The Ballard Locks

Images of America: Washington

by Adam Woog

The Hiram M. Chittenden Locks, known locally as the Ballard Locks, are an integral part of Seattle's extensive waterways. The busiest facility of their kind in America, the Ballard Locks form the heart of the channel connecting Puget Sound's saltwater with Seattle's main freshwater lakes. When completed in 1917, the locks were second only in size to the Panama Canal and the first of their kind on the West Coast. They function primarily to maintain the lakes' levels and allow the movement of vessels between them and the sea. The Ballard Locks are among Seattle's top tourist attractions; more than one million people visit annually. They watch salmon and other fish migrate through the fish ladder, visit the botanical gardens, and watch the nonstop parade of ships--from working vessels to pleasure craft--as they rise and fall in the locks.

Genres: Nonfiction

128 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2008

About the author

Adam Woog, a native Seattleite and lifelong visitor to the locks, has written dozens of books for children, young adults, and adults. He has a special interest in biography and history, and several of his books focus on Pacific Northwest topics.

Reviews

[Phillip · Rating 3 out of 5]

Brief Intro contains minimal content. Pictures cover broad swath of history but seem to lack depth and organizing theme. Fast read though and interesting. Core of engineers brochure and Centennial History Magazine elaborate on details so triumvirate encompasses it all.

[Nicole qwerty · Rating 3 out of 5]

Needs more old timey photos

[Alexander Kwok · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mostly historical pictures, however there was some narrative and captions. Would've liked to see a whole lot more narratives, but it was very insightful into the history of Ballard as a city before it was incorporated as a neighborhood into Seattle, as well as the problems faced in the formation of the canal and locks.