The Bellingham Buttercups, formed by Boyd Skaggs and friends, arrived on the football scene offering a spot for Whatcom County players to get in on the pre-depression era Seattle gridiron games.  The season opened with a 39-0 trouncing of the Bremerton Navy Yard led by Walter Millers' three touchdown runs.  Ken Bourke dominated the defensive line shutting down the Navy running game.  A game with Port Townsend was postponed due to fog and replaced with Woodland Heights.  1,500 fans attended the 'Cups vs Everett Wildcats game on November 9.  In the second game with Everett, it took a partially blocked punt, that Ted Clarke raced to stop from being a touchdown return, to set up the only score for the Wildcats 6-0 win in front of "1,000 rabid fans".  The team packed away the uniforms for the season following the game even though Madrona expressed interest in a Dec 7 game.  Bill Crane, outstanding lineman would only play one season due to losing his big toe while "brushing out" a skid road working on a logging crew.

The "Buttercup" name was plucked out of the hat by a committe consisting of Judge Ralph Olson, Tealey Raymond and Pat Scott.  "Night Owls" was also suggested.

1930 Bellingham Buttercups

Standing (L-R) Ted Clarke, Ross Perry, Fred Haickel, Walt Miller, Jack Zane, Coach Len Anstett,

Kneeling (L-R) Bill Crane, Ken Bourke, Harris, Gene Chamberlain, Harry Peach, Evertz, Vern Swartwood

Sitting (L-R) Keith Gwinn, Tom Herley, Smith, Ross Cook, Joe Martinolich, Bud Turner, (Boyd Staggs and Peter Staggs not pictured)

The 1931 team lost a large core of players as Ken Bourke and Walt Miller were expected to join College of Puget Sound, Bud Turner to the University of Washington and Fred Haickel to St. Martin's College in Olympia.  An initial fund raiser was a benefit dance to raise money for the team.  The opening game with the West Seattle Yellowjackets was a blow out loss 50-0.  West Seattle had one of their best teams enroute to a Northwest championship, the only loss on the season to St. Martin's College and a tie with the USS West Virginia Battleship Eleven.  A shut-out loss to Western Washington University Vikings led to a shake up.  The Buttercup name would be shed in favor of the "Trojans" with Jack Neville taking coaching reigns under the management of Ausberg Einarson as a Bellingham Athletic Club entity.  The change made little difference as Bellingham could not find an offense finishing 0-7 and scoring only 6 points on the season.  The lineup was never very consistent with a new starting eleven each game.

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