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Tag Archives: Neighborhood History
Names in the Neighborhood: from Keith to Hawthorne Hills
Some of the neighborhood names in northeast Seattle started out as plat names, then gradually became the identifiers for whole areas. Wedgwood started as a plat name filed by developer Albert Balch in July 1941, from NE 80th to 85th … Continue reading
Wellsdale in Wedgwood
In the 1930s the residents of the Wellsdale plat were typical of the life of northeast Seattle in that time period. The (future) Wedgwood area did not yet have an official name, it was outside of the Seattle City limits … Continue reading
Wedgwood’s Do-It-Yourself Fire Department in the 1940s
In 1941 developer Albert Balch started building houses from NE 80th to 85th Streets, 30th to 35th Avenues NE, and chose the name “Wedgwood” for the new subdivision. He did not deliberately set out to name the neighborhood, but the … Continue reading
Ryther: Making a Difference
Ryther is a nonprofit organization located in the Wedgwood neighborhood of Seattle, offering behavioral health services for children and families. At Ryther children receive guidance, coaching, counseling and teaching to experience new ways of thinking and overcoming challenges. Ryther’s legacy … Continue reading
Albert Balch, Part Six: Architecture and Neighborhoods
Albert Balch, developer of Wedgwood, constantly watched trends and looked ahead to anticipate “the next thing” in the building of houses and neighborhoods. Balch saw that in the period following the end of World War Two, people were spreading out … Continue reading
Albert Balch, Part Five: Spreading Wedgwoods Everywhere
In November 1888 two young men, employees of the Post-Intelligencer newspaper in Seattle, quit their jobs and went into real estate. They didn’t have any formal training in such work but their knowledge of the city and their belief in its potential … Continue reading
Albert Balch, Part Four: A New Development in Wedgwood
In the year 1940 Albert Balch was 37 years old and he was at a turning point both personally and professionally. He had been married seven years and his family had expanded to four children. His father and mother had … Continue reading
Posted in Architecture, Balch
Tagged 1940s in Wedgwood, developer of Wedgwood, Neighborhood History, Seattle, WPLongform
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Albert Balch, Part Three: Learning Real Estate in View Ridge
As of January 1936 Albert Balch and Ralph Jones were on their way: they had started a new real estate development called View Ridge and had been able to get some buyers. Although Balch & Jones had experience in advertising … Continue reading
Posted in Balch, Houses, Plat names
Tagged Neighborhood History, Seattle, WPLongform
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Albert Balch, Part Two: Finding a Career in the 1930s
Albert Balch, developer of the View Ridge and Wedgwood neighborhoods of northeast Seattle, did not start out to work in real estate. As many college grads do, at first Balch struggled to find a suitable career. Albert Balch graduated from … Continue reading
Posted in Balch
Tagged autograph collection, Neighborhood History, Seattle, View Ridge in Seattle, wooden money, WPLongform
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Albert Balch, Part One: Early Life
This series of articles will outline the life of Albert Balch, the developer who, beginning in 1941, built the Wedgwood houses which gave their name to the neighborhood in northeast Seattle. Balch’s father Albert S. Balch Sr. was from a … Continue reading
Wedgwood in Seattle History 