History of Ballard, Seattle

Seattle is made up of many different neighborhoods, each has their own personality and history.  We’ll take a deeper dive into the history of each neighborhood and learn why each one is so unique.  Today we will focus on Ballard, one of Seattle’s most beloved neighborhoods and one with a rich history.

Ballard is known as the Scandinavian neighborhood of Seattle.  Incorporated as its own city back in 1890, the area was inhabited by the Shilshole Native American Tribe.  Nordic settlers increased the nominal population from about 1600 to about 17,000 within 20 years.  New residents hailed from mostly Norway and Sweden and they left their mark on the neighborhood.  Ballard was also known for fishing and timber, being next to Salmon Bay. 

Unable to keep up with the growth, Ballard city officials were struggling to keep up to maintain services for its residents.  Due to high debt by Ballard, Seattle eventually bought the city though many of its residents had originally voted against it.  By 1907, Ballard had become part of Seattle.

Many local residents, and visitors alike, know and love the Ballard Locks.  Named after the Hiram M. Chittenden, the engineer behind the construction, the previously named Lake Washington Ship Canal and Government Locks connects Lake Union and Lake Washington.  Built in 1917, the locks were intended for an access point for the naval base.  Unfortunately, it took nearly 6 years to build and a base in Bremerton was already built.  Plus, the locks were too narrow for any naval ships to pass through.  Today, many people visit the locks and the Ballard bridge.

Another large draw is Golden Gardens.  Named by Harry W. Treat in 1907 who helped develop it, Treat intended for the park to be an “attraction” at the end of a winding road.  Located at 85th and Loyal way, the Carbine ended with a dusty road that separates the now upper and lower park of the park.  Just on the other side of the tracks was the beach named Meadow Point.  Now the whole park is easily accessible to all with amazing views of Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains. 

Today, Ballard is still a “city within a city” with the latest booming real estate in the last few years.  Gone are most of the history of Ballard, including evidence of its moniker of being the “Shingle Capital of the World”.  However, its Nordic roots are strong.  Ballard holds several Nordic inspired events and is home to the Nordic Heritage Museum.   Ballard’s boundaries are NW 85th St to the north, 3rd Ave NW to the east, the Lake Washington Ship Canal to the south, and of course, Puget Sound by the west.