Sumas takes its name from a word meaning “land without trees,” a nod to the broad, open prairie that defines the valley. Incorporated in 1891, the town grew as an important railroad hub — and even played a role in the region’s early-1900s gold-mining era, serving operations like the nearby Lone Jack Mine.

The Nooksack River Valley has flooded for generations — a legacy of heavy rains, snowmelt from Mt. Baker, and historic shifts in the river’s course, including when it once flowed north into Canada. The pattern peaked most recently in 2025, when catastrophic flooding hit Everson, Nooksack, and Sumas, and today the region is investing in major efforts to reduce risk.

The town of Nooksack, incorporated in 1912 on a longtime Indigenous crossing site, endured major fires in 1906 and 1910. Today it remains a community of about 1,471 residents — and, despite its name, sits along an upper branch of the Sumas River.

Everson began as an Indigenous village before homesteaders arrived in the mid-1800s, and the town’s growth took off after the railroad came through in 1891. Incorporated in 1929, Everson became a hub for logging, dairying, and berry and fruit farming — with the rail line shipping products far beyond the valley.