Seattle annexes Ballard on May 29, 1907.

HistoryLink.org Essay 1421 : Printer-Friendly Format

On May 29, 1907, the City of Ballard ceases to exist when it is annexed to Seattle, adding a new neighborhood to the northwest as well as 17,000 people to Seattle's population.

The vote to annex had passed by 996 to 874 on November 6, 1906, following Ballard's increasing difficulties in keeping its services abreast of a growing population. Particularly problematic was the water supply. At one point, a dead horse was found in Ballard's sole reservoir.

On the day the City ceased to exist, the Ballard City Hall was draped in black crepe, and the flag on the city flag pole hung at half mast.

Ballard had incorporated in 1890.

Sources:
Walt Crowley, National Trust Guide Seattle (New York: Preservation Press, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1998); Myra Phelps, Public Works in Seattle: A Narrative History The Engineering Department 1875-1975 (Seattle: Seattle Engineering Department, 1978), 222; Passport to Ballard: The Centennial Story ed. by Kay Reinartz (Seattle: Ballard News Tribune, 1988), 64.

By Patrick McRoberts, June 26, 1999

Travel through time (chronological order):
< Browse to Previous Essay | Browse to Next Essay >

Related Topics: Cities & Towns | Seattle Neighborhoods | Government & Politics | Infrastructure |

Licensing: This essay is licensed under a Creative Commons license that encourages reproduction with attribution. Credit should be given to both HistoryLink.org and to the author, and sources must be included with any reproduction. Click the icon for more info. Please note that this Creative Commons license applies to text only, and not to images. For more information regarding individual photos or images, please contact the source noted in the image credit.

Ballard Avenue from City Hall, Ballard, ca. 1900
Postcard