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The community of Bellevue, Washington is a modern, metropolitan city that has numerous skyscrapers. Although The community has experienced the majority of its rapid growth since it was incorporated in 1953. The history of Bellevue goes many decades, as an inland port, a farming hub, and a milling center.
The first white settlers in the Bellevue region were two men whose names were Aaron Mercer and William Meydenbauer. These two men both arrived in 1869. Mr. Meydenbauer, who was a baker from Seattle settled next to the sheltered bay which he is the namesake of Mr. Mercer and farmed next to what is presently known as Mercer Slough, which is located just south of Meydenbauer Bay. After their property became profitable, they both sold their claims and relocated, leaving only their names.
In 1882, a man whose name was Isaac Bechtel Sr. bought some property close to what is presently known as the downtown area. For the next few years, Mr. Bechtel and his sons cleared and logged the land. It wasn't long before other white settlers arrived and soon there were farms in the region, in addition to shingle mills and a sawmill by 1890. The growing settlement also had a few businesses and a school.
The first postmaster in the region was a man whose name was Mathew Sharpe. Along with his brothers, Mr. Sharpe relocated to the region from Bellevue, Indiana. Since the translation of Bellevue in French means beautiful view, he found the name to be ideal for his new home, which had beautiful views of the Cascade mountains in the east and Lake Washington in the west. In 1900, the population of Bellevue was 400 residents.
Bellevue was platted in 1904. By this time, the small settlement had become the hub for growing berries in King County. It was also a retreat for many rich Seattle families. It had only been since the 1890's, that the Medina neighborhood next to the shores of the lake had been called Gold Coast, when the landowners purchased farmland and transformed it into sprawling estates.
In 1908, the Beaux Arts community to the south was established as a colony for artists. There were plans in the works for studios as well as instruction in such fields as ironwork, photography, sculpting, and weaving. The project never really got off the ground, although some of the houses that were constructed during this time period are still standing today.
By 1910, the population had increased to almost 1,500 residents. The only mode of transportation between Bellevue and Seattle was a ferryboat. In 1917, access to Puget Sound became available as the result of the opening of the Lake Washington Ship Canal. When a local resident who was the head of the American Pacific Whaling Fleet, whose name was William Schupp, elected to relocate his corporate headquarters to Bellevue, the result was that new businesses were opened in Bellevue. In the off season. it was both beneficial and convenient to store his whaling ships in Meydenbauer Bay. The freshwater lake helped to kill off the worms and barnacles that damaged the majority of saltwater boats.
Farming was still the most productive industry in Bellevue. Many of the early farmers were Japanese immigrants, although the 1920's anti-alien legislation prohibited the majority of these Japanese immigrants from leasing land and they were subsequently relocated elsewhere. When the local Japanese were forced into internment camps for the duration of WW II, the few who remained lost the majority of their property.
From 1900 through 1950, Bellevue continued its rural lifestyle. The Strawberry Festival every year, has always been a huge success, both for attracting new residents who desired to commute to their jobs in Seattle and still live in a country environment as well as for selling produce.
The construction of the first bridge across Lake Washington was finished in 1939. This bridge was instrumental in changing Bellevue onto a flourishing suburb from a farming community. This new bridge made Bellevue a more desirable location for people who were commuting by motor vehicle since it was constructed on the shores just south of Bellevue. After WW II, the number of people who were relocating to Bellevue increased considerably. It wasn't long before the country feel of the community vanished.
In 1945, a developer whose name was Kemper freeman opened the first shopping mall on the Eastside of Bellevue Square, which was located in downtown Bellevue. It was only a few years earlier, that the same location was the home of strawberry farms. The result was unprecedented business growth close by, which has continued unabated well into the 1990's.
The year 1953 brought the incorporation of Bellevue as a city. From the beginning, the city planners looked at Bellevue as a flourishing city rather than a sleepy little town. Although it was unheard of at the time in adjacent communities, some of the streets were designed to have six lanes. Because the number of automobiles was increasing rapidly, businesses had to provide ample parking.
Soon, the central business district was filled with skyscrapers. Many different banks relocated their corporate headquarters to Bellevue, which made it one of the wealthiest cities in Washington State. During the 1980's, Bellevue Square expanded considerably, its role as one of the premiere shopping malls in King County.
Bellevue has seen the most growth in the shortest amount of time out of all the cities on the Eastside. There are still those who remember eating fresh strawberries right off of the vine, riding the ferries, and the harpoon boats in Meydenbauer Bay. Bellevue is a great place to live, play, work and raise a family.
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Bellevue Tidbits
The community of Bellevue, Washington is a modern, metropolitan city that has numerous skyscrapers. Although The community has experienced the majority of its rapid growth since it was incorporated in 1953. The history of Bellevue goes many decades, as an inland port, a farming hub, and a milling center.
The first white settlers in the Bellevue region were two men whose names were Aaron Mercer and William Meydenbauer. These two men both arrived in 1869. Mr. Meydenbauer, who was a baker from Seattle settled next to the sheltered bay which he is the namesake of Mr. Mercer and farmed next to what is presently known as Mercer Slough, which is located just south of Meydenbauer Bay. After their property became profitable, they both sold their claims and relocated, leaving only their names.
In 1882, a man whose name was Isaac Bechtel Sr. bought some property close to what is presently known as the downtown area. For the next few years, Mr. Bechtel and his sons cleared and logged the land. It wasn't long before other white settlers arrived and soon there were farms in the region, in addition to shingle mills and a sawmill by 1890. The growing settlement also had a few businesses and a school.
The first postmaster in the region was a man whose name was Mathew Sharpe. Along with his brothers, Mr. Sharpe relocated to the region from Bellevue, Indiana. Since the translation of Bellevue in French means beautiful view, he found the name to be ideal for his new home, which had beautiful views of the Cascade mountains in the east and Lake Washington in the west. In 1900, the population of Bellevue was 400 residents.
Bellevue was platted in 1904. By this time, the small settlement had become the hub for growing berries in King County. It was also a retreat for many rich Seattle families. It had only been since the 1890's, that the Medina neighborhood next to the shores of the lake had been called Gold Coast, when the landowners purchased farmland and transformed it into sprawling estates.
In 1908, the Beaux Arts community to the south was established as a colony for artists. There were plans in the works for studios as well as instruction in such fields as ironwork, photography, sculpting, and weaving. The project never really got off the ground, although some of the houses that were constructed during this time period are still standing today.
By 1910, the population had increased to almost 1,500 residents. The only mode of transportation between Bellevue and Seattle was a ferryboat. In 1917, access to Puget Sound became available as the result of the opening of the Lake Washington Ship Canal. When a local resident who was the head of the American Pacific Whaling Fleet, whose name was William Schupp, elected to relocate his corporate headquarters to Bellevue, the result was that new businesses were opened in Bellevue. In the off season. it was both beneficial and convenient to store his whaling ships in Meydenbauer Bay. The freshwater lake helped to kill off the worms and barnacles that damaged the majority of saltwater boats.
Farming was still the most productive industry in Bellevue. Many of the early farmers were Japanese immigrants, although the 1920's anti-alien legislation prohibited the majority of these Japanese immigrants from leasing land and they were subsequently relocated elsewhere. When the local Japanese were forced into internment camps for the duration of WW II, the few who remained lost the majority of their property.
From 1900 through 1950, Bellevue continued its rural lifestyle. The Strawberry Festival every year, has always been a huge success, both for attracting new residents who desired to commute to their jobs in Seattle and still live in a country environment as well as for selling produce.
The construction of the first bridge across Lake Washington was finished in 1939. This bridge was instrumental in changing Bellevue onto a flourishing suburb from a farming community. This new bridge made Bellevue a more desirable location for people who were commuting by motor vehicle since it was constructed on the shores just south of Bellevue. After WW II, the number of people who were relocating to Bellevue increased considerably. It wasn't long before the country feel of the community vanished.
In 1945, a developer whose name was Kemper freeman opened the first shopping mall on the Eastside of Bellevue Square, which was located in downtown Bellevue. It was only a few years earlier, that the same location was the home of strawberry farms. The result was unprecedented business growth close by, which has continued unabated well into the 1990's.
The year 1953 brought the incorporation of Bellevue as a city. From the beginning, the city planners looked at Bellevue as a flourishing city rather than a sleepy little town. Although it was unheard of at the time in adjacent communities, some of the streets were designed to have six lanes. Because the number of automobiles was increasing rapidly, businesses had to provide ample parking.
Soon, the central business district was filled with skyscrapers. Many different banks relocated their corporate headquarters to Bellevue, which made it one of the wealthiest cities in Washington State. During the 1980's, Bellevue Square expanded considerably, its role as one of the premiere shopping malls in King County.
Bellevue has seen the most growth in the shortest amount of time out of all the cities on the Eastside. There are still those who remember eating fresh strawberries right off of the vine, riding the ferries, and the harpoon boats in Meydenbauer Bay. Bellevue is a great place to live, play, work and raise a family.