The first land claim in what would become the city of Ballard was made in 1852, but it wasn't until a ship captain named William Rankin Ballard lost a bet with a business partner and found himself the owner of 160 acres of seemingly worthless land that the city prospered and became the "Shingle Capital of the World." Incorporated in 1890, Ballard grew quickly, thanks to shingle and lumber mills and the Scandinavian fishing fleet. When a horse was supposedly found in the city water supply in 1906, reluctant Ballardites voted to be annexed to the city of Seattle, and the flag flew at half-staff at Ballard City Hall. Home to the Nordic Heritage Museum, Chittenden Locks, and the fishing fleet, this bustling city-within-a-city still retains its unique Scandinavian flavor to this day.
I would highly recommend this to anyone who lives in the Seattle area!
We don't often think about the history of places we pass by every day, or the stories associated with those places. But if you're the kind of person who revels in knowing about such things, this is a great book for you. It's a collection of vintage photographs that show the early days of Ballard. The images are accompanied by a brief history of the area and a few stories about the people who lived there.
A lot of the buildings and structures photographed in this book still exist. It quite fun to walk around the neighborhood finding these buildings and comparing them to how they looked more than a century ago!
I currently live in Ballard and became very curious about its local history after I have noticed there are some differences in terms of ' flair' between Seattle downtown and Ballard.
Julie's book , coming from a descendant of the earlier Ballard resident, provided enjoyable insights to the neighbourhood I have taken a liking to.
These books are almost always interesting and entertaining. I always enjoy learning the history of an area, neighborhood, person or structure that you have seen or heard a lot about. Many of the stories, especially about the history of schools in Ballard, many which are still stand, and for others I know the place where they use to stand. If you know Ballard, you will really enjoy this book.