It has been said of early Seattleites that no matter their original vocation, once they got to Seattle they went into the business of real estate. Land was available in and around Seattle so that those who invested in property in early years, were later able to reap profits as the land increased in value.
One example was Dr. E.C. Kilbourne who practiced dentistry in Seattle until he became one of the developers of the Fremont neighborhood in 1888, and an investor in streetcar lines.
W.W. Beck at the gate of Ravenna Park
Rev. William W. Beck came to Seattle as a minister with the Cumberland Presbyterian denomination. The Becks, William, Louise and their two sons, settled in northeast Seattle in 1889.
The Becks created Ravenna Park and established the Ravenna neighborhood, with advertising in the newspaper of plats of land for sale. Today’s Candy Cane Lane is on land where the Becks lived and was later developed by the Beck’s son.
Another minister who came to Seattle in early years was Rev. John C. Norton of Minnesota. He was commissioned and sent out by the Free Methodist church denomination in 1890 to help organize the Christian school now called Seattle Pacific University. Rev. Norton then left his original vocation to become involved in the business community and real estate sales in northeast Seattle. Real estate originally purchased by Rev. Norton’s wife in the 1880s, before their marriage in 1892, is today the site of Bryant School on NE 60th Street, with houses on the surrounding blocks.
This blog article will trace the stories of Rev. Norton and his wife Minerva Widger in Seattle beginning in the 1880s. We will see how the Norton’s activities paralleled the growth of Seattle and we will consider how the Norton’s influence is still being felt today.
Wedgwood in Seattle History 