BellingHistory with the Good Time Girls - The Podcast

In this episode we discuss the early history of Bellingham’s historic Hotel Leo, aka the Leopold Hotel.  From its earliest days as the Byron House through its take-over and expansion under beer baron Leopold Schmidt.  And since it’s spooky season, we include stories about some “potential ghosts” that might be wandering the halls, including Leo himself, as well as a mysterious count building hydroplanes on Lake Whatcom at the dawn of World War 1. CONTENT WARNING: TOPICS OF DEATH AND SUICIDE. Listen with care. The hotel has a long history so this is Part 1!  Tune in next time for Part 2 when we talk about the roaring 1920s and beyond…  Show notes and more at ⁠⁠⁠https://bellinghistory.com/the-podcast

In this episode we get into the history of the professional beauty industry in Bellingham, Washington, focusing on hair, mostly… and also mostly women’s hair.  We take a look at who was doing hair for a living, and how they were doing it, why they were doing it, and how the profession evolved from the wild west days through the progressive era. We have combed the archives for hair-raising stories to share with you from the bygone days of beauty culture here on Bellingham Bay.     Content warning for mentions of domestic violence and suicide as well as really painful sounding hair styles and swear words. Show notes and more at ⁠⁠⁠https://bellinghistory.com/the-podcast

In this episode we explore the history of Bellingham’s beloved Terminal Building, also known as Tony’s Coffee and many other names. The oldest building in the Fairhaven Historic District suffered a tragic fire in December of 2023 that included a loss of life. We take a look at the 130+ years of the history of the building including the saloon years, the Busy Corner store, and beloved coffee shop.  Show notes and more at ⁠⁠https://bellinghistory.com/the-podcast

In this episode we discuss the story of Ursula Unfug, a sex worker who spent time in brothels around the PNW during the 1890s.  Ursula gained notoriety in the 1892 shooting of Thomas Henderson Boyd, editor of the Morning Olympian newspaper and her “secret husband.”  We examine how Ursula was first vilified by the local press, then reluctantly pitied, as a tragic tale of exploitation and abuse emerged during the trial.  Starring special co-host Marissa McGrath. CONTENT WARNING: This episode contains the topics of domestic violence, miscarriage and suicidal ideation. Listen with care. Show notes and more at ⁠https://bellinghistory.com/the-podcast

In this episode we discuss the history of tattoos and tattooing in Bellingham and beyond. Find out what the newspapers were reporting about tattoos, who was getting them, who was giving them and who was getting arrested for showing them off! Show notes and more at ⁠https://bellinghistory.com/the-podcast

In this episode we dive in (pun intended) to the seemingly bottomless pool of sea monster stories.  Whether they be myth, lore or just a really big fish, “monsters of the deep” have inspired many a whopper of a tale here in Bellingham, Washington and the PNW over the years.  Release the Kraken! Show notes and more at https://bellinghistory.com/the-podcast

In this episode we explore the history of taxidermy in Bellingham, tracing the legacy of various practitioners thereof from "curio collectors" to the founders of our modern museum. Content warning for dead critters y'all. Show notes and more at ⁠https://bellinghistory.com/the-podcast

It's the first real episode of season 2: Bellinghamsters and other Tails - Animal Stories with the Good Time Girls! Oooorrrr… “firefighters are a brave, unruly and maybe a little bit bored, bunch.” We pulled out some of our favorite furry history for this one with wild tales of Bellinghaminals, from Bellingh-hamsters to Belling.... ant bears. This one was based on a live talk we gave at the Whatcom Museum for their Free First Friday program, and coinciding with the recent exhibit “The Pet Show.” Show notes and more at https://bellinghistory.com/the-podcast

Spring has sprung and Season 2 is here! Well, almost… This is just a teaser, a little intro to what is coming your way for season 2. For this season, in order to save our sanity and precious time, we are going to release monthly on the THIRD THURSDAY. This will give us more time to do all the researching and scripting and editing to bring you fun content for your ears. Have a listen to hear what else we’ve got coming your way! Show notes and more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bellinghistory.com/the-podcast

In this episode we get into the “vintage” era of the 1970s and 1980s and Bellingham’s dive-y waterfront scene with a discussion of our legendary “Serial Killer Bar” as well as an unsolved mystery concerning a body found in the boiler plant at the former Georgia Pacific mill complex. The last of our re-released episodes from the 2020 season of “Bad Town” on the City of Subdued Podcast, hosted by Annika Fleming, Maria Dalla Gasparina, and guest hosted by Kolby and Wren and Good Time Girls founder Marissa McGrath. CONTENT WARNING - DISCUSSIONS OF VIOLENCE AND MURDER AND OTHER GRUESOME TOPICS, SOME OF WHICH ARE OF MORE RECENT MEMORY. Show notes and more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bellinghistory.com/the-podcast

This episode features the story of the Maple Falls Murder Farm! We discuss the creepy murderer who local papers blamed for the death of Frederick Dames (see previous episode: Bad Butchered Town) … and while this creepy murderer was perhaps Whatcom County’s first serial killer… did he really butcher the butcher? You be the judge! This episode is a re-release from the 2020 season of “Bad Town” on the City of Subdued Podcast, hosted by Annika Fleming, Maria Dalla Gasparina and yours truly along with Good Time Girls founder Marissa McGrath. BUT with updates! Content warning: murder, death, true crime. Show notes and more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bellinghistory.com/the-podcast

In this week’s episode, we revisit one of our favorite Bellingham true-crime stories, the murder of a local butcher, Frederick Dames, in 1905. Though declared “solved” a few years later, doubts remain as to whether the supposed perpetrator was actually responsible for this particular crime. (More on him in next week’s episode!) This episode is a re-release from the 2020 season of “Bad Town” on the City of Subdued Podcast, hosted by Annika Fleming, Maria Dalla Gasperina and yours truly along with Good Time Girls founder Marissa McGrath. Content warning for gruesome descriptions of this particularly heinous murder. Listen with care. Show notes and more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bellinghistory.com/the-podcast

In this episode we discuss the history of the Ku Klux Klan, aka the KKK, here in Bellingham, Whatcom County and the PNW. Listen with care. This episode is a re-release from the 2020 season of “Bad Town” on the City of Subdued Podcast, hosted by Annika Fleming, Maria Dalla Gasparina and yours truly along with Good Time Girls founder Marissa McGrath. Show notes and more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bellinghistory.com/the-podcast

In this episode we get into prohibition era Bad-Town, complete with rum running, bootlegging and speak-easies (aka Blind Pigs). AND a story straight from the LaBree family vaults. This episode is a re-release from the 2020 season of “Bad Town” on the City of Subdued Podcast, hosted by Annika Fleming, Maria Dalla Gasparina and yours truly along with Good Time Girls founder Marissa McGrath. Show notes and more at ⁠⁠⁠https://bellinghistory.com/the-podcast

In this week’s episode we discuss the case of Lorena Upper, a so-called "lady barber" accused of violating the “red light statute” here in Bellingham, Washington in 1922 and what it meant to work as a woman in a traditionally male occupation at the time. This episode is a re-release from the 2020 season of “Bad Town” on the City of Subdued Podcast, hosted by Annika Fleming, Maria Dalla Gasparina and yours truly along with Good Time Girls founder Marissa McGrath. We have updates on this episode at the end! Show notes and more at ⁠⁠https://bellinghistory.com/the-podcast

This episode features stories of women who ran afoul of the law,  as well as the women charged with policing them!  There are murder plots, madams, police matrons and the “high priestess of anarchy.” Plus bonus content questions an updates. Content warning on this one for topics of domestic violence and other disturbing situations. This episode is a re-release from the 2020 season of “Bad Town” on the City of Subdued Podcast, hosted by Annika Fleming, Maria Dalla Gasparina and yours truly along with Good Time Girls founder Marissa McGrath. Show notes and more at ⁠https://bellinghistory.com/the-podcast

Bad Trial Town, aka “For the Love of Moses” is about a sensational murder that occurred on Forest Street, near the Majestic Hall in Bellingham, Washington. It’s about a man who shot his wife and his son-in-law, who was also his wife’s lover. It’s about fancy-talking lawyers with pink toupees. It’s about an acquittal based on patriarchal biblical law. And lastly, it’s about the flaws in our justice system then and NOW. Content warning on this one for topics of domestic violence and other disturbing situations. This episode is a re-release from the 2020 season of “Bad Town” on the City of Subdued Podcast, hosted by Annika Fleming, Maria Dalla Gasparina and yours truly along with Good Time Girls founder Marissa McGrath. Show notes and more at https://bellinghistory.com/the-podcast

Kolby and Marissa take a deeper dive into the life of Frank “Spider” Biles, arrested for a string of arsons in the summer of 1892. “Spider Biles, The Fire Bug” is memorialized on a cement marker in the cobblestone alley next to Skylark’s Café in Fairhaven, now a quaint historic shopping district in Bellingham, Washington. This episode is a re-release from the 2020 season of “Bad Town” on the City of Subdued Podcast, hosted by Annika Fleming, Maria Dalla Gasparina and yours truly along with Good Time Girls founder Marissa McGrath. Read our show-notes and more at ⁠bellinghistory.com/the-podcast

This week’s story is about notorious Bad Bud Cox, an original Bad Town Bad Boy. We take a deeper look into the life of “Bud Cox” who gained local infamy after robbing a saloon in Fairhaven in the early 1900s, and who spent his life addicted and incarcerated. This episode is a re-release from the 2020 season of “Bad Town” on the City of Subdued Podcast, hosted by Annika Fleming, Maria Dalla Gasparina and US along with Good Time Girls founder Marissa McGrath. Read our show-notes and more at bellinghistory.com/the-podcast

Another re-release from the 2020 season of “Bad Town” on the City of Subdued Podcast, hosted by Annika Fleming, Maria Dalla Gasparina and US along with Good Time Girls founder Marissa McGrath. In this episode Marissa and Kolby discuss the so-called “Chines Curse” on the town of Bellingham, and the story behind the urban legend. We’ve included some additional discussion on this one. Also see our original show notes, references, resources and ephemera HERE. (Apologies for being late on this one! Crazy October and Sickness! )