The Beach Store is named for pioneer homesteader John (Wade) Beach. In 1901, Elizabeth M. Richards acquired the property and had a large new grocery built with an apartment behind and a large meeting room upstairs. The store became the Island’s post office that year and remained so until 1941. During the years the post office was housed in the Beach Store, letters going to the island were addressed to Beach, Washington, rather than Lummi Island. Between 1910 and 1925 the store became popular in the community and the upstairs room became a meeting space for dances, box socials, grange meetings and political discussions. Around 1925 a public ferry service began operating from a dock which was built immediately across from the store, prompting the Beach Store to serve as a passenger terminal for people waiting for the ferry. The store was a fixture in the community, housing the only telephone and fire station on the island until service was expanded. The store has operated under several different owners through its history and continues to operate as a café today.
Beach Store
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