Comments on: Help create an archive of the Locks http://www.myballard.com/2009/04/09/help-create-an-archive-of-the-locks/ News, events and restaurant guide for Seattle's Ballard neighborhood Thu, 02 Feb 2012 05:13:00 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: HistoryWriter http://www.myballard.com/2009/04/09/help-create-an-archive-of-the-locks/comment-page-1/#comment-12106 HistoryWriter Thu, 23 Apr 2009 22:20:29 +0000 http://www.myballard.com/?p=1816#comment-12106 Update: We had a great response to this post. The project now has eight volunteers and several waiting in the wings for weekend access. If you'd like to help out, give us a holler. Everyone is welcome and there is lots of work to do. ;-) Update: We had a great response to this post. The project now has eight volunteers and several waiting in the wings for weekend access. If you'd like to help out, give us a holler. Everyone is welcome and there is lots of work to do. ;-)

]]> By: Julie http://www.myballard.com/2009/04/09/help-create-an-archive-of-the-locks/comment-page-1/#comment-12105 Julie Sat, 11 Apr 2009 00:40:01 +0000 http://www.myballard.com/?p=1816#comment-12105 BTW, when I was doing research for the Early Ballard book I spent a lot of time down at the Locks looking through their archives and scanning pictures. The people down there could not be nicer, friendlier or more accomodating. The best part of helping them catalog their collection is that you get to do it in one of the most historic, beautiful buildings in the city of Seattle, while watching boat traffic go by, and you get to spend some time in arguably one of the finest gardens in the Pacific Northwest. BTW, when I was doing research for the Early Ballard book I spent a lot of time down at the Locks looking through their archives and scanning pictures. The people down there could not be nicer, friendlier or more accomodating. The best part of helping them catalog their collection is that you get to do it in one of the most historic, beautiful buildings in the city of Seattle, while watching boat traffic go by, and you get to spend some time in arguably one of the finest gardens in the Pacific Northwest.

]]> By: Julie http://www.myballard.com/2009/04/09/help-create-an-archive-of-the-locks/comment-page-1/#comment-12104 Julie Fri, 10 Apr 2009 09:38:40 +0000 http://www.myballard.com/?p=1816#comment-12104 Marci; look at a map of Seattle. See where the ship canal is? See where Lake Union is? See how far Ballard is from Lake Union? The GasWorks are on Lake Union. Until 1917 there was no real outlet from Lake Washington into Lake union and then into the Sound other than a creek. The mills extended all the way to Fremont and then on the other side on the Queen Anne side of the water. There were mills in Fremont as well. (the source of Suzie Burke's family's money.) The tall smokestacks of the 14 mills in Ballard could be seen for miles away. The mills of Ballard extended all the way to where Fred Meyer is now.<br>Actually, the site of the current Fred Meyer was in fact the ironworks plant, and nearby was the dump! <br><br>There were in fact shipyards at the site of the locks, until they were lost when the locks were built. Interestingly enough, since the locks raised the water level 14 feet, (and many of the mills were condemned) one enterprising mill owner built a "cofferdam" around his mill; the actual mill was well BELOW the new water level! Marci; look at a map of Seattle. See where the ship canal is? See where Lake Union is? See how far Ballard is from Lake Union? The GasWorks are on Lake Union. Until 1917 there was no real outlet from Lake Washington into Lake union and then into the Sound other than a creek. The mills extended all the way to Fremont and then on the other side on the Queen Anne side of the water. There were mills in Fremont as well. (the source of Suzie Burke's family's money.) The tall smokestacks of the 14 mills in Ballard could be seen for miles away. The mills of Ballard extended all the way to where Fred Meyer is now.
Actually, the site of the current Fred Meyer was in fact the ironworks plant, and nearby was the dump!

There were in fact shipyards at the site of the locks, until they were lost when the locks were built. Interestingly enough, since the locks raised the water level 14 feet, (and many of the mills were condemned) one enterprising mill owner built a “cofferdam” around his mill; the actual mill was well BELOW the new water level!

]]> By: Finally Spring http://www.myballard.com/2009/04/09/help-create-an-archive-of-the-locks/comment-page-1/#comment-12103 Finally Spring Fri, 10 Apr 2009 04:59:54 +0000 http://www.myballard.com/?p=1816#comment-12103 It's facing east, but think about how far away Gas Works Park is. And do I see the original Ballard Bridge there? It seems to me like the smokestack is approximately where the Bit Tavern is.... It's facing east, but think about how far away Gas Works Park is. And do I see the original Ballard Bridge there? It seems to me like the smokestack is approximately where the Bit Tavern is….

]]> By: HistoryWriter http://www.myballard.com/2009/04/09/help-create-an-archive-of-the-locks/comment-page-1/#comment-12102 HistoryWriter Fri, 10 Apr 2009 03:21:47 +0000 http://www.myballard.com/?p=1816#comment-12102 Thanks for the info Julie! I read your book when I first moved here and really enjoyed it. <br><br>BallardMarci: You're right it is looking east, but Gas Works is farther down I think. See my response to Woolly above. I wish the photograph was online. The smokestack and silo are pretty distinctive, I'm confident it's the Seattle Cedar Lumber Co. Thanks for the info Julie! I read your book when I first moved here and really enjoyed it.

BallardMarci: You're right it is looking east, but Gas Works is farther down I think. See my response to Woolly above. I wish the photograph was online. The smokestack and silo are pretty distinctive, I'm confident it's the Seattle Cedar Lumber Co.

]]> By: BallardMarci http://www.myballard.com/2009/04/09/help-create-an-archive-of-the-locks/comment-page-1/#comment-12101 BallardMarci Fri, 10 Apr 2009 02:41:18 +0000 http://www.myballard.com/?p=1816#comment-12101 OK.. Maybe Gas Works came later, but isn't this picture pointed east? Isn't the smoke stack about the same location that Gas Works Park is now? Or is Gas Works further down? OK.. Maybe Gas Works came later, but isn't this picture pointed east? Isn't the smoke stack about the same location that Gas Works Park is now? Or is Gas Works further down?

]]> By: Julie http://www.myballard.com/2009/04/09/help-create-an-archive-of-the-locks/comment-page-1/#comment-12100 Julie Fri, 10 Apr 2009 02:37:30 +0000 http://www.myballard.com/?p=1816#comment-12100 The GasWorks came along much, much later. At one time Ballard was "The Shingle Capital of the World" because of all the cedar shingle mills as well as lumber mills. From the 1890s until 1962, Ballard was well known for its mills. When last mill burned down, it could be seen for miles. Now all the mill sites are either marinas, restaurants, or (on the Queen Ann side of the bridge) mini-storage units. Check out my book, "Early Ballard" by Arcadia Publishing. BTW, Seattle Times book reviewer Adam Woog wrote a book on the locks called, amazingly enough: "Ballard Locks." The GasWorks came along much, much later. At one time Ballard was “The Shingle Capital of the World” because of all the cedar shingle mills as well as lumber mills. From the 1890s until 1962, Ballard was well known for its mills. When last mill burned down, it could be seen for miles. Now all the mill sites are either marinas, restaurants, or (on the Queen Ann side of the bridge) mini-storage units. Check out my book, “Early Ballard” by Arcadia Publishing. BTW, Seattle Times book reviewer Adam Woog wrote a book on the locks called, amazingly enough: “Ballard Locks.”

]]> By: HistoryWriter http://www.myballard.com/2009/04/09/help-create-an-archive-of-the-locks/comment-page-1/#comment-12098 HistoryWriter Fri, 10 Apr 2009 01:23:53 +0000 http://www.myballard.com/?p=1816#comment-12098 Correction, published by the Ballard News-Tribune. Correction, published by the Ballard News-Tribune.

]]> By: HistoryWriter http://www.myballard.com/2009/04/09/help-create-an-archive-of-the-locks/comment-page-1/#comment-12097 HistoryWriter Fri, 10 Apr 2009 01:23:24 +0000 http://www.myballard.com/?p=1816#comment-12097 That smokestack is seen in quite a few pictures from different directions. It is usually generically identified as a lumber mill. I think, because of the structure that looks like a silo beside the smokestack, it is the Seattle Cedar Lumber Mfg. Co. There are close-up pictures of it on page 107 of the Passport To Ballard book published by the Ballard Historical Society. That smokestack is seen in quite a few pictures from different directions. It is usually generically identified as a lumber mill. I think, because of the structure that looks like a silo beside the smokestack, it is the Seattle Cedar Lumber Mfg. Co. There are close-up pictures of it on page 107 of the Passport To Ballard book published by the Ballard Historical Society.

]]> By: BallardMarci http://www.myballard.com/2009/04/09/help-create-an-archive-of-the-locks/comment-page-1/#comment-12099 BallardMarci Fri, 10 Apr 2009 01:20:53 +0000 http://www.myballard.com/?p=1816#comment-12099 I think that's Gas Works. I think that's Gas Works.

]]> By: woolly http://www.myballard.com/2009/04/09/help-create-an-archive-of-the-locks/comment-page-1/#comment-12096 woolly Fri, 10 Apr 2009 01:07:00 +0000 http://www.myballard.com/?p=1816#comment-12096 Nice photo. What is the big smokestack in the distance? Nice photo. What is the big smokestack in the distance?

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