The Great Annexation Fight: Seattle's Borders Expand as Ballard Demands Independence
As the City Council votes to absorb surrounding territories into Seattle's corporate limits, a fierce debate erupts over taxation, representation, and the future of the growing town of Ballard.
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.
ORDINANCE NO. 1,547 - AN ORDINANCE FOR THE ANNEXATION OF SEATTLE.
Be it ordained by the Board of Aldermen of the City of Seattle:
Section 1. That Ordinance No. 1,547, as amended, entitled 'An ordinance for the annexation of Seattle,' is hereby re-enacted and continued in full force and effect.
Section 2. The territory to be annexed shall include all of Sections 24 and 25, Township 25 North, Range 3 East, and all of Sections 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, and the north half of Section 19, all in Township 25 North, Range 3 East. Also, the water and land covered by the Duwamish River below the mouth of the canal, including the whole of Canal Street, and that portion of Alki Bay and La Push within the corporate limits of the town of Ballard.
Section 3. The Mayor of the City of Seattle is hereby authorized to receive the lands and to provide for their improvement in the city, that all persons may have equal rights of interest and to keep the same free from encumbrance by law.
The vote of the people of Seattle is hereby called upon to respond to the question whether said territory shall be annexed to the said City of Seattle. The registration books for the year 1891 are now open at the office of the City Clerk between the hours of 9 o'clock A.M. and 5 o'clock P.M.
PASSED by the Board of Aldermen this 25th day of January, A.D. 1891. GEORGE W. HALL, President Board of Aldermen. APPROVED by the Mayor this 26th day of January, A.D. 1891. HARRY WHITE, Mayor.
ORDINANCE NO. 1,803 - AN ORDINANCE TO IMPROVE FOR THE LOW OF THE RATE PER CENT. FOR THE ASSESSMENT OF SEWERAGE FROM THIRD TO SIXTH STREET.
Be it ordained by the City of Seattle as follows:
Section 1. That the tax of 70 mills for each $100.00 of property, including improvements, be levied on the property within the limits of the granting and assessment district from Third to Sixth Street... The said assessment shall be payable in five annual installments.
PASSED by the Board of Aldermen this 17th day of January, A.D. 1891. GEORGE W. HALL, President Board of Aldermen. APPROVED by the Mayor this 21st day of January, A.D. 1891. HARRY WHITE, Mayor.
In 1891, Seattle was aggressively expanding its borders to capture tax revenue and control infrastructure, a move that sparked intense local resistance, particularly from the independent-minded town of Ballard. This historical annexation fight mirrors modern debates over municipal boundaries, where city growth often clashes with suburban autonomy and concerns about equitable resource distribution.
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