What Bellevue looked like in the early 20th Century Through These Stunning Historical Photos

Bellevue's first Catholic church was established as a mission associated with Kirkland's Holy Family parish. Its first services were held in the parlor of the Downey family home. In 1913 the congregation moved into a small wooden building on Main Street near 108th Avenue NE. The brick building seen in this image was built in 1926; it later housed the Bellevue public library after the congregation outgrew the space.

The way it was when I was growing up. Doris. Thought you would enjoy.

It was built in 1892 and located at about today's Main St and 100th; it later became Bellevue's first city hall.

At that time Bellevue Way was called Peach St. The route to Kirkland and communities north was through Medina via the concrete slab road. It came through Medina, around Clyde Hill, past the points, roughly parallel to today's 520, and then connected with today's Lk Wash Blvd at the Northup/Houghton area.

Bellevue School, on Main Street in Bellevue, Washington was built in 1892 after the city passed its first school levy. Students entered the school building at one corner, under the ornate bell tower. This photo shows the schoolhouse with a group of students gathered on the steps. Bellevue School was also known as Main Street School.

During the 1930s, Bellevue resident Mina Schafer entered the candy business. She was known for her delicious candies and she did a great deal of experimenting until she produced the product that she wanted. Her husband, Louis, built the cottage shop which she named for her mother, Jenny (Jane) McDowell. (In the late 1800s her mother changed her name to Jenny because the name Jane had the connotation of a "loose" woman.) The shop was connected to the house by a bell system so that when a customer entered the shop Mrs. Schafer was alerted by the bell and could run down to the shop to wait on her customer.

Burrows Home, Bellevue. Built 1880's, burned 1925.

Bell's Hotel (also often called the Hotel Bellevue or the Bellevue House) at 2330 1st Ave. (intersection of 1st and Battery Sts). The Hotel survived the Great Fire and stood at this location until 1937.

The office part is about 20x40 with a partition half way to the ceiling in the middle, front part office and back part for excess supplies, also batting charger stove, etc.

This house was located at the lake end of S.E. 15th. The lady wearing the hat was Bellevues first teacher in 1884.

First Covenant Church in Seattle began as a small group of Swedish immigrants who found other like-minded Swedes and formed the Swedish Christian Mission in early 1889. The Great Fire of June 1889 briefly stalled plans to build a church building, and the first church building was dedicated in May of 1891, at Ninth Avenue and Stewart Street. The congregation grew quickly and a new, larger building was constructed in 1910-11 for the more than 2000 Swedish immigrants who regularly attended services.

Grace Hill is shown near the chicken coop at the Baker House in Bellevue.

The school was built in 1887 and used until 1934, when the new Highland School opened. It was later used as a home, offices, and a floor covering business. It was moved in 1972 to make way for State Route 520. The building was destroyed by a fire in 2001. The bell is now housed at Stevenson Elementary in Bellevue.

Bellevue School, also called the Main Street School, opened in 1892. By 1912, the size of the schoolhouse doubled to accommodate the growing population. Although teachers taught some high school classes in Bellevue beginning in 1910, many of the city's early high school students had to travel to Seattle to complete their education.

Medina, Washington, a suburb of Bellevue on the eastern shore of Lake Washington, was platted as Medina Heights in February 1914. The community was served by ferries and steamers from Leschi, four miles across the lake to the southwest.

The easternmost part of the Lake Washington Floating Bridge construction project was a new four-lane highway that crossed Mercer Slough in Bellevue and connected into existing roads.

During World War I a temporary Naval Training Station was set up on the University of Washington campus, near where the university's health sciences center is now located. The training camp was active from 1917-1919, during which time over 5,000 mostly college students were trained for both naval and naval aviation units.

The owners of this stand, John and Frances Kelfner, settled in Bellevue in 1911. They specialized in growing Island Belle grapes. These grapes were developed by Lambert Evans at his Stretch Island vineyard. The grape became the most commonly grown in the Puget Sound region. In fact, in 1918 the Island Belle Grape Growers' Union was formed to help market the grapes.

100th & Main grade & high school combined. Addition was made to original building of 1892.

From the 1920s to 1940, the ships of the American Pacific Whaling Company wintered in Bellevue, Washington. While there, the company made repairs to the ships and equipment and got them ready for the next Alaska whaling season. In 1940, the docks were turned over to the United States Coast Guard for a repair base.

A number of Seattle businessmen worked downtown and owned homes on Capitol Hill. The house in this photograph belonged to William L. Rhodes and his wife Claudia. Rhodes was the president and manager of the Rhodes 10-cent Stores.

William Ivey served as justice of the peace, postmaster, notary, and insurance agent. He took over as postmaster in 1891 when Isabel Bechtel retired; he served in this post for 23 years. Ivey's home also served as a post office.

In 1889, the Benson Northup family left their old log home and moved to a new house in the Houghton area, north of Bellevue and now part of Kirkland. Seattle photographer David R. Judkins photographed them on the porch of their nearly completed home. The house has Italianate touches, with a cupola, low-pitched roof, and brackets under the roof eaves. It also has scrollwork brackets on the porch.