Jeff Jewell remembers his first impressions of Bellingham upon moving here in 1982.
“When I came to Bellingham, it was like, ‘oh my God, look at this slice of Americana,’” Jewell said. The Bellis Fair Mall would not open for another six years; as such, the center of all activity in Bellingham was, according to Jewell, in the downtown and Fairhaven neighborhoods.
“You could take a bus or ride a bike, walk around,” Jewell reminisced. He said that the pace of Bellingham life allowed him to notice things which might have otherwise gone unnoticed, such as the city’s parks and historical houses.
32 years ago, Jewell started working part-time for the Whatcom Museum, balancing that work with his duties as a sous chef. Now, over three decades later, he received the Humanities Washington Award, a lifetime achievement award from the Humanities Washington nonprofit.
“I go to work every day, put in usually eight to ten hours, and it’s kind of a shock,” Jewell said when asked about the honor. “It’s a real George Bailey moment from ‘It’s a Wonderful Life…’ so many people have said so many kind things to me. It’s very humbling, and I’m very honored.”
People indeed had many kind things to say about Jewell. One of them is Gaia Crans, a documentation coordinator for Teague, a Seattle design agency. Crans, a Western Washington University alumnus, interviewed Jewell for a piece on historical houses in Bellingham. The resulting trip to the Whatcom Museum ended with Crans talking to Jewell for over an hour.
“He helped me a lot with my paper, answering questions about the houses that I was looking into,” Crans remembered. “He even lived in one of the historical houses that I was researching, (and) told me that he conceived his child in it as well, so that was a fun bit of information to add for my story.”
Kolby LaBree is the co-owner of the Good Time Girls, a Bellingham-based historical guided tour company. LaBree began interning at the Whatcom Museum’s photo archives in the early 2000s while balancing her obligations as an anthropology student at Western.
The internship was part of a museology class, according to LaBree; the experience made her fall in love with local history.
“I just kept volunteering in the archives for at least five years or more,” LaBree stated. “I still go in there constantly – even when I'm not officially volunteering.”
LaBree quickly pointed out how Jewell’s work helps historians and historical tour guides by referring to his “photographic memory,” as well as his ability to point people to other historical resources when needed, such as the State Archives and Western’s Center for Pacific Northwest Studies.
Author H. Leon Greene also highlighted Jewell’s historical knowledge. Jewell collaborated with Greene when the latter wrote a book on the history of Lake Whatcom; Jewell’s knowledge meant he rarely had to refer to photos or notes.
“You’ll ask for something, and as you’re looking at what (Jewell) found, he’ll be busily in the background finding some other things that he thinks are relevant,” Greene said. “He’s just very accommodating, and truly (interested) in the projects that people have when they come (to the Whatcom Museum).”
Jewell’s passion for his work is a recurring theme throughout the memories of those who worked with him.
Crans remarked that Jewell’s love for the field “(seeps) into the quality of his work,” as well as his ability to look at the fine details that tell a story.
LaBree said how Jewell’s wealth of knowledge allows him to answer almost any question put to him correctly, while Greene highlighted how working with Jewell provided him with further evidence on “the importance of history ... and how knowing what went on in a place decades or centuries ago kind of enriches your appreciation for where you are.”
To Jewell, a man who has worked with renowned figures such as documentarian Ken Burns, learning about local history presents him with an opportunity not entirely dissimilar to what one may see in a science fiction novel.
“This is the closest I can get to time travel. I can go back to 1905, or 1950, or any year, right?” Jewell said. “And now I'm old enough that even looking back on my youth is like, wow, that is getting back there a ways.”
Carlos Braga (he/him) is a campus news reporter for The Front this quarter. In addition to his work at The Front, Carlos also does journalistic work for Bellingham’s KMRE-FM and WWU’s The Rage magazine. You can reach him at carlosbraga.thefront@gmail.com.
