Author Archives: Wedgwood in Seattle History
Homewaters
When Seattle author David B. Williams started his most recent project he never could have imagined that the research, writing and publication of his latest book would take nearly five years. Now Mr. Williams is able to share his wonderful … Continue reading
Along the Road: From Pontiac to Sand Point Way NE
There was not yet a road called Sand Point Way NE when the first commercial activities began at about NE 70th Street on Lake Washington. In the 1880s Edward F. Lee had a boat-building shop there, and Osborn M. Merritt … Continue reading
Names in the Neighborhood: Chelsea and Lake City
Seattle north of the ship canal has many neighborhoods which derived their names from plats of land development. Sometimes the naming was deliberate, such as Laurelhurst, in which the developers reconfigured the streets and promoted the sale of houses in … Continue reading
Names in the Neighborhood: from Chelsea to Meadowbrook
In 1961 residents of northeast Seattle petitioned the City to give them some geographic identity by preserving the name “Meadowbrook.” The Meadowbrook Golf Course at NE 110th Street had closed because the property had been purchased by the Seattle School … Continue reading
Names in the Neighborhood: Chelsea Becomes a School Street
Hugh Benton and Victor Palmer were young attorneys who arrived to make their fortunes in Seattle in the early 1900s. In those days attorneys would often expedite property transactions because the category of real estate agent as a profession had … Continue reading
Names in the Neighborhood: Chelsea
NE 110th Street in the Meadowbrook neighborhood of northeast Seattle is today dominated by two large school buildings: Nathan Hale High School on the south side of NE 110th Street and Jane Addams Middle School on the north side. Hidden … Continue reading
A Civil War Veteran in Seattle: Edward Lind
The Civil War of the United States was fought from 1861 to 1865 and yet, 160 years later, we are still fighting issues of the unity and principles of what it means to be an American. Throughout their lifetimes, veterans … Continue reading
Writing the Ways of Seattle Streets
The Seattle street system provides endless opportunities for puzzling over the “whys” of street names, as it can be difficult to find out who a street is named for. One north Seattle street is clear in its tribute to Roosevelt … Continue reading
Sorting Out Seattle Street Names
In Seattle’s early years, 1851 to 1889, owners of property could lay out a plan for streets and give them any names they chose. But as the city grew, segments of a street would often have several different names as … Continue reading
South of the Bridge in Fremont
From the earliest years of white settlers’ arrival in Seattle in the 1850s, land speculators and businessmen were attracted to what is now the Fremont neighborhood at the northwest corner of Lake Union. A big advantage of the site was … Continue reading
