This county in northwest Washington is bounded on the north by British Columbia; on the east by Okanogan County; on the south by Skagit County; and on the west by Puget Sound. It contains 2,151 square miles. The county was created by the Territorial Legislature on March 9, 1854 from a portion of Island County. Township government exists in 25 townships. The name Whatcom comes from the Lummi Indian word What-coom, meaning noisy, rumbling water, as applied to Whatcom Falls. From older Lummi dialect pronunciation, the name should be spelled N-wh-ah-tk-hm. The Whatcom Falls were a feature often mentioned by early visitors for it can be easily seen. A number of places in Whatcom County and the surrounding area have been given the name Whatcom.