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Author Archives: Wedgwood in Seattle History
The Ginseng Farm in Wedgwood
On the census of the year 1900 in Seattle Mr. Charles E. Thorpe was listed as a lodger in a private home on Denny Way near present-day Seattle Center. By 1905 Mr. Thorpe had become one of the earliest residents of the future Wedgwood … Continue reading
Groceries and Growth in Wedgwood
Grocery stores in Wedgwood expanded with the growth of the neighborhood in the post-World-War-Two period of the 1940s and 1950s. Beginning with the economic downturn called the Boeing Bust in the 1970s, grocery stores and some other kinds of stores declined … Continue reading
Posted in apartments, businesses, Controversies, grocery stores, Neighborhood features
Tagged land use planning, Neighborhood History, Seattle
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The Big White House on the Hill in Wedgwood
In the 1930s in Wedgwood there were mostly small houses and very few big houses, due to the difficulty of heating and that smaller houses were less expensive to build. One big house which was very visible was perched on the … Continue reading
Posted in 8234 28th Ave NE, Architecture, Houses, Plat names
Tagged the 1930s in Wedgwood
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McGillivray’s: the Biggest Little Store in Wedgwood
In the 1940s Arthur & Dorothy McGillivray decided to move from Minnesota to Seattle along with their daughter, Bette, while Bette attended the University of Washington. With past experience in merchandising, the McGillivrays were ready to try their hand at … Continue reading
The Mary J. Chandler plat in Wedgwood
Mary J. Chandler’s Addition to Seattle is the name of a plat in Wedgwood. The plat was filed in 1890 for land from 25th to 45th Avenues NE, NE 80th to 85th Streets. To file a plat means to have … Continue reading
The Gateposts of Wedgwood
When Albert Balch, the developer of the Wedgwood neighborhood, put up stone gateposts at the entrance to his new housing area, he tapped into the gateposts’ symbolism of permanence and protection, qualities desired by young couples in search of homes.
Posted in Balch, businesses, gateposts, Neighborhood features
Tagged Neighborhood History, Seattle
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Apartments in Wedgwood: Oneida to Jasper
In the early 1900s in Seattle, apartments were built along trolley routes to close-in neighborhoods such as Capitol Hill. Wedgwood was a remote neighborhood which didn’t begin to form an identity until the 1940s and was never served by a … Continue reading
Parks in Wedgwood
Albert Balch, the developer of Wedgwood, intended to have some park space in the neighborhood but not all of his plans were realized, as he got busy with house-building. In 1941 Balch platted a forty-acre tract of land from 30th to 35th Avenues NE, … Continue reading
Posted in Balch, Neighborhood features, parks
Tagged corner of 86th & 35th, Neighborhood History, Seattle
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Wedgwood Rock: from Homestead to Houses
The Wedgwood Rock section of homes is from 25th to 30th Avenues NE, NE 70th to 75th Streets. This forty-acre tract was first platted (a plan for lots and streets laid out) in November 1945 by Albert Balch, a builder. Balch had … Continue reading
Posted in Balch, Plat names, Wedgwood Rock
Tagged Big Rock, homestead claims, Post-war housing developments
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Wedgwood Rock and Big Rock: the orphaned boulder-siblings
Wedgwood Rock has a sibling: Big Rock at 106 S. Main Street, Coupeville, Whidbey Island, about fifty miles north of Seattle. Testing of the mineral composition of both boulders has shown that they came from Mt. Erie, Fidalgo Island, near Anacortes … Continue reading
Posted in Balch, Plat names, Wedgwood Rock
Tagged Big Rock, glacial erratic, Neighborhood History, Seattle
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Wedgwood in Seattle History 