Ballard was its own city until 1907, and it still carries itself with the independent dignity of a place annexed against its will. Ballard incorporated in 1890, built around the Stimson Mill — one of the largest lumber mills on Puget Sound — and the Scandinavian fishing families who came from Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Denmark to work the boats and canneries. By 1900, Ballard had the highest concentration of Scandinavian-Americans in any American city; its commercial district looked like a Norwegian fishing village transplanted to Puget Sound.
The fishermen who worked out of Ballard were among the most skilled in the world, running Bristol Bay and Bering Sea grounds in boats built and repaired at Ballard's boatyards. The Nordic Museum on Market Street tells this story in depth. When Seattle annexed Ballard in 1907, many residents never forgave the city.
The commercial core has been transformed into a restaurant and brewery destination, but the fishing boats still motor in and out of Salmon Bay, and the coffee shops carry a trace of Scandinavian reserve.