Tag Archives: WPLongform

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

Posted in name of the neighborhood, Plat names | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

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

Posted in Neighborhood features | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

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

Posted in Architecture, Balch, name of the neighborhood, Plat names | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

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

Posted in Balch, name of the neighborhood, Plat names | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

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 , , , , | Leave a comment

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 , , | Leave a comment

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 , , , , , | Leave a comment

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

Posted in Balch | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Dairy Queen in Wedgwood

The first Dairy Queen store opened in Illinois in 1940 with immediate success.  The menu started out with ice cream and sundaes but soon expanded to malts, milkshakes, and banana splits.  The company began to register its trademark products and … Continue reading

Posted in apartments, businesses, Shearwater | Tagged , , , , , | 5 Comments

Matthews Beach in Seattle in the 1930s

Matthews Beach Park in northeast Seattle is on the shore of Lake Washington, off of Sand Point Way NE at NE 93rd Street.  At twenty-two acres, it is Seattle’s largest freshwater bathing beach, and the beach is only one aspect … Continue reading

Posted in Meadowbrook neighborhood, parks | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment