A Brief History Of Bellevue, Washington

Bellevue, Washington is a modern metropolitan community that has skyscrapers dotted around.  However, you might be surprised to find that it was not incorporated until 1953 and most of the rapid growth it has seen came after this.  While this is when the area saw the boom it needed, Bellevue does have a much longer history which dates back to 1869.

The First Homesteaders

In 1869, the first homesteaders arrived in the Bellevue area and they were Aaron Mercer and William Meydenbauer. Meydenbauer was a baker from Seattle and set up his homestead along the sheltered bay which now bears his name.  Mercer took a different approach and started to farm the land along the area which is now known as Mercer Slough.  Once the land they had was profitable, both of these initial homesteaders sold up and moved on, leaving only their names as their legacy. 

Isaac Bechtel Senior bought the land which is near the modern downtown area in 1882.  For a few years, he and his sons started to log and clear the land.  Other settlers started to follow and arrive in the area which led to a sawmill, farms and shingle mills dotting the landscape by 1890.  As the community grew, a school and a few businesses opened. 

The Early 1900’s

Matthew Sharpe was the first postmaster to reach Bellevue and he moved to the area with his brothers.  Sharpe actually moved from the town of Bellevue in Indiana and found that his new town was just as beautiful as the name implies.  As Bellevue means beautiful view in French, it is easy to see why it was given to this area. 

As of the 1900 census, there were 400 people living in Bellevue.  They were fairly evenly spread across the bay, the points and in Killarney.  The points and Medina area had the largest population at this time. 

In 1904, Bellevue was platted and at the time it was the center for berry growing in King County.  The town was also a retreat for the wealthy families of Seattle.  The Medina area was the place for these families as the farmland in the area was converted into sprawling estates.

By 1910, the population of Bellevue grew to nearly 1500.  Some of this population growth has been linked to the Hewitt Lumber Company being in the area and employing hundreds of men to log timber.  

New Business With The Ship Canal

To get from Seattle to Bellevue, a ferry was used until 1917.  At this time the Lake Washington Ship Canal was opened and allowed access to Puget Sound.  This brought a lot of new business to Bellevue, particularly with American Pacific Whaling Fleet moving their corporate headquarters to the town.  

While the ship canal did bring a lot of new business, farming was still the most productive industry.  Many of the early farmers in the area were Japanese, but the 1920s prohibition of the anti-alien legislation stopped them from leasing land and they moved away.  The few that remained lost their land in the war when the local Japanese residents were forced into internment camps. 

The rural lifestyle of Bellevue continued into the first half of the 20th century.  The annual Strawberry Festival was one of the biggest attractions and it lured new residents to the area.  These residents were able to enjoy the country environment while commuting to their jobs in Seattle. 

The First Bridge

In 1939 the construction of the first bridge across Lake Washington was instrumental in transforming Bellevue into a bustling suburb.  The new bridge made Bellevue a better location for people who commuted to work by car.  More and more people started to move to the area after World War II and this led to the country feel of the area leaving. 

The first shopping mall in Bellevue was opened in 1946.  This mall was located where the strawberry farms had been only a few years before.  This caused an increase in business growth which would continue in Bellevue into the 1990s.

Incorporation

The city was incorporated in 1953 and planners started to look at the city as more than a sleepy town.  Some of the streets in the city have 6 lane designs which were unheard of at the time in the nearby communities.  Only 2 years after incorporation, Bellevue was named the All-America City by the National Municipal League.

Detail 2

The following is placeholder text known as “lorem ipsum,” which is scrambled Latin used by designers to mimic real copy. Aliquam bibendum, turpis eu mattis iaculis, ex lorem mollis sem, ut sollicitudin risus orci quis tellus. Nullam sit amet nisi condimentum erat iaculis auctor. Donec ac fringilla turpis. Vestibulum ante ipsum primis in faucibus orci luctus et ultrices posuere cubilia Curae. Aenean eu justo sed elit dignissim aliquam.

Detail 3

The following is placeholder text known as “lorem ipsum,” which is scrambled Latin used by designers to mimic real copy. Sed a ligula quis sapien lacinia egestas. Phasellus sodales massa malesuada tellus fringilla, nec bibendum tellus blandit. Donec eget risus diam. Fusce at massa nec sapien auctor gravida in in tellus. Aliquam bibendum, turpis eu mattis iaculis, ex lorem mollis sem, ut sollicitudin risus orci quis tellus.

Detail 4

The following is placeholder text known as “lorem ipsum,” which is scrambled Latin used by designers to mimic real copy. In sit amet felis malesuada, feugiat purus eget, varius mi. Nulla lectus ante, consequat et ex eget, feugiat tincidunt metus.