Belltown District of Seattle

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The Belltown district of Downtown Seattle was named for the first property owner of that region, William Bell.

William Nathaniel Bell and his wife Sarah Ann Bell were members of the Denny party that arrived on Alki (present-day West Seattle) on the schooner Exact in 1851. The Bells helped to establish the settlement that became Seattle, settling north of the future downtown in "Belltown." After Indians attacked Seattle on January 26, 1856, William Bell and his ailing wife left Seattle for California. Sarah Ann died that year, but Bell did not return until 1870. He sold some of his lots, which had become valuable, built the Hotel Bellevue, and engaged in other businesses.

Chief Seattle (178?-1866) and his family had become friendly with most of the early settlers. When the chief's wife died during the first Seattle winter, William Bell and Arthur Denny made a her coffin. At the time of interment, Bell and Denny were chagrined to see that her remains would not fit into their handiwork. Chief Seattle and his friends resolved the matter by removing several of the many blankets around her body.

While not one of the more notable members of the history of Seattle, Bell was, until departing with his ailing wife, one of the more respected members of the community.  During the summer of 1852, when Seattle was under the jurisdiction of Thurston County (King County was established in December of 1852), William Bell, Luther Collins, and John Chapman were appointed "viewers" of the area's first wagon road between Seattle and Steilacoom. A "viewer" apparently was a road inspector or an on-site engineer.

The area of Seattle stretching north of the central business district from Stewart Street to Mercer Street is usually dubbed the Denny Regrade, acknowledging the area's forcible flattening by city engineers early in the twentieth century. It incorporates the older Belltown district, originally west of 2nd Avenue but today more broadly defined by its various businesses.

The Regrade Project is the largest municipal project, per capita, that Seattle has ever taken on.  Performed in three phases, the regrade 'flattened' downtown Seattle, completely eliminating Denny hill, and opened up a vast area of the downtown district to businesses, which preferred to not be located on steep Seattle streets, which discouraged walking shoppers.

In 1910, a huge fire, reminiscent of the 1889 Great Seattle Fire, burned the waterfront into Belltown, burning several buildings and residences.  The fire seems to have started by a passing train throwing embers onto a trestle that suffered only minor damage.  40-MPH winds swept the fire into the town, and even the newly acquired mechanical firefighting apparatus could not keep up with the blaze.  It could have been much worse... around midnight, the winds died down, and a heavy rain extinguished the fire.

The photo shows residents checking out the area the day after the blaze.  Its looking down Wall Street towards the waterfront. The wharf at the end of the street is now the Edgewater Inn.  

The area today combines artist lofts and hangouts with new high-rises where condos and apartments are providing close-in housing. Following the new, mostly affluent residents, a number of upscale restaurants and clubs have established a brisk trade in the area. The result, at least for the time being, is a yeasty combination of the bohemian and the trendy, with a significant nightlife.

 

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