Hunt, Herbert and Floyd C. Kaylor.  Washington: West of the Cascades.  Vol. 
III.  Chicago: S.J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1917.  p.438-439.

LUTHER, THOMAS P.

	Thomas P. Luther, whose extensive property holdings and busness 
enterprise make him one of the foremost citizens of Bellingham, is a native of 
Buncombe county, North Carolina, and a son of Solomon and Nellie Luther.  
After attending the public schools until he reached the age of seventeen years 
he entered the Confederate army as a member of the Sixty-second Regiment of 
North Carolina Volunteers and with that command served as sergeant until the 
close of the ar.  He then took up mining and railroad construction, which he 
followed in California, Washington and Oregon, and since 1887 has been closely 
associated with the development of the northwest.  For about fifteen months he 
was employed as superintendent of construction work in the San Fernando Tunnel 
out of Los Angeles, California.  In 1877 he became a member of the police 
force at Portland, Oregon, and served as captain, which position he filled 
until 1884, when he entered the service of the government, being stationed at 
Port Townsend, Washington, as customs inspector.  Later he became chief 
inspector and so continued until the spring of 1888.  He was soon reinstated 
in the position but refused to serve longer.  In the fall of 1888 he removed 
to Whatcom, now Bellingham, where in the meantime he had accumulated 
considerable property.  He has since devoted his attention in looking after 
his various realty holdings.  He owns a lot one hundred and ten by fifty feet 
at the corner of Holly and Commercial streets, upon which in 1914 he erected a 
fine theater and store building.  In 1912 he built a fine two-story brick 
building at the corner of Commercial and Dock street.  All of these properties 
are in the heart of the city of Bellingham and are very valuable.  He also 
owns considerable other property.  His theater building at the corner of Holly 
and Commerical streets is considered one of the finest theater buildings of 
the town and is rented to a moving picture house.  He owns the entire 
equipment and has recently installed one of the latest types of moving picture 
machines at a large cost.
	Captain Luther has never married.  He is well known as a loyal 
representative of the Masons, the Odd Fellows and the Elks and he has been a 
very active member of the republican party in the past, doing everything in 
his power to promote the growth and ensure the success of republican 
principles.  He has recently erected a very fine residence at No. 212 Grand 
avenue.  It is a monument to his business ability and enterprise and indeed 
his property holdings are the visible evidence of a life of well directed 
energy, thrift and keen business sagacity.

Submitted by: Jenny Tenlen

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Notice: These biographies were transcribed for the Washington Biographies
Project.  Unless otherwise stated, no further information is available on the
individual featured in the biographies.