According to HistoryLink.org, exactly 142 years ago today (June 3, 1869), Philip Ritz purchased 80 acres of land from the federal government for a mere $1.25 per acre. His purchase stretched from what we know today as Woodlawn Avenue N. to Meridian Avenue N. and from N. 40th to N. 45th Streets. A year later, Dexter Horton bought 160 acres adjacent to Ritz’s land, which is now N. 42nd to 57th Street, and from Meridian all the way to 5th Avenue N. He, too, paid $1.25 per acre.
The Surveyor General surveyed the land in August and September, 1855, and compassman David Philips from the survey crew “set a corner post at what would become the corner of N 45th Street and Meridian Avenue N in Wallingford. Phillips describes the land as level, with first rate timber consisting of fir, cedar, hemlock, maple, and alder. He encountered cedar trees 40 inches in diameter along his survey sights.”
While there may be fewer trees today in Wallingford than Philips encountered during his survey, we have something that’s evolved over the last 142 years: A neighborhood that’s charming, funky, quaint, and downright neighborly. Happy 142nd Birthday, Wallingford!
You can read more of the essay here.
Our thanks to Ann @SeattleMaven for the reminder!
Very cool. But how come we don’t have a Ritz Ave. N, or even a Ritz building somewhere? It would be the least we could do.
I wondered that myself! Not even a Ritz Camera? Sheesh! 🙂