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Bellevue Tidbits
Although, Bellevue, Washington, wasn't settled until 1863, in 1953, it was incorporated as a city. The associated history with this community involves an overview of the development of the community from its days as an agricultural center and settlement, including its growth as a suburb of Seattle during the 1950's, throughout its rise as a primary business center during the 1990's and in the future.
The Early Bellevue walking Tour is offered by Eastside Heritage and features on its self-guided tour 24 different locations that have been intended to share some of the early history of Bellevue in addition to the public at large. The tour starts at the intersection of NE 8th Street and Bellevue Way, heads south to the Downtown Park next, and then heads west next to the waterfront to Meydenbauer Beach Park, and then back up into Old Bellevue. This tour covers many different historic locations on Main Street.
During the period when Seattle was still a rough community of scattered homes and dirt roads in 1863, the first pioneers started drifting across Lake Washington and claimed lands in what is currently known as Bellevue. The first claim is believed to be that of a couple named Aaron and Ann Mercer, who members of the famous Seattle family, who staked out 80 acres next to what is currently known as Mercer Slough. As late as 1869, they were living on the land. That same year, a baker form Seattle named William Meydenbauer, staked out his claim on what would eventually bear his name, around the bay.
From the 1870' through the 1880's more pioneers arrived in the area. During this period, the majority of the region was logged off, leaving open areas that became berry farms, vegetable patches, and orchards. With Seattle growing so rapidly it needed the regular supply of fresh produce that Bellevue could provide. In the 1880's, regular ferry service started that, through Madison and Leschi Park, linked the markets of Seattle with the eastside communities. In 1883, in the Enatai region the first school opened because the majority of the farmers in the had families. The first school was a log cabin.
There were about 400 people in the greater Bellevue area by 1900. By 1907, the modern conveniences of civilization started arriving with mercantile stores opening in Bellevue and Medina and telephone phone service reaching the Eastside. In 1913, the major change arrived when car ferry service aboard the Leschi started. Every 15 minutes, trips left the Leschi dock in Seattle and stopped at Meydenbauer and Medina Bay.
During the early 1900's Bellevue and its surrounding areas gradually grew, and by 1920 had a population of approximately 1,500 people. In 1919, the American Pacific Whaling Company relocated its headquarters to Bellevue. The company wintered its boats in Meydenbauer Bay. In 1925. the first Strawberry Festival was held, which attracted about 3,000 people, primarily from across the lake. While Bellevue developed a reputation of a pleasant and peaceful farming community, the Festival became an annual event.
The engineering feat of the Mercer Island Floating Bridge was completed in 1940, which ceased the ferry service and allowed a trip to Seattle almost as fast as it is these days. As the result of the availability if inexpensive property and the advertising campaign by the Bellevue Chamber of Commerce, the housing boom after the war was significant across the bridge and changed Bellevue forever. There were New subdivisions that were being constructed in Lake Hills, Newport Hills, and next to the new highway at East gate, which provided affordable and attractive, affordable homes to the returning soldiers and their families.
Having a population of 5,940 people, the year 1953 brought the incorporation of Bellevue as a third-class city. This third-class city would grow in the coming decades, as much as by the construction of new homes as through annexations, By the 1970's, the population of Bellevue was almost 60,000 people.
In 1946, Kemper Freeman Sr. opened Bellevue Square shopping center and the first anchor tenant was the Bel-Vue Theater as the result of the need for a growing population base that needed retailers. As the areas grew, the neighborhood shopping districts of Northtowne, Lake Hills, Newport Hills, and Eastgate all opened. In 1960, the Crossroads Shopping Center opened in a decade that also saw the first big box stores also open in Bellevue at Overlake.
While the time period from WW II through the 1970's was all about gracious living, the 1980's to the present has been about Bellevue as a primary hub for business. The Puget Power building, which was constructed in1956, and some modest office buildings on 108th However, Seattle residents started looking across the lake for employment after the Boing bust in the 1970's.
The bedroom community status of Bellevue ended by 2000 when the community had more jobs than residents. During the 2000's, Microsoft had become the largest employer in the community, had absorbed most of the new downtown office space. The development between 2007 and 2009 created another major boom in residential, commercial, and retail space in Bellevue.
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