Ballard, Seattle
Encyclopedia
Ballard is a neighborhood located in the northwestern part of Seattle, Washington. To the north it is bounded by Crown Hill
, (N.W. 85th Street); to the east by Greenwood, Phinney Ridge
and Fremont
(along 8th Avenue N.W.); to the south by the Lake Washington Ship Canal
; and to the west by Puget Sound
’s Shilshole Bay
. The neighborhood’s landmarks include the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks
(known locally as the "Ballard Locks"), the Nordic Heritage Museum
, the Shilshole Bay Marina, and Golden Gardens Park
.
The neighborhood's main thoroughfares running north-south are Seaview, 32nd, 24th, Leary, 15th, and 8th Avenues N.W.; East-west traffic is carried by N.W. Leary Way and N.W. 85th, 80th, 65th, and Market Streets (east- and westbound). The Ballard Bridge
carries 15th Avenue over Salmon Bay to the Interbay
neighborhood, and the Salmon Bay Bridge carries the BNSF Railway
tracks across the bay, west of the Ballard Locks.
was inhabited by the Shilshole Tribe who lived off the plentiful salmon and clams in the region. The first European resident, homesteader Ira Wilcox Utter, moved to his claim in 1853. Utter hoped to see a rapid expansion of population but that did not happen, so he sold the land to Thomas Burke
, a judge. Thirty-six years later, Judge Burke, together with John Leary and railroader Daniel H. Gilman, formed the West Coast Improvement Company to develop Burke's land holdings in the area as they anticipated the building of the Great Northern Railway along the Salmon Bay coastline on the way to Interbay and central Seattle. The partners also built a spur from Fremont’s main line of the Seattle, Lake Shore and Eastern Railway
. Today three miles (5 km) of this line, running along Salmon Bay from N.W. 40th Street to the BNSF Railway
mainline at N.W. 67th, are operated as the Ballard Terminal Railroad
.
During the late 19th century Captain William Rankin Ballard
, owner of land adjoining Judge Burke's holdings, joined the partnership with Burke, Leary, and Gilman. Then, in 1887 the partnership was dissolved and the assets divided, but no one wanted the land in Salmon Bay so the partners flipped a coin. Capt. Ballard lost the coin-toss and ended up with the “undesirable” 160 acre (0.6474976 km²) tract.
The railroad to Seattle ended at Salmon Bay because the railroad company was unwilling to build a trestle to cross the bay. From the stop at “Ballard Junction,” (as the terminus was called) passengers could walk across the wagon bridge and continue the journey to Seattle. In addition to gaining notoriety as the end of the railway line fledgling Ballard benefited economically from the railway, because the railroad provided a way to bring supplies into the area and also to export locally manufactured products. Ability to ship products spurred the growth of mills of many types. Ballard’s first mill, built in 1888 by Mr. J Sinclair was a lumber mill; the second mill, finished the same year was a shingle mill. After the Great Seattle Fire
in 1889 the mills provided opportunities for those who had lost jobs in the fire, which in turn spurred the growth of the settlement as families moved north to work in the mills.
By 1900, Ballard's population had grown to 4,568 making it the seventh largest city in Washington, and the town was faced with many of the problems common to small towns. Saloons had been a problem since the beginning, and in 1904 the drinking and gambling became so bad that the mayor ordered the City of Ballard officially closed for the day in order to prevent gambling. The city also faced problems with loose livestock, so the Cow Ordinance of 1903 made allowing cows to graze south of present day 65th St. a punishable offense. The city faced more serious problems, however, with two of the most difficult being the lack of both a proper water supply and a sewer system. The one weakness of the location on Salmon Bay was the lack of nearby freshwater springs, which meant that water came from local ground water wells. Lack of a proper sewage system contaminated the ground water, compounding the problem.
The town continued to grow, reaching 17,000 residents by 1907 and becoming the second largest city in King County. However Ballard, like many of the other small cities surrounding Seattle continued to be plagued by water problems. The rapid population growth had overwhelmed the city’s ability to provide services, particularly a safe drinking water and sewer, and Ballard’s city government had tried unsuccessfully to deal with the crises, so the citizens began considering asking Seattle to annex the town. In 1905 the question was voted on and the residents voted against annexation, hoping for a solution, but the problems refused to go away. In July 1906 the Supreme Court ruled that Seattle was not required to share water with surrounding communities. Ballard had been dependent on a water sharing agreement with Seattle, but the Supreme Court decision left them with inadequate water, forcing a second vote on the annexation question. By this time the residents realized the inability of local resources to cope with their situation and the majority of residents voted in favor of annexation. On May 29, 1907 at 3:45pm the city of Ballard officially became part of Seattle. On that day Ballard citizens showed their mixed feelings about the handover by draping their city hall with black crepe and flying the flag at half mast.
:
, which celebrates both the community of Ballard and the local Scandinavia
n history. Scandinavians unite in organizations such as the Sons of Norway Leif Ericson Lodge and the Norwegian Ladies Chorus of Seattle. Each year the community celebrates the Ballard SeafoodFest and Norwegian Constitution Day
(also called Syttende Mai) on the 17th of May to commemorate the signing of the Norwegian Constitution.
Locals once nicknamed the neighborhood "Snoose Junction," a reference to the Scandinavian settlers' practice of using snus
.
. Mayor Rice’s plan aimed to reduce suburban sprawl by targeting certain Seattle areas, including Ballard, for high-density development.
Transit and growth remain the two most contentious issues in the greater Seattle area. A newly formed nonprofit group, called Sustainable Ballard, is exploring many of these challenges on a community level. The group has adopted the slogan "A Blueprint for EveryTown USA." This fast growing community-wide effort is working on many projects, including “Undriving Ballard,” a transportation campaign to reduce traffic in the neighborhood, and "Get Carbon Neutral," working toward Ballard becoming the first carbon neutral community in the nation, a goal inspired by Al Gore
's An Inconvenient Truth
. Gore lauded Ballard's efforts in an address at the NYU Law School on September 18, 2006.
In recent times Ballard has added venues for live music, including bars, restaurants and coffee shops, such as Conor Byrne, Egan's Jam House, Fu Kun Wu @ Thaiku, Kiss Cafe, La Isla, Molly Maguire's, Old Pequliar, Smokin' Pete's BBQ, The Stepping Stone, and The Tractor Tavern. Each month the Ballard Chamber of Commerce sponsors the Second Saturday Artwalk. Downtown Ballard also boasts a variety of restaurants and local shops.
Downtown Ballard is also home to the Majestic Bay Theater, which was the oldest operating movie theater on the West Coast
prior to its closure in 1997. In 1998 it was renovated and transformed from a bargain single-screen theater to a well-appointed triplex.
historical society
located in the Ballard neighborhood. The organization does not have any traditional exhibition space, but maintains a community presence through its self-guided historical tours, historical markers, lectures, community events, and collections. The Ballard Historical Society's collections include memorabilia, historical archives, photographs, and other objects relating to Ballard History. The society has made its photo archives available online. The organization has 501(c)(3) tax-exempt
status.
Formed in 1988 with encouragement from the Ballard Centennial Committee in celebration of the Washington state centennial in 1989, the organization's establishment coincided with the publication of Passport to Ballard, a collection of essays on the neighborhood's history from pre-European settlement up through the 1980s. In April 2007, the Ballard Historical Society unveiled its Historic Markers, which can be seen on buildings in the Ballard Avenue Historic District
.
The organization also co-produced, along with the Nordic Heritage Museum
and Swedish-Finn Historical Society
, Voices of Ballard: Immigrant Stories from the Vanishing Generation (2001), a book collecting oral histories from long-time Ballard residents who have made the neighborhood home since before the 1960s. The Ballard Walking Tour, a self-guided tour created by the organization, highlights 20 different historic sites on and around Ballard Avenue. The most recent illustrated Tour Brochure was released in February 2009.
Every three years the Ballard Historical Society organizes the Ballard Classic Homes Tour and features a different set of vintage homes in Ballard during each parade of houses.
district
. Ballard High School
, located in the neighborhood, is the oldest continuously-operating high school
in the city. The original building was demolished in the late 1990s. The new school building is now one of the largest in the district and houses a biotechnology magnet program that attracts students from all over Seattle. The high school has supported by Amgen
, Zymogenetics, G. M. Nameplate, the Youth Maritime Training Association, North Seattle Community College
, Seattle City Light
, and Swedish Hospital.
There are several elementary school
s and one alternative school
located in the neighborhood. The closest middle school is Whitman Middle School, which is located north of Ballard in the Crown Hill
neighborhood.
The Ballard Public Library was first created as the Carnegie Free Public Library
in 1904. In 1907, after annexation, the library became part of the Seattle Public Library
system. The original Carnegie building was replaced with new construction in 1963. 42 years later, in 2005, a new library building, designed by architectural firm Bohlin Cywinski Jackson
, was opened as part of the Seattle Public Library's "Libraries for All" initiative.
The Seattle Metaphysical Library, originally opened in the Pike Place Market
in 1961, is now on Market Street in Ballard, and is open to the public and lends books to members.
Crown Hill, Seattle, Washington
There is also a Crown Hill Cemetery, in Indianapolis, IndianaCrown Hill is a neighborhood in the city of Seattle, in the US state of Washington.The neighborhood is bounded on the south by N.W...
, (N.W. 85th Street); to the east by Greenwood, Phinney Ridge
Phinney Ridge, Seattle, Washington
Phinney Ridge is a neighborhood in north central Seattle, Washington, USA. It is named after the ridge which runs north and south, separating Ballard from Green Lake, from approximately N. 45th to N. 85th Street. The ridge, in turn, is named after Guy C. Phinney, lumber mill owner and real estate...
and Fremont
Fremont, Seattle, Washington
Fremont is a neighborhood in Seattle, Washington. Originally a separate city, it was annexed to Seattle in 1891. Named after Fremont, Nebraska, the hometown of two of its founders, L. H. Griffith and E...
(along 8th Avenue N.W.); to the south by the Lake Washington Ship Canal
Lake Washington Ship Canal
The Lake Washington Ship Canal, which runs through the City of Seattle, Washington, connects the fresh water body of Lake Washington with the salt water inland sea of Puget Sound. The Ship Canal includes a series of locks, modeled after the Panama Canal, to accommodate the different water levels...
; and to the west by Puget Sound
Puget Sound
Puget Sound is a sound in the U.S. state of Washington. It is a complex estuarine system of interconnected marine waterways and basins, with one major and one minor connection to the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Pacific Ocean — Admiralty Inlet being the major connection and...
’s Shilshole Bay
Shilshole Bay
Shilshole Bay is the part of Puget Sound east of a line drawn northeasterly from Seattle's West Point in the southwest to its Golden Gardens Park in the northeast. On its shores lie Discovery Park, the Lawtonwood section of the Magnolia neighborhood, the neighborhood of Ballard, and Golden Gardens...
. The neighborhood’s landmarks include the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks
Hiram M. Chittenden Locks
The Hiram M. Chittenden Locks are a complex of locks that sit at the west end of Salmon Bay, part of Seattle's Lake Washington Ship Canal. They are known locally as the Ballard Locks after the neighborhood to their north...
(known locally as the "Ballard Locks"), the Nordic Heritage Museum
Nordic Heritage Museum
Nordic Heritage Museum is located in the Ballard neighborhood of Seattle, Washington, considered to be the heart of the Scandinavian community. Founded in 1980, the museum is dedicated to the heritage of Seattle's Nordic immigrants, i.e. Danish, Finnish, Icelandic, Norwegian and Swedish Americans...
, the Shilshole Bay Marina, and Golden Gardens Park
Golden Gardens Park
Golden Gardens Park is a public park in Ballard, a neighborhood in Seattle, Washington. The park includes wetlands, beaches, hiking trails, and picnic and playground areas. The park is bisected by the BNSF Railway railway.- Recreation :...
.
The neighborhood's main thoroughfares running north-south are Seaview, 32nd, 24th, Leary, 15th, and 8th Avenues N.W.; East-west traffic is carried by N.W. Leary Way and N.W. 85th, 80th, 65th, and Market Streets (east- and westbound). The Ballard Bridge
Ballard Bridge
The Ballard Bridge, also known as the 15th Avenue Bridge, is a double-leaf bascule bridge in Seattle, Washington, United States. It carries 15th Avenue NW over Seattle's Salmon Bay between Ballard and Interbay. Built in 1917, it has an opening span of and a total length of . It was added to the...
carries 15th Avenue over Salmon Bay to the Interbay
Interbay, Seattle, Washington
Interbay is a neighborhood in Seattle, Washington in the United States consisting of the valley between Queen Anne Hill on the east and Magnolia on the west, plus filled-in areas of Smith Cove and Salmon Bay...
neighborhood, and the Salmon Bay Bridge carries the BNSF Railway
BNSF Railway
The BNSF Railway is a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. It is one of seven North American Class I railroads and the second largest freight railroad network in North America, second only to the Union Pacific Railroad, its primary...
tracks across the bay, west of the Ballard Locks.
Early settlement
Before the settling of Seattle, the land surrounding Shilshole BayShilshole Bay
Shilshole Bay is the part of Puget Sound east of a line drawn northeasterly from Seattle's West Point in the southwest to its Golden Gardens Park in the northeast. On its shores lie Discovery Park, the Lawtonwood section of the Magnolia neighborhood, the neighborhood of Ballard, and Golden Gardens...
was inhabited by the Shilshole Tribe who lived off the plentiful salmon and clams in the region. The first European resident, homesteader Ira Wilcox Utter, moved to his claim in 1853. Utter hoped to see a rapid expansion of population but that did not happen, so he sold the land to Thomas Burke
Thomas Burke (judge)
Thomas Burke was an American lawyer, railroad builder, and judge who made his career in Seattle, Washington. He served as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Washington Territory from 1888 to 1889. He was the main representative of railroad magnate James J. Hill in Seattle...
, a judge. Thirty-six years later, Judge Burke, together with John Leary and railroader Daniel H. Gilman, formed the West Coast Improvement Company to develop Burke's land holdings in the area as they anticipated the building of the Great Northern Railway along the Salmon Bay coastline on the way to Interbay and central Seattle. The partners also built a spur from Fremont’s main line of the Seattle, Lake Shore and Eastern Railway
Seattle, Lake Shore and Eastern Railway
The Seattle, Lake Shore and Eastern Railway was a railroad founded in Seattle, Washington, on April 28, 1885, with three tiers of purposes: Build and run the initial line to the town of Ballard, bring immediate results and returns to investors; exploit resources east in the valleys, foothills,...
. Today three miles (5 km) of this line, running along Salmon Bay from N.W. 40th Street to the BNSF Railway
BNSF Railway
The BNSF Railway is a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. It is one of seven North American Class I railroads and the second largest freight railroad network in North America, second only to the Union Pacific Railroad, its primary...
mainline at N.W. 67th, are operated as the Ballard Terminal Railroad
Ballard Terminal Railroad
The Ballard Terminal Railroad , a short line terminal railroad in Seattle, Washington, USA's Ballard neighborhood, was formed in 1997 to operate trains on three miles of track on the north side of Salmon Bay. The spur had been abandoned earlier that year by the Burlington Northern and Santa Fe...
.
During the late 19th century Captain William Rankin Ballard
William Rankin Ballard
Captain William Rankin Ballard Capt. Ballard was a Seattle pioneer, banker, and land developer. He was one of the founders of the city of Ballard, Washington which was later annexed to the growing city of Seattle, Washington in 1907.William Rankin Ballard was born to Levi Ward Ballard and Phoebe...
, owner of land adjoining Judge Burke's holdings, joined the partnership with Burke, Leary, and Gilman. Then, in 1887 the partnership was dissolved and the assets divided, but no one wanted the land in Salmon Bay so the partners flipped a coin. Capt. Ballard lost the coin-toss and ended up with the “undesirable” 160 acre (0.6474976 km²) tract.
The railroad to Seattle ended at Salmon Bay because the railroad company was unwilling to build a trestle to cross the bay. From the stop at “Ballard Junction,” (as the terminus was called) passengers could walk across the wagon bridge and continue the journey to Seattle. In addition to gaining notoriety as the end of the railway line fledgling Ballard benefited economically from the railway, because the railroad provided a way to bring supplies into the area and also to export locally manufactured products. Ability to ship products spurred the growth of mills of many types. Ballard’s first mill, built in 1888 by Mr. J Sinclair was a lumber mill; the second mill, finished the same year was a shingle mill. After the Great Seattle Fire
Great Seattle Fire
The Great Seattle Fire was a fire that destroyed the entire central business district of Seattle, Washington, USA, on June 6, 1889.-Early Seattle:In the fall of 1851, the Denny Party arrived at Alki Point in what is now the state of Washington...
in 1889 the mills provided opportunities for those who had lost jobs in the fire, which in turn spurred the growth of the settlement as families moved north to work in the mills.
City of Ballard from 1890-1907
With the rapid population growth the residents realized that there might soon be a need for laws to keep order, a process that would require a formal government. In the late summer of 1889 the community discussed incorporating as a town, but eventually rejected the idea of incorporation. The issue pressed, however, so several months later, on November 4, 1889, the residents again voted on the question and this time they voted to incorporate. The first mayor of Ballard was Charles F. Treat. A municipal census, conducted shortly after the passing vote showed that the new town of Ballard had more than 1500 residents, allowing it to be the first “third class town” to be incorporated in the newly admitted state of Washington.By 1900, Ballard's population had grown to 4,568 making it the seventh largest city in Washington, and the town was faced with many of the problems common to small towns. Saloons had been a problem since the beginning, and in 1904 the drinking and gambling became so bad that the mayor ordered the City of Ballard officially closed for the day in order to prevent gambling. The city also faced problems with loose livestock, so the Cow Ordinance of 1903 made allowing cows to graze south of present day 65th St. a punishable offense. The city faced more serious problems, however, with two of the most difficult being the lack of both a proper water supply and a sewer system. The one weakness of the location on Salmon Bay was the lack of nearby freshwater springs, which meant that water came from local ground water wells. Lack of a proper sewage system contaminated the ground water, compounding the problem.
The town continued to grow, reaching 17,000 residents by 1907 and becoming the second largest city in King County. However Ballard, like many of the other small cities surrounding Seattle continued to be plagued by water problems. The rapid population growth had overwhelmed the city’s ability to provide services, particularly a safe drinking water and sewer, and Ballard’s city government had tried unsuccessfully to deal with the crises, so the citizens began considering asking Seattle to annex the town. In 1905 the question was voted on and the residents voted against annexation, hoping for a solution, but the problems refused to go away. In July 1906 the Supreme Court ruled that Seattle was not required to share water with surrounding communities. Ballard had been dependent on a water sharing agreement with Seattle, but the Supreme Court decision left them with inadequate water, forcing a second vote on the annexation question. By this time the residents realized the inability of local resources to cope with their situation and the majority of residents voted in favor of annexation. On May 29, 1907 at 3:45pm the city of Ballard officially became part of Seattle. On that day Ballard citizens showed their mixed feelings about the handover by draping their city hall with black crepe and flying the flag at half mast.
Registered Historic Places in Ballard
The following Ballard Buildings, areas and landmarks are listed on the National Register of Historic PlacesNational Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
:
 |
Ballard Avenue Historic District Ballard Avenue Historic District The Ballard Avenue Historic District is a section of downtown Ballard in Seattle, Washington, that was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976 . The district consists of Ballard Avenue N.W. between N.W. Market Street and N.W. Dock Place, and is located near to and along Salmon Bay... |
Along Ballard Avenue N.W. between N.W. Market Street and N.W. Dock Place (added in 1976, ID #76001885). |
 |
Ballard Carnegie Library Ballard Carnegie Library The Ballard Carnegie Library, also known until 1963 as the Seattle Public Library – Ballard Branch, is a historic library in the Ballard neighborhood in Seattle, Washington. The library was predated by a freeholders' library in the 1860s, which eventually gave way to a reading room that was... |
On N.W. Market Street (added 1979, ID #79002535). |
 |
Fire Station No. 18 | At the corner of Russell Avenue N.W. and N.W. Market (added 1973, ID #73001876). |
 |
Ballard Bridge Ballard Bridge The Ballard Bridge, also known as the 15th Avenue Bridge, is a double-leaf bascule bridge in Seattle, Washington, United States. It carries 15th Avenue NW over Seattle's Salmon Bay between Ballard and Interbay. Built in 1917, it has an opening span of and a total length of . It was added to the... |
(added 1982, ID #82004231), |
 |
Hiram M. Chittenden Locks Hiram M. Chittenden Locks The Hiram M. Chittenden Locks are a complex of locks that sit at the west end of Salmon Bay, part of Seattle's Lake Washington Ship Canal. They are known locally as the Ballard Locks after the neighborhood to their north... and the Lake Washington Ship Canal Lake Washington Ship Canal The Lake Washington Ship Canal, which runs through the City of Seattle, Washington, connects the fresh water body of Lake Washington with the salt water inland sea of Puget Sound. The Ship Canal includes a series of locks, modeled after the Panama Canal, to accommodate the different water levels... |
(added 1978, ID #78002751). |
Scandinavian culture in Ballard
Historically Ballard is the traditional center of Seattle's ethnically Scandinavian seafaring community, who were drawn to the area because of the salmon fishing opportunities. In recent years the decline of the fishing industry, and the addition of numerous condo buildings, has decreased the proportion of Scandinavian residents but the neighborhood is still proud of its heritage. Ballard is home to the Nordic Heritage MuseumNordic Heritage Museum
Nordic Heritage Museum is located in the Ballard neighborhood of Seattle, Washington, considered to be the heart of the Scandinavian community. Founded in 1980, the museum is dedicated to the heritage of Seattle's Nordic immigrants, i.e. Danish, Finnish, Icelandic, Norwegian and Swedish Americans...
, which celebrates both the community of Ballard and the local Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
n history. Scandinavians unite in organizations such as the Sons of Norway Leif Ericson Lodge and the Norwegian Ladies Chorus of Seattle. Each year the community celebrates the Ballard SeafoodFest and Norwegian Constitution Day
Norwegian Constitution Day
Norwegian Constitution Day is the National Day of Norway and is an official national holiday observed on May 17 each year. Among Norwegians, the day is referred to simply as syttende mai or syttande mai , Nasjonaldagen or Grunnlovsdagen , although the latter is less frequent.- Historical...
(also called Syttende Mai) on the 17th of May to commemorate the signing of the Norwegian Constitution.
Locals once nicknamed the neighborhood "Snoose Junction," a reference to the Scandinavian settlers' practice of using snus
Snus
Snus , or Swedish snuff, is a moist powder tobacco product originated from a variant of dry snuff in the early 19th century in Sweden, consumed by placing it under the lip for extended periods of time. The precursor of snus, the dry form of snuff inhaled through the nose, was introduced in Europe...
.
Modern history
At the end of the 20th century Ballard began to experience a real-estate boom. By early 2007, nearly 20 major condominium/retail projects were under construction or had just been completed within a five-block radius of downtown Ballard. The new developments will add as many as 2500 new households to the neighborhood. This growth in urban density is the result of the neighborhood plan created by former Seattle Mayor Norm RiceNorm Rice
Norman Blann Rice was the 49th mayor of Seattle, Washington, serving two terms from 1989-1997. Rice was Seattle's first, and to date only, African-American mayor.-Early life:...
. Mayor Rice’s plan aimed to reduce suburban sprawl by targeting certain Seattle areas, including Ballard, for high-density development.
Transit and growth remain the two most contentious issues in the greater Seattle area. A newly formed nonprofit group, called Sustainable Ballard, is exploring many of these challenges on a community level. The group has adopted the slogan "A Blueprint for EveryTown USA." This fast growing community-wide effort is working on many projects, including “Undriving Ballard,” a transportation campaign to reduce traffic in the neighborhood, and "Get Carbon Neutral," working toward Ballard becoming the first carbon neutral community in the nation, a goal inspired by Al Gore
Al Gore
Albert Arnold "Al" Gore, Jr. served as the 45th Vice President of the United States , under President Bill Clinton. He was the Democratic Party's nominee for President in the 2000 U.S. presidential election....
's An Inconvenient Truth
An Inconvenient Truth
An Inconvenient Truth is a 2006 documentary film directed by Davis Guggenheim about former United States Vice President Al Gore's campaign to educate citizens about global warming via a comprehensive slide show that, by his own estimate, he has given more than a thousand times.Premiering at the...
. Gore lauded Ballard's efforts in an address at the NYU Law School on September 18, 2006.
In recent times Ballard has added venues for live music, including bars, restaurants and coffee shops, such as Conor Byrne, Egan's Jam House, Fu Kun Wu @ Thaiku, Kiss Cafe, La Isla, Molly Maguire's, Old Pequliar, Smokin' Pete's BBQ, The Stepping Stone, and The Tractor Tavern. Each month the Ballard Chamber of Commerce sponsors the Second Saturday Artwalk. Downtown Ballard also boasts a variety of restaurants and local shops.
Downtown Ballard is also home to the Majestic Bay Theater, which was the oldest operating movie theater on the West Coast
West Coast of the United States
West Coast or Pacific Coast are terms for the westernmost coastal states of the United States. The term most often refers to the states of California, Oregon, and Washington. Although not part of the contiguous United States, Alaska and Hawaii do border the Pacific Ocean but can't be included in...
prior to its closure in 1997. In 1998 it was renovated and transformed from a bargain single-screen theater to a well-appointed triplex.
Ballard Historical Society
The Ballard Historical Society is a volunteer-run non-profitNon-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
historical society
Historical society
A historical society is an organization that collects, researches, interprets and preserves information or items of historical interest. Generally, a historical society focuses on a specific geographical area, such as a county or town or subject, such as aviation or rail. Many historical...
located in the Ballard neighborhood. The organization does not have any traditional exhibition space, but maintains a community presence through its self-guided historical tours, historical markers, lectures, community events, and collections. The Ballard Historical Society's collections include memorabilia, historical archives, photographs, and other objects relating to Ballard History. The society has made its photo archives available online. The organization has 501(c)(3) tax-exempt
Tax exemption
Various tax systems grant a tax exemption to certain organizations, persons, income, property or other items taxable under the system. Tax exemption may also refer to a personal allowance or specific monetary exemption which may be claimed by an individual to reduce taxable income under some...
status.
Formed in 1988 with encouragement from the Ballard Centennial Committee in celebration of the Washington state centennial in 1989, the organization's establishment coincided with the publication of Passport to Ballard, a collection of essays on the neighborhood's history from pre-European settlement up through the 1980s. In April 2007, the Ballard Historical Society unveiled its Historic Markers, which can be seen on buildings in the Ballard Avenue Historic District
Ballard Avenue Historic District
The Ballard Avenue Historic District is a section of downtown Ballard in Seattle, Washington, that was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976 . The district consists of Ballard Avenue N.W. between N.W. Market Street and N.W. Dock Place, and is located near to and along Salmon Bay...
.
The organization also co-produced, along with the Nordic Heritage Museum
Nordic Heritage Museum
Nordic Heritage Museum is located in the Ballard neighborhood of Seattle, Washington, considered to be the heart of the Scandinavian community. Founded in 1980, the museum is dedicated to the heritage of Seattle's Nordic immigrants, i.e. Danish, Finnish, Icelandic, Norwegian and Swedish Americans...
and Swedish-Finn Historical Society
Swedish-Finn Historical Society
The Swedish-Finn Historical Society is a genealogical association in Seattle, Washington, USA.Persons sharing an interest in Swedish-Finn culture, tradition and history founded the Swedish Finn Historical Society in 1991.Their mission statement:...
, Voices of Ballard: Immigrant Stories from the Vanishing Generation (2001), a book collecting oral histories from long-time Ballard residents who have made the neighborhood home since before the 1960s. The Ballard Walking Tour, a self-guided tour created by the organization, highlights 20 different historic sites on and around Ballard Avenue. The most recent illustrated Tour Brochure was released in February 2009.
Every three years the Ballard Historical Society organizes the Ballard Classic Homes Tour and features a different set of vintage homes in Ballard during each parade of houses.
Schools and libraries
The public schools in the neighborhood are part of the citywide Seattle Public SchoolsSeattle Public Schools
Seattle Public Schools is the school district serving Seattle, Washington, USA. Its headquarters are in the John Stanford Center for Educational Excellence.-List of schools:...
district
School district
School districts are a form of special-purpose district which serves to operate the local public primary and secondary schools.-United States:...
. Ballard High School
Ballard High School (Seattle)
Ballard High School is a high school in Seattle, Washington, located in the Ballard neighborhood.-Mission statement:"Ballard High School is an inclusive, supportive community that cultivates a tradition of excellence for all students."~adopted May, 2008...
, located in the neighborhood, is the oldest continuously-operating high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
in the city. The original building was demolished in the late 1990s. The new school building is now one of the largest in the district and houses a biotechnology magnet program that attracts students from all over Seattle. The high school has supported by Amgen
Amgen
Amgen Inc. is an international biotechnology company headquartered in Thousand Oaks, California. Located in the Conejo Valley, Amgen is the world's largest independent biotech firm. The company employs approximately 17,000 staff members. Its products include Epogen, Aranesp, Enbrel, Kineret,...
, Zymogenetics, G. M. Nameplate, the Youth Maritime Training Association, North Seattle Community College
North Seattle Community College
North Seattle Community College is a two-year community college in Seattle, Washington. It is one of the three colleges comprising the Seattle Community College District , and one of the 32 member colleges of the Washington Community and Technical Colleges system.Founded in 1970, NSCC is...
, Seattle City Light
Seattle City Light
Seattle City Light is the public utility providing electrical power to Seattle, Washington and parts of its metropolitan area, including all of Shoreline and Lake Forest Park and parts of unincorporated King County, Burien, Normandy Park, Seatac, Renton, and Tukwila...
, and Swedish Hospital.
There are several elementary school
Elementary school
An elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...
s and one alternative school
Alternative school
Alternative school is the name used in some parts of the world to describe an institution which provides part of alternative education. It is an educational establishment with a curriculum and methods that are nontraditional...
located in the neighborhood. The closest middle school is Whitman Middle School, which is located north of Ballard in the Crown Hill
Crown Hill, Seattle, Washington
There is also a Crown Hill Cemetery, in Indianapolis, IndianaCrown Hill is a neighborhood in the city of Seattle, in the US state of Washington.The neighborhood is bounded on the south by N.W...
neighborhood.
- Adams Elementary School (K-5)
- Loyal Heights Elementary School (K-5)
- Whittier Elementary School (K-5)
- North Beach Elementary School (K-5)
- Salmon Bay School (K-8)
The Ballard Public Library was first created as the Carnegie Free Public Library
Ballard Carnegie Library
The Ballard Carnegie Library, also known until 1963 as the Seattle Public Library – Ballard Branch, is a historic library in the Ballard neighborhood in Seattle, Washington. The library was predated by a freeholders' library in the 1860s, which eventually gave way to a reading room that was...
in 1904. In 1907, after annexation, the library became part of the Seattle Public Library
Seattle Public Library
The Seattle Public Library is the public library system serving Seattle, Washington, USA. It was officially established by the city in 1890, though there had been efforts to start a Seattle library as early as 1868. There are 26 branches in the system, most of them named after the neighborhoods in...
system. The original Carnegie building was replaced with new construction in 1963. 42 years later, in 2005, a new library building, designed by architectural firm Bohlin Cywinski Jackson
Bohlin Cywinski Jackson
Bohlin Cywinski Jackson is a United States-based architectural practice that was founded in 1965 in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania by Peter Bohlin and Richard Powell. Bohlin's firm then merged with Bernard Cywinski's Philadelphia-based architectural practice in 1979...
, was opened as part of the Seattle Public Library's "Libraries for All" initiative.
The Seattle Metaphysical Library, originally opened in the Pike Place Market
Pike Place Market
Pike Place Market is a public market overlooking the Elliott Bay waterfront in Seattle, Washington, United States. The Market opened August 17, 1907, and is one of the oldest continually operated public farmers' markets in the United States. It is a place of business for many small farmers,...
in 1961, is now on Market Street in Ballard, and is open to the public and lends books to members.
Notable people
- Josh BarnettJosh BarnettJoshua Lawrence Barnett is an American mixed martial artist and professional wrestler who currently fights in the heavyweight division of Strikeforce. Barnett has been an accomplished fighter in mixed martial arts, winning the UFC Heavyweight Championship and the King of Pancrase Openweight...
- Tom DouglasTom DouglasTom Douglas is an American chef, restaurateur, and writer who won the 1994 James Beard Award for Best Northwest Chef.Born in Newark, Delaware, his first restaurant, Dahlia Lounge, opened in 1989. This was followed by Etta's Seafood and Palace Kitchen, which was nominated for Best New Restaurant by...
- Edith MacefieldEdith MacefieldEdith Macefield achieved worldwide notoriety in 2006 when she stubbornly turned down US$1 million to sell her home to make way for a commercial development in the Ballard neighborhood of Seattle. In the process, she became something of a folk hero...
- Karsten SolheimKarsten SolheimKarsten Solheim was a Norwegian-born American golf club designer and businessman. He founded Karsten Manufacturing, a leading golf club maker better known by its brand name of PING, and the Solheim Cup, the premier international team competition in women's golf.-Early life:Solheim was born in...
- (1911–2000) - inventor of PING golf clubs - Carl DeukerCarl DeukerCarl Deuker is an award-winning author of young adult novels.- Biography :Carl Deuker now lives in Seattle which serves as the setting for most of his work. He currently works at cheese factory in Bothell teaching a 6th graders how to make cheese...
- Young Adult sports author
External links
- Ballard Historical Society official website
- Ballard News Tribune official website
- Ballard, Seattle at the Open Directory ProjectOpen Directory ProjectThe Open Directory Project , also known as Dmoz , is a multilingual open content directory of World Wide Web links. It is owned by Netscape but it is constructed and maintained by a community of volunteer editors.ODP uses a hierarchical ontology scheme for organizing site listings...
- Seattle Historic Tours -- Ballard on official Seattle city site, prepared by HistoryLinkHistoryLinkHistoryLink is a website that is an encyclopedia of Washington State history. The site has more than 4,500 stories. There are 500 biographies and more than 14,000 images....
, June 2001 - Guide to the City of Ballard Records 1890-1907
- Guide to the Ballard Avenue Landmark District Records 1975-1995
- Interactive slideshow about Ballard's businesses openings & closures since 2009