headed out to the islands, visiting boaters headed in to enjoy the beauty and peacefulness of the Marina and the Marina Café is tempting residents and visitors with the scent of freshly made coffees and sandwiches.
Even with all the changes, Semiahmoo Spit is one of the most beautiful places to visit.
This article is a summary of public and private records marina staff had on file. Special thanks to Blaine’s Northern Light for its contribution.