Early Ballard

The first land claim in what would become the city of Ballard was made in 1852, but it wasn�t until a ship captain named William Rankin Ballard lost a bet with a business partner and found himself the owner of 160 acres of seemingly worthless land that the city prospered and became the �Shingle Capital of the World.� Incorporated in 1890, Ballard grew quickly, thanks to shingle and lumber mills and the Scandinavian fishing fleet. When a horse was supposedly found in the city water supply in 1906, reluctant Ballardites voted to be annexed to the city of Seattle, and the flag flew at half-staff at Ballard City Hall. Home to the Nordic Heritage Museum, Chittenden Locks, and the fishing fleet, this bustling city-within-a-city still retains its unique Scandinavian flavor to this day.