The accidental neighborhood historian

Posted on March 28, 2016 by SPierce

After my baby boy was born, I filled long hours with walks around my neighborhood. Not the kind that simply take you from point A to point B, but walks where I would lose myself in the trees, flowers, and architecture of the neighborhood. The questions started during a spring stroll in March 2013. Why does that home look like an old grocery store? Why is 5th Ave NW wider than the rest of the roads in the neighborhood? A digital camera became my constant companion and the photos of buildings, roads, and other neighborhood landmarks were researched during baby boy’s nap time.

It didn’t take long to realize I knew nothing about my neighborhood. I didn’t even know I lived in Ballard. Armed only with curiosity and a laptop, I began my research. During one walk I photographed an apartment building near NW 65th Street with the words “The West Woodland Apts.” painted above the front entrance. A quick online search of “West Woodland” revealed a photo of the Woodland Theater. My first discovery, and another question. Why do these locations all have “Woodland” in their name? The hunt continued.

The West Woodland Apartments at 6512 5th Ave.NW.

I shared the discoveries with my neighbors and in return they sent more locations for me to research. Long time locals thanked me for collecting their memories and photos. A few wondered if West Woodland would be forgotten in our rapidly changing city.

I love my hobby. The research is exciting and I enjoy giving back to the community I call home – West Woodland, Ballard. When you’re out on your next walk, look beyond the pealing paint, the angular addition, or that overgrown hedge. It’s worth the effort to uncover Seattle history hiding in plain sight.

Connecting with Paul Dorpat & Jean Sherrard

I’ve been reading the ‘Now & Then’ column since I was in Elementary School. Every Sunday while my sister Sandy and brother John fought over the funny pages, I would grab Pacific Magazine out of the middle of the Times and flip to the back page. The old photos of Seattle were mesmerizing. I knew I was holding something special, so I carefully cut each one out and saved in a photo album my Mom kindly purchased for me.

Fast forward to 2015, the photo album has long since been discarded, but I continued to read ‘Now & Then’ online. One sunny Sunday scrolling through the archives, I realized West Woodland had never been highlighted. I mustered up the courage and sent an email to Paul Dorpat, my childhood hero. When he called me a week later, I totally gushed on the phone. Absolutely star-struck. I collected myself after a few minutes and got down to business. “Please write a column about West Woodland!”, I said. He agreed and the rest is now history.

ST - 03 27 2016 - Pierce

The Ghosts of Seattle Past

Posted on March 16, 2016 by SPierce

ghosts The Ghosts of Seattle Past is an anthology and art installation designed to preserve memories of place – gathering spots, restaurants, shops, art venues, and community institutions lost to rapid development in Seattle.

The project started with editor/curator Jaimee Garbacik, mapmaker Josh Powell, and designer Jon Horn conducting interviews with community members, inviting the public to share places they miss. The team also created a digital map where anyone could pin and note their memories of a lost space, you can find the map HERE.

The team will be using the map as a reference as they create hand-drawn maps featuring everywhere Seattleites miss. The art installation includes an atlas of essays, photography, and art from those who wish to commemorate a lost space.

The Ghosts of Seattle Past team is collaborating with Chin Music Press to compile and publish an anthology of the most striking and representative pieces of the art installation. The book will come out in or before 2017, but in the meantime this labor of love is ongoing.

They are hoping the public continues to share stories and art to be included in this project. Their goal is to make sure that as many different voices are represented as possible from all of Seattle’s communities.

Would you like to participate?

They’re looking for essays, people to interview, or any artwork or photography they can print to help preserve the city’s collective memories. If there is someone who you think would be a good fit for our project, they would also like for you to share their contact information.

Many of the places we love are disappearing, please help in creating something that lasts.

Contact Information:

Cali Kopczick
Editor, Chin Music Press
cali@chinmusicpress.com
(360) 531-3337

The #27 Trolley Line

Posted on March 11, 2016 by SPierce

Walks through the neighborhood usually turn into a history lesson for anyone with me. The old buildings all hold stories waiting to be uncovered and shared. Clues to our neighborhood’s past are everywhere – embedded in the sidewalk, under vinyl siding, or shared in the memory of a longtime resident. When we are looking, with our eyes and ears, we find clues that provide a peek into the past.

I was one of the many volunteers photographing pre-1960 homes this past February as part of the Ballard Historical Society’s mapping project. My assigned route took me from 8th Ave NW to 14th Ave NW, where I met David Smith, owner of Blowing Sands Glass Studio.

with address 2016-02-06 14.07.54

David showed me around his building, sharing bits of history he had gathered using old property records and photos obtained from the Puget Sound Archives. As I was leaving he showed me the old City of Ballard street name plaque embedded in the sidewalk outside his shop and our conversation turned to trolleys.

Pre-1907, 14th Ave NW was Railroad Avenue and the #27 trolley ran the length of the street, taking passengers north to East Sloop Street, today’s NW 70th Street. There was a “T” or turn around at NW 70th Street so the trolley was able to face forward on the way back into town. Photo of the #27 trolley below, courtesy the University of Washington. Current view of this location can be found HERE.

Trolley lines were important in the development and expansion of early Ballard. The northern frontier neighborhoods, including Loyal Heights & West Woodland, owe their growth to the introduction of the trolley line. Most roads in the area were not paved until the 1930s, making travel dirty and difficult. Trolleys made the rural north end accessible to those wanting to buy property or a home of their own.

Note the 14th Ave NW railway Bridge that once connected Ballard and Interbay. Courtesy Seattle Department of Transportation.

As I walked home along 14th Ave NW, I wondered what our city would be like today if the trolley rails had not been torn up and replaced by gasoline powered buses in the 1940s. The convenience of commuting from Ballard to Fremont, Queen Anne & beyond, car free, no parking problems, makes the trip sound down right delightful.

The future of 14th Ave NW includes a park that will provide much needed green space in park starved Ballard. This two block outdoor oasis, stretching from NW 59th to NW 61st Street, will become the front yard for neighbors who live in the many condos and townhomes lacking outdoor access. Perhaps someday the park will stretch south, following the trolley line, creating a refreshing refuge for years to come.

Learn more about Seattle’s Trolley History HERE and the 14th Ave NW Park HERE.

Then & Now: Market Street in 1953

Posted on March 10, 2016 by SPierce

The Seattle Municipal Archives Photograph Collection is a time machine of sorts, providing Seattleites with the ability to look back in time at their city, neighborhood, and block. I browse the archives for fun, looking at old photos, maps, and other city documents that are available online, that is how I came across the photos for this post. I had seen them several times, but never investigated further because the description provided by the city was limited to the following:

Balenger

That was it. No address or other indication of location was provided. Armed with the plat name, I went to work locating the approximate address of the photos you’ll see below. I was surprised to find that these photos were of homes on Market Street, between 6th & 7th Ave NW. When you think of Market, you don’t think “residential street”, you think noise, big trucks, and traffic! These photos paint a different picture of Market and it looks rather quiet.

Kroll Map of 1920. Courtesy Seattle Municipal Archives Map Index, #1868.

The photos were part of a petition to the city, by Belanger and Belanger, asking that two parcels located in Block 2 of Ballard’s Addition to Gilman Park be rezoned. The request is dated January 26, 1953, which was four years after the Ballard – UW Extension, also known as the Ballard Spur, was created in 1949.

Ballard’s Addition to Gilman Park is a plat name provided by a long forgotten frontier developer, and block 2, which was reference by the city, is circled in red on the Kroll Map. This plat is made up of 10 blocks in the heart of the West Woodland Neighborhood, bordered by Market Street to the north, NW 50th Street to the south, and between 8th Ave NW & 3rd Ave NW.

The city denied the Belanger’s request for a rezone that year. I wasn’t able to find what zoning the Belanger’s were requesting, or why their request was denied. More to hunt down later. Enjoy the Market Street views circa 1953.

Looking south west on Market Street. The street sign on the left side shows 6th Ave NW. Photo courtesy Seattle Municipal Archives, 168422.

Then – January 26, 1953 & Now – March 9, 2016

Looking south on 7th Ave NW towards Market Street. Photo courtesy Seattle Municipal Archives, 168424.

Then & Now

Looking south east near 7th Ave NW & Market Street in 1953. Photo courtesy Seattle Municipal Archives, 168423.

Then & Now

Looking south west near 7th Ave NW & Market Street in 1953. Photo courtesy Seattle Municipal Archives, 168421.

Then & Now

About Plat Names:

Plats in Seattle have unique names provided by the land owner. So while you may live on the west side of Phinney, your plat name may be something Ballard related. Most plat names in our area were assigned during the land grab between the City of Ballard & City of Seattle, and owners may have chosen names to show where their allegiance lie.

In 1895, one frontier neighbor even went so far as to deed the City of Ballard a huge chunk on land on the west side of Phinney Hill. This parcel later became Greenwood Park, see Baist Map of 1905 below. Today, there’s just a sliver of this park remaining – Greenwood Triangle Park.

A plat is a section of surveyed land that the owner has created a plan for, including lot sizes and identifying where they believe streets will be. A plat document is used for construction purposes, filing for permits with the city, and showing to prospective buyers. The document shows how the area will be developed for personal use or lots sold for home building, but it does not mean that the area is already developed with basic infrastructure like roads. Sometimes items shown on plat documents are for future planning purposes and they currently only exist on paper. Something to consider when looking at old documents.

You may find that you live in a plat called “Steel Works Addition” or “Salmon Bay City”, both on the west side of Phinney Hill. Remember those are not neighborhood names, they are simply names assigned to a specific chunk of land by the property owner. You can learn about Seattle’s current plat process available HERE.

Baist map 1905

One Final Shot of Market Street:

This photo was taken 2 years after the photos above, in 1955, and was part of the file created to document the completion of the Market Street Widening project. Look closely at the right hand side of this photo, you can see the mid-century house that was once on the lot Belanger wanted to rezone. There are several other data points you can compare & connect with the photos above. I won’t point them all out – enjoy the hunt!

Looking east from 8th Ave NW & Market Street, 1955. Photo courtesy Seattle Municipal Archives, 52744.

Then & Now

Little Jimmy & the Gilman Shelter House Chimney

Posted on December 17, 2015 by SPierce

One of my favorite West Woodland Neighborhood stories took place in January 1953 at a snow covered Gilman Playground. The boy’s name was Jimmy Wright and his adventure made the front page of the Seattle Times.

Little Jimmy was enjoying a day at the park, playing in the snow with his school chums, when he decided to climb to the top of the Gilman Playground shelter house. Side note, the Gilman Playground shelter house is listed by the Seattle Department of Neighborhoods on their Historical Site Database. For more Gilman Playground history click HERE.

Once on top, Jimmy showed his friends that he could indeed fit in the chimney opening…. and swoosh! Just like Santa Claus, Jimmy slid down the chimney into the room below. Unfortunately for Jimmy, the shelter house was locked from the outside and the only person with a key was park superintendent Ben Evans.

After finally being released, he ran to his step-father, soot faced tears streaming down his cheeks, and proclaimed, “Never again!” One trip down the chimney was enough for Jimmy.

Article below courtesy the Seattle Times Archive.

jimmy wright.jpg

Then & Now: Looking west from NW 55th Street onto Market

Posted on November 6, 2015 by SPierce

The black & white photo was taken on March 1, 1956 and comes to us courtesy the Seattle Municipal Archives Photograph Collection, Item No: 53109.

The “Then” photo was taken at the corner of NW 55th Street and NW 55th Place (west tip of Greenwood Triangle Park) to record the completion of the Market Street widening project. The photo shows Eagle Service Station at the corner of 6th & Market and directly across the street an IGA Grocery Store, which today is home to Brimmer & Healtap Restaurant. To the north of these businesses, you can see the Curly Cone ice-cream stand which once stood on the parcel now occupied by Veraci Pizza.

This old grocery store’s facade is elegant and includes a corner entry topped with a gabled parapet and cast stone ornamentation. It is clad in yellowish tan brick, with decorative brickwork that extends around the exterior of the building. The original display windows with intact transoms flank the entry and the wood-and-glass door is original. As a result, the building is included in the Seattle Historical Site Inventory. For additional information about the building, please visit: http://web6.seattle.gov/DPD/HistoricalSite/QueryResult.aspx?ID=361

Then & Now: Looking East at the corner of 8th Ave NW and Market Street

Posted on November 6, 2015 by SPierce

The black & white photo, courtesy the Seattle Municipal Archives, shows the intersection of 8th Ave NW and Market Street in August 1955.

The “Then” photo was taken to record the completion of the Market Street widening project. The project expanded Market Street and connected it to North 46th Street. On the right side of the photo you can see Moss Grocery and the homes that once lined the south-side of the intersection.

In the “Now” photo, Shell Service Station sits on the parcel once home to Moss Grocery and Ballard Mandarin Restaurant is on the left side. This same restaurant was once home to Inn Binn Restaurant, a wonderful family owned eatery that served amazing pot-stickers.

1947 Aerial of the West Woodland Neighborhood

Posted on November 6, 2015 by SPierce

This aerial photo of the West Woodland Neighborhood is dated April 25, 1947 and comes to us courtesy Ron Edge. Thank you so much for this amazing contribution Ron, it is a wonderful gift for the community.

What I love about this photo is the old brick West Woodland Elementary is still standing at the corner of 4th Ave NW & NW 58th Street. The Market Street spur, connecting NW 55th Street to NW 46th Street in Fremont had not yet been constructed and NW 55th Street was still a small two lane neighborhood road.

I have saved the photo to Google Drive so that you can download a high resolution copy and examine closer to truly appreciate this amazing photo! Let me know what you find as you are searching the photo. Link to Photo HERE. Please note, file size is 16 MB.

Thank you again Ron!

Vintage West Woodland – Seattle

Sharing stories of the West Woodland Neighborhood located in Seattle, WA.

Tag Archives: fremont

The accidental neighborhood historian

The Ghosts of Seattle Past

The #27 Trolley Line

Then & Now: Market Street in 1953

Little Jimmy & the Gilman Shelter House Chimney

Then & Now: Looking west from NW 55th Street onto Market

Then & Now: Looking East at the corner of 8th Ave NW and Market Street

1947 Aerial of the West Woodland Neighborhood