Ballard’s Water Works War
A bitter civic argument erupts in the Ballard city council over where to sink artesian wells, ending in a resignation.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
The city council of Ballard held a special meeting last night in continuation of the regular meeting, which broke up in a mild row. The question of a water supply and artesian wells were discussed. Councilmen Frazer, McDonald and Shirtliff, Populists, favor Salmon Bay park as the most suitable site, while Councilmen Looney, Curtiss and Zyerwenka favor a site along Shilshole avenue, arguing it is nearer the mills. In the midst of the discussion, Councilman Frazer opposed repairing leaks in the main, stating they were doing business more like boys than men. He resigned from the council during the meeting. The council ultimately voted to adopt the Shilshole avenue location and will move forward with bids for the wells.
“Frazer opposed this and said that they were doing business more like boys than men.”
This dispute over public utilities and infrastructure location echoes current debates regarding the cost and site selection of municipal projects. The frustration of the councilman illustrates the volatility of early Ballard politics before its annexation into Seattle.
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