Wilson’s Exposition Heights

Posted on March 30, 2015 by Wedgwood in Seattle History
The pergola in Pioneer Square, downtown Seattle, was constructed in 1909 as a shelter for streetcar riders.

The pergola in Pioneer Square, downtown Seattle, was constructed in 1909 as a shelter for people waiting to ride the streetcar out to the AYP Exposition on the campus of the University of Washington.

The Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition, a world’s-fair event, attracted people to Seattle even before the fair’s opening date of June 1, 1909.  When news of the Exposition plans became known in 1906, people from all over the USA began coming to Seattle to get in on job opportunities and real estate development schemes, in hopes of capitalizing on the AYP Exposition’s publicity and attendance.

This blog post will tell the stories of some families who came to Seattle in the years leading up to the AYP Exposition and how they became part of the growth of northeast Seattle.

Continue reading →

Posted in Meadowbrook neighborhood, Plat names, School histories | Tagged , , , | 6 Comments

The AYPE and the Growth of Northeast Seattle

Posted on March 22, 2015 by Wedgwood in Seattle History

The Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition (AYPE) was a world’s fair held in 1909 on the campus of the University of Washington in northeast Seattle. After the move of the university to its present site in 1895, the AYPE of 1909 was the event which did the most to cause the opening and growth of new residential areas in northeast Seattle.

This blog post will tell about the effect of the AYPE upon the growth of northeast Seattle, when real estate developers hoped to capitalize upon the publicity of the AYPE to help them sell house lots in new neighborhoods.

Continue reading →

Posted in Events and holidays, Land records and surveys, name of the neighborhood, Plat names | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Wedgwood’s NE 85th Street Dividing Line

Posted on March 15, 2015 by Wedgwood in Seattle History
In 1858-1859 William H. Carlton led a survey team and drew this map of Township 26, north Seattle from 85th to 205th Streets.

In 1858-1859 William H. Carlton led a survey team and drew this map of Township 26, north Seattle from 85th to 205th Streets.

On September 2, 1858, a team of surveyors stood at what is now the center point of Seattle’s Wedgwood business district on 35th Ave NE at NE 85th Street.  The survey team of the year 1858 consisted of two chain carriers (men with a measuring device like that used to measure yardage in football games), two ax men who helped chop through underbrush, and the leader of the team listed as compass man, William H. Carlton.

Carlton’s hand-written field notes tell that the men set a post at this intersection because it was an important marker as they walked the east-west line between Township 25 which had already been surveyed from downtown Seattle out northward as far as 85th, and Township 26 which Carlton’s team surveyed in 1858 to 1859.  That line between the two townships is now NE 85th Street at Wedgwood’s main business district along 35th Ave NE.

This blog post will tell why NE 85th Street is an important line and why the two halves of Seattle’s Wedgwood neighborhood, north and south of NE 85th Street, are somewhat different.

Continue reading →

Posted in boundaries, Land records and surveys, streets | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

In Love with the Trees of Seattle

Posted on March 7, 2015 by Wedgwood in Seattle History

Northeast Seattle Tree WalkAre you a Tree Lover?  Do you admire trees and tell others about your favorite trees?  The City of Seattle has a program just for you:  you can become a Tree Ambassador.

The Tree Ambassador program is for those who want to help nurture their neighborhood trees.  Tree Ambassadors can help build community and heighten awareness of and appreciation for the natural environment.

Tree Ambassadors can develop tours (tree walks) which can be printed and posted as a resource, or led as a public event.  Other Tree Ambassadors are interested in landscaping projects.  They can identify a site which needs work, such as removal of invasive species.  Check out the schedule of events, work parties and tree-planting informational seminars.

Posted in Nature and wildlife, trees | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Seattle History in Landscape and Story

Posted on March 2, 2015 by Wedgwood in Seattle History

One aspect of Seattle history is its built environment and landscape.  How have the forces of nature, people and historic events interacted to create Seattle?  On Saturday, March 7, the conference program of the Pacific Northwest Historians Guild will be held at the downtown Seattle Public Library on the theme of The Urban Northwest in Landscape and Story.  All events are free and open to the public.  The library is at Fourth & Spring Streets and has a parking garage.

Gas Works Park in Seattle

Gas Works Park in Seattle

9 AM – Plenary Session – “Thick Stories of Seattle’s Urban Landscape: Gas Works Park by Richard Haag” By Dr. Thaisa Way, Assistant Professor of Landscape Architecture at the University of Washington College of Built Environments.

10:15 to 11:45 AM and 1:30 to 5 PM – diverse sessions on the urban history of the Pacific Northwest.

Seattle Street Smart Naturalist12 noon – Keynote Speaker – “History Underfoot: Seattle’s Storied Landscape”  By David B. Williams, a freelance writer whose work focuses on the intersection of people and the natural world.

David B. Williams’ books include Stories in Stone: Travels Through Urban Geology, The Seattle Street-Smart Naturalist: Field Notes from the City and Cairns: Messengers in Stone.  In September 2015 his newest book will come out, Too High and Too Steep: Reshaping Seattle’s Topography.  This book will explore how the City of Seattle reshaped itself through projects such as the filling of tideflats and sluicing of hillsides.

 

 

Posted in Events and holidays | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Marshall Blinn: Logging and Land Speculation in Washington Territory

Posted on February 23, 2015 by Wedgwood in Seattle History

Before Washington became a state in 1889, territorial land claims recorded many names which are not now well-known.  Who were these early-arriving settlers? The map of what is now the Wedgwood and Meadowbrook neighborhoods of northeast Seattle is dotted with land claims in the name of Marshall Blinn.  Who was he?

Marshall Blinn 1827-1885

Marshall Blinn 1827-1885

Students of Seattle history recognize names of major figures such as Arthur Denny, leader of the Denny Party of white settlers who arrived in 1851 and who are considered the founders of the city.  But there were many other contributors to early Seattle whose names have been forgotten.  On the basis of the number of land claims of Marshall Blinn, he would seem to have been an important figure, but we will find that though his influence touched Seattle, he never actually lived in Seattle.

In this article I will tell about logging and land-grabbing in Washington Territory before statehood, and I will speculate on how northeast Seattle might have developed differently if Marshall Blinn, an early adventurer, had come to live on his land claims.

Copyright notice:  the text of this article is protected under a Creative Commons Copyright.  Do not copy without permission.

Continue reading →

Posted in Land records and surveys, research resources, Seattle History | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

The Big Green House: Thanks for the Memories

Posted on February 17, 2015 by Wedgwood in Seattle History
In one hour the hundred-year-old Big Green House was reduced to rubble.

In one hour the hundred-year-old Big Green House was reduced to rubble.

On February 17, 2015, the hundred-year-old Big Green House at 7321 35th Ave NE came to the end of its lifespan and to me, it felt like the death of a friend.

The Big Green House was like an eccentric, misunderstood person, perceived by some as spooky because of the way the house loomed up over the surrounding business district.  In getting to know it, I found the Big Green House to be more like an elderly person with long-held memories of bygone days.

The Big Green House was clothed in the architectural preferences of long ago and will now be replaced by the newest design trend in commercial districts in Seattle:  townhouse buildings with live-work units at the sidewalk level.

Continue reading →

Posted in 7321 35th Ave NE, Big Green House, research resources | Tagged , , , , | 17 Comments

Seattle Spring Season Plant Tours

Posted on February 16, 2015 by Wedgwood in Seattle History
Arthur Lee Jacobson, Seattle tree expert

Arthur Lee Jacobson, Seattle tree expert

Arthur Lee Jacobson is a Seattle resident with a life-long passion for plants.  He writes, teaches, and does hands-on gardening work for individuals and businesses.  As the season turns to spring, Mr. Jacobson leads walking tours of Seattle’s trees and plants.

Mr. Jacobson shares his enthusiasm and expertise through his walking tours in which people can benefit from personal interaction.  He says that “exploring Seattle plant occurrence, noting flowering and fruiting times, tasting edibles, and conversing, is a joy.”

Continue reading →

Posted in trees | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

The Great Backyard Bird Count 2015

Posted on February 5, 2015 by Wedgwood in Seattle History

You can learn more about birds and help scientific efforts at the same time by participating in the Great Backyard Bird Count of 2015.

Count us, please, for the GBBC!

Count us, please, for the GBBC!

The Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) is an annual four-day event that engages bird watchers of all ages in counting birds to create a real-time snapshot of bird populations. Participants are asked to count birds for as little as fifteen minutes (or as long as they wish) on one or more days of the event, Friday through Monday, February 13 to 16, 2015, and report their sightings online.

Anyone can take part in the Great Backyard Bird Count, from beginning bird watchers to experts.  Bird-identification and other helps are available on the GBBC page.  Don’t want to go out in the cold and rain?  No problem, you can participate from your kitchen window by simply counting the birds you see out in your yard.

If you are new to the count, first register online.  In 2014 there were GBBC participants in 135 countries, compiling data on the distribution and abundance of birds.  During this year’s count you will be able to see the photos and lists pouring in from all over the globe.

Posted in Nature and wildlife | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

Always a 12

Posted on February 3, 2015 by Wedgwood in Seattle History
Go Seahawks! Never give up!

Go Seahawks! Never give up!

The Mayor of Seattle has issued a proclamation with a petition which can be signed electronically, to thank the Seattle Seahawks football team for their heart and determination.

We commend the teamwork, discipline, dedication, practice and never-give-up spirit of the Seattle Seahawks.  We the “12s” have learned from their example and we will cheer them on — for next time!  Never give up!

Posted in Events and holidays | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments