Join Us for Military Road Through Ballard: From Steilacoom to Bellingham

Join us for our fall program and annual meeting on Wednesday, November 18, 2015 at 7:00 p.m. Did you know that Ballard’s 15th Avenue NW was part of a road completed in 1860 and designed to carry military supplies? Author and historian Karen Meador will present Military Road Through Ballard: From Steilacoom to Bellingham. We’ll recap the Society’s 2015 accomplishments prior to Karen Meador ‘s presentation and hold brief board elections.

Military Road connected Fort Steilacoom with Fort Bellingham, passing through Ballard and many other communities. The building on 60th Street NW shown above as well as the original St. Alphonsus Parish church along 15th Avenue NW are two structures eventually built along 15th Avenue NW, decades after the military throughway was completed. Join us Wednesday, November 18 to find out more about Ballard and other civilian communities developed along the route, thanks to federal investments in transporting military men and equipment.

Sunset Hill Community Association, 3003 NW 66th Street, Seattle, WA map
Suggested donation: $5 -$20
This community event brought to you by Ballard Historical Society

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BHS to map historic Ballard

Ballard Historical Society is launching the Mapping Historic Ballard: Shingletown to Tomorrow project, thanks to a City of Seattle Department of Neighborhoods grant. The project will update and digitize previous historic resource surveys and conduct a contemporary survey, resulting in an accessible, living map of our neighborhood’s past. The public can learn more about the project by attending an event on November 12, 2015 (location to be determined). Also read Ballard News Tribune’s Mapping Historic Ballard

To complete the project by June 2016, volunteers are needed to revisit remaining historic buildings. Volunteers will learn about periods and styles of architecture and have the opportunity to contribute to the final product through photography and research. For further information about the project and to learn about volunteer roles please contact archives@ballardhistory.org

 

Ballard History Walk on Saturday, August 22 at 10 a.m.

This Saturday, August 22, learn the answers to these intriguing questions:

• Were ships, shingles, and saloons really the foundation of Ballard?
• And what about logs, bogs, and hogs?

Susan Reinhard hosts a walk along historic Ballard Avenue and shares Ballard’s history.
10 a.m. to 11:45 a.m.
Bergen Place Park, 5420 22nd Ave NW (on Market St. between Leary Ave & 22nd Ave NW)
Call or text 206-504-0916 to reserve your spot (limited to 15 people)
$15 per person
Find out more at ballardhistoryreview.weebly.com

Part of the proceeds benefit Ballard Historical Society. Learn more about BHS.

Ballard History Walk this Saturday, July 25 10 a.m.

This Saturday, July 25, learn the answers to these intriguing questions:

• Were ships, shingles, and saloons really the foundation of Ballard?
• And what about logs, bogs, and hogs?

Susan Reinhard hosts a walk along historic Ballard Avenue and shares Ballard’s history.
Saturday, July 25, 10 a.m. to 11:45 a.m.
Bergen Place Park, 5420 22nd Ave NW (on Market St. between Leary Ave & 22nd Ave NW)
Call or text 206-504-0916 to reserve your spot (limited to 15 people)
$15 per person
Find out more at ballardhistoryreview.weebly.com

Part of the proceeds benefit Ballard Historical Society. Learn more about BHS.

Join BHS at Reuben’s Brews Today

From 3:00 until close on Thursday, July 9, 2015 you can relax with a brew and benefit Ballard Historical Society. $1 per pint goes to BHS. Reuben’s has a new location at 1406 NW 53rd Street. Bring a friend, and enjoy a summer afternoon and evening with a cold brew.

Family owned, Reuben’s Brews founders named the business after their son. Learn more about Reuben’s Brews. Attending this event will benefit BHS programs — learn more about Ballard Historical Society programs.

Photo credit: Reuben’s Brews

Join BHS at Reuben’s Brews this Thursday

From 3:00 to 8:00 p.m. Thursday, July 9, 2015 you can relax with a brew and benefit Ballard Historical Society. $1 per pint goes to BHS. Reuben’s has a new location at 1406 NW 53rd Street. Bring a friend, and enjoy a summer afternoon and evening with a cold brew.

Family owned, Reuben’s Brews was founded by Owen and Grace, who named their home-brew-turned-business after their son. Learn more about Reuben’s Brews. Attending this event will benefit BHS programs — learn more about Ballard Historical Society programs.

Photo credit: Russell Lee for Farm Security Administration/WPA, 1938

May 29, 1907: A Big Day for Ballard

City Hall was draped in black on May 29, 1907

From 1890 to 1907, Ballard existed as a growing, separate city. In November of 1906, 996 of Ballard’s citizens voted to join the city of Seattle. (Voting against the measure were 874 residents, of about 17,000). Water supply and other infrastructure needs have been cited as pressures contributing to annexation. On the day the City ceased to exist, the Ballard City Hall was draped in black crepe, and the flag on the city flag pole hung at half mast.
Though Ballard’s City Hall building has disappeared from Ballard Avenue, the bell originally part of the building rings, thanks to a Small and Simple grant project several years ago, and the construction of a tower to house the bell even earlier. Next time you’re in the area, stop in for a moment and try to imagine the day in which the growing population of Ballard joined with its larger neighbor, Seattle.
Several other small cities joined Seattle in the same year, among them West Seattle, Columbia City and Ravenna Park. Through several annexations, Seattle doubled its land mass. Seattle felt pressure to compete with Tacoma. Writing for HistoryLink.org, Greg Lange wrote in 2000, “Competition between Seattle and Tacoma as the dominant city on Puget Sound with the largest population in part motivated this rash of additions to the city.”
You might be interested to read this brief article, Ballard: Still a City Within a City. The article was originally a poster was written by Alan J. Stein and designed by Marie McCaffrey. Search our archives for more pictures of Old Ballard.

Sources: HistoryLink.org

Learn More About Ballard’s History on Thursday, May 14

15th Ave NW, 1936, Seattle Municipal Archives

Thursday, May 14 offers a special opportunity to learn more about historical photos and documents that relate to Ballard’s history. Ballard Historical Society has several thousands of archives that you can explore on the BHS Web site. However, the Seattle Public Library’s digital collection includes many images from Ballard’s past that you can also access for free. To celebrate the 10th anniversary of the current Ballard branch of the Seattle Public Library, SPL’s Special Collections librarian John LaMont will show you how to use the Seattle Public Library’s digital collection and the Seattle Neighborhood History Project to research the history of Ballard.

LaMont’s presentation will illustrate the history of the ever-changing neighborhood of Ballard, its people, and its libraries. He will highlight the Seattle Neighborhood History Project, which includes images and other historical materials related to Seattle neighborhoods.

Thursday, May 14, 2015, 3:00 pm – 4:30 pm PDT, Ballard branch of Seattle Public Library, 5614 22nd Avenue NW

If you can’t attend, take a moment to click through the Seattle Neighborhood History Project photos (two Seattle Municipal Archives photos are shown here).

65th Street looking West from 9th Ave NW, 1934

A Wake for Old Houses in Fremont

Fremont Wake Attendees

On Saturday, February 21, 2015, a mock “wake” was held for several Fremont buildings at risk for demolition, or already demolished.

Over the last two years the Fremont neighborhood has lost a great number of houses, as has Ballard. The Fremont event sought to bring attention to the neighborhood’s rental houses, many of which were older homes built before the 1930s. More than a dozen of these homes that have been demolished or are planned for demolition. This event was sponsored by the Fremont Neighborhood Council and the Fremont Historical Society.

One proposed development plan would result in the loss of 40% existing housing in a single Fremont block. The media release stated, “Join with neighbors to mourn this loss of historical heritage, housing diversity, green space and affordability. Learn the details of the housing inventory that has been demolished and the stories of the families that lived there. Find out how you can contribute to upcoming efforts that stop this loss of affordability.”

According to Fremont Neighborhood Council President Stephanie Pure, “The Fremont Neighborhood Council has taken the unusual step of filing a SEPA (State Environmental Protection Act) appeal on one of the projects. We encourage residents to come hear about that appeal.”

Several residents spoke about personal eviction notices with only two months to find suitable, affordable housing, in cases where properties were slated for demolition and re-development. Other residents spoke about rents doubling, in cases where properties changed hands from individual owners to management companies. Fremont, like Ballard, has been home to many existing affordable homes over the years, and is tending towards new high-end developments.

Photo credits: Peggy Sturdivant, King County Assessor

This Wednesday: Fishing and Coming of Age on the High Seas of Alaska

We are looking forward to seeing neighbors and community members this Wednesday to hear Dean Adams present, “Fishing and Coming of Age on the High Seas of Alaska,” beginning at 7:00 p.m. Dean Adams will tell his personal story as a young halibut/black cod fisherman bound for Alaska. His program also includes interesting stories about the people and organizations that have contributed over many decades to Ballard’s fishing fleet. Signed copies of his book will available for purchase at the event ($15 paperback/$25 hard copy). Ballard Historical Society and Sunset Hill Community Association are co-sponsoring the event.

Dean Adams, author of Four Thousand Hooks: A True Story of Fishing and Coming of Age on the High Seas of Alaska
Wednesday, January 28 at 7:00 p.m.
Sunset Hill Community Association, 3003 NW 66th Street, Seattle, WA map
Suggested donation: $5 -$20. Refreshments provided.
Co-hosted by BHS and Sunset Hill Community Association

Also see: BHS Facebook page
http://www.fourthousandhooks.com (complete with video)
http://www.facebook.com/fourthousandhooks
Sunset Hill Community Association
Previous program: Measuring Ballard