This was once wilderness

By Kay F. Reinartz

It is hard for us living in Ballard today to imagine the density of the forest that covered our town before its settlement by the Euro-American pioneers. As you walk the streets of our early 21st century Ballard this week, in your imagination replace the houses and brick and stone commercial buildings lining straight streets with trees and a veritable jungle of underbrush. Giant cedars and Douglas firs cover the hills and vales that run down from Phinney Ridge to Shilshole Bay.

Early visitors tell us that the tree branches interlocked overhead forming a greeny canopy over the puny humans fighting their way through the dense underbrush of salal, sword fern, devils club, Oregon grape, thimble berry and the countless other species that flourished in the shadow of the great trees. Walking the streets of Ballard one can see an occasional specimen of this original forest. Salmon Bay Park, located at Northwest 70th Avenue between 19th and 21st Avenues Northwest, has a number of trees from the old forest.

It was into this primeval forest that Ira W. Utter, a young man from New York State, made his way around 1854. Utter stands on record as the first white man to reside on what was then known as Salmon Bay. Utter undertook the backbreaking job of clearing a small plot of land facing on Salmon Bay, built a snug rainproof cabin, planted an apple orchard and kept a few cows and chickens. For 20 years Utter lived in solitude on Salmon Bay.

Utter is an interesting pre-settlement figure. He was well versed in politics and well known by leaders in Seattle, located a half-day trek through the forest over Queen Anne hill. Pioneer Puget Sound historian C. H. Hanford wrote in "Seattle and Environs" in 1854 that " . . . Utter, a college man living as a hermit, except when he come the village of Seattle for necessities, news and opportunities to be heard in debate. In this cabin in the forest he had a collection of classical books; and he kept his voice training by reading good literature to his cows, who were very patient listeners. Utter was reputed to have the best library in this part of the Oregon Territory.

By the late 1860s more settlers made their way to Salmon Bay and the logging of the wilderness began in earnest. The historic record tells that by 1885 most of Ballard was logged off, although there was reputedly a small logging camp located in the vicinity of today's 15th Avenue Northwest and Northwest 85th.

In 1882 Judge Thomas Burke with his wife Angie Burke, William R. Ballard and John Leary platted a large tract of land along Salmon Bay in 10-acre tracts. They named their real estate venture the Farmdale Homestead. Thus began the development of the wilderness on Salmon Bay into a thriving community that would become known as Ballard.

Kay F. Reinartz, Ph.D., is a retired university teacher and writer. She was the primary writer for the book, Passport to Ballard, and she may be reached via bnteditor@robinsonnews.com