Seattlites love their neighborhoods and for good reason. Seattle is a collection of neighborhoods that have been annexed into the greater city limits over the last 100+ years.
In 1889, homesteader Rasmus Peter Jensen staked his claim near what would become the corner of 7th Ave NW and NW 60th Street. At that time West Woodland was part of the frontier wilderness north of the City of Seattle. The original name, “West of Woodland Park District”, perfectly described the original territorial boundaries which stretched down the west side of Phinney Ridge, and ended at Division Avenue – today’s 8th Ave NW.
In 1891, the West Woodland District was annexed into the City of Seattle. This was 16 years before Seattle annexed the City of Ballard. After Ballard’s annexation, the West Woodland Neighborhood boundaries were extended west to 15th Ave NW, making the West Woodland Neighborhood one of the largest in the growing City of Seattle.
While the neighborhood is part Old Ballard & part Old Seattle, we are 100% West Woodland! When someone asks me, “Where do you live?”, I tell them that I live in the historic West Woodland and share the story of one of Seattle’s oldest neighborhoods.
Resources:
Happy Annexation Day:
https://vintagewestwoodland.wordpress.com/2015/05/01/happy-annexation-day-west-woodland-neighbors/
City of Seattle Annexation Map: http://clerk.ci.seattle.wa.us/~F_archives/annexations/
Baist’s Real Estate Map of 1905 available online at: http://cdm15015.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/singleitem/collection/p16118coll2/id/21
Photo of NW 65th Street, looking east from 7th Ave NW. West Woodland Pharmacy is in the foreground, and The Woodland Theater can be seen on the right side. Date of photo, 1937, courtesy Puget Sound Archives.
Vintage West Woodland - Seattle 