Category Archives: School histories

School Day Memories: November 22, 1963

November 22, 1963 is remembered as a turning point in the lives of Baby Boomers who grew up in the 1950s and 1960s. Young, vital John F. Kennedy, the first US President to be born in the twentieth century, was … Continue reading

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Names in the Neighborhood: from Decatur to Thornton Creek

Author’s note: This article is about the name of a school in the Wedgwood neighborhood.  If you are looking for an outline of the history of the Thornton Creek watershed and The Confluence at Meadowbrook, go here. The US Navy … Continue reading

Posted in name of the neighborhood, Neighborhood features, Plat names, School histories, Shearwater | Tagged , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Oriental Gardens in Meadowbrook

A massive earthquake struck the city of San Francisco in the early morning hours of April 18, 1906.  But worse than the damage caused by the earthquake itself were the fires which raged through the city for three days afterward. … Continue reading

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From Wedgwood to Meadowbrook

In the 1920s and 1930s the (future) Wedgwood area lacked a strong name association in part because it lacked a school to give the neighborhood an identity.  But just to the north, on NE 100th Street at the corner of … Continue reading

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The Beginnings of Wedgwood School

The story of Wedgwood School at 2720 NE 85th Street shows how dramatically the population of the neighborhood increased after World War Two ended in 1945.  Wedgwood teemed with young families and children during the post-war “Baby Boom” years, and … Continue reading

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Shearwater part five: the end of Shearwater and the death of the Wedgwood Community Club in the 1970s

In the early 1970s the USA suffered through an economic recession, made worse in 1973 when an energy crisis began because of a Middle East oil and gas embargo.  In the USA gas prices skyrocketed and it affected air travel, … Continue reading

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Shearwater part four: the developer versus the Wedgwood Community Club, 1966 to 1970

On December 16, 1965, all the Shearwater land parcels on streets near Decatur School were sold at a government-property auction, with the stipulation that the buyer must remove the old barracks buildings within ninety days of the sale. The Wedgwood … Continue reading

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Shearwater part three: Shearwater victories and setbacks in the 1960s

The administrative wheels turned slowly but finally in 1959 the Navy got ready to release some of its property in Wedgwood for the site of a much-needed elementary school.   In September 1961 Decatur School opened at 7711 43rd Ave … Continue reading

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Shearwater part two: the Wedgwood Community Club fights Shearwater in the 1950s

In the 1950s the very active Wedgwood District Community Club made its voice heard in issues such as the completion of streets, water and other utilities, business district development in Wedgwood, and trying to get the Seattle Parks Department to … Continue reading

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Shearwater Part One: Navy Housing in Wedgwood in the 1940s

Decatur Elementary School at 7711 43rd Ave NE in Wedgwood is on the site of what was Navy housing from 1945 to 1966.  The first part of the school building was completed in 1961.  With a later addition to the … Continue reading

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