Since time immemorial a Duwamish village site known as babáqWab existed along the seashore at the cliffside foot of today’s Bell Street. After Seattle's settlement by non-Natives in 1851, pioneers including William Bell staked out land claims along Elliott Bay. Bell's 340-acre homestead extended from the water east to today’s Yale Avenue, and from Pine Street north to Denny Way. His land would become known as Bell’s Town. In 1852 Bell built a log cabin, and later a frame house with lumber cut by Henry Yesler’s sawmill. For years Bell’s Town remained a sleepier area than the nearby central business district. The "Denny Regrade" project in the early 1900s transformed Bell's Town, and the neighborhood was more commonly known as the Regrade. In time Belltown grew to include hotels, apartments, theaters, ballrooms, taverns, union houses, and light industry.
To take this walking tour, visit HistoryLink.Tours.
