Ballard Library and Neighborhood Service Centre

Abstract

The city of Ballard was founded in the state of Washington in 1889. The settlers, of largely Scandinavian origin, were skilled in the traditional pursuits of boat building and fishing and thrived on the south shore of Shilshole Bay. By 1907 the growing population of Ballard had been annexed to Seattle in a pooling of essential water resources. Major civil engineering projects played a large part in ensuring that the Ballard community continued to prosper. The construction of the Ballard Locks was completed in 1917, and a ship canal project (1911–1934) greatly improved the area for industry.