The railroad to Seattle ended at Salmon Bay because the railroad company was unwilling to build a trestle to cross the bay . From the stop at " Ballard Junction , " ( as the terminus was called ) passengers could walk across the wagon bridge and continue the journey to Seattle . In addition to gaining notoriety as the end of the railway line , fledgling Ballard benefited economically from the railway because the railroad provided a way to bring supplies into the area and also to export locally manufactured products . Ability to ship products spurred the growth of mills of many types . Ballard 's first mill , built in 1888 by Mr. J Sinclair was a lumber mill ; the second mill , finished the same year was a shingle mill . After the Great Seattle Fire in 1889 the mills provided opportunities for those who had lost jobs in the fire , which in turn spurred the growth of the settlement as families moved north to work in the mills
Great Seattle Fire
Great Seattle Fire
Ballard, Seattle