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| Totem opposite the locks at Red Mill Totem House |
A
gentleman recently asked a question about the existence of totem poles
on the Ballard Locks property. He remembered visiting the locks about
50 years ago and noticing several totems poles positioned by the small
lock. He asked if the Archival/History Unit could verify
his recollection.
So far, we have not been able to verify that the locks ever had any
totem poles within its boundaries. We did find a 1939 newspaper
article about a replica of a single totem pole that was being carved in
the Haida style. At that time, it was going to be installed in front of
a curio shop at the corner of Seaview and 32nd Avenue North West just
across from the Ballard locks.
More recently and far more well-known, is "The Story of North
Island" totem pole located by the Montlake Cut on the southeast bank.
It is the work of Haida Chief John Dewey Wallace. He carved it in
Alaska in 1937 for display outside of a cannery. When the cannery
closed, the totem pole was removed and lost to public view until 1981
when it resurfaced and was purchased by a local preservation group. It
was dedicated in 1983 and still stands on property owned by the US Army
Corps of Engineers with the actual statue owned by the city of Seattle.
In keeping with tribal tradition, the totem overlooks the water.
To readers of blog: if you know of or have heard about the
existence of totem poles in the actual Ballard Locks area, please
contact the FOBL.
