Early History of the Bayside Neighborhood Centennial P-Patch
By Suzanne Karr on June 19, 2014
Background
In the summer of 1990, my husband, Dave, and I purchased our home in Everett. Although it was probably the shabbiest house on the block, we felt it had real potential. It was one of the few houses on the block with a full basement foundation and although the yard was overgrown with weeds and untrimmed shrubs and trees you could still tell that someone who truly loved flowers lived there once upon a time.
Since we were constantly outdoors working on the house, it was easy to meet all the neighbors who were naturally curious to know who had purchased the place and what we planned to do with it. Some of the neighbors had lived in their homes for 30 plus years so had first-hand knowledge of the neighborhood history. When we bought the house, we were aware there was a large vacant lot on the other side of the alley behind our property. It was overgrown with trees and shrubs. So, one day Dave and I wandered through the brush to explore and what we found was not real positive. Obviously, no one was taking care of the place and it had fast become a neighborhood nuisance and eyesore. Many neighbors expressed concern over the deterioration of the property.
When I asked around about the property history or ownership, I got conflicting stories. None of the neighbors seemed to know who owned it, but most believed it belonged to the City of Everett. But then I met Gertrude Wooley. She was in her 90's and had lived in her home across the street since 1932. She remembered when there were houses on the property and, at that juncture, 23rd Street connected to West Marine Drive. When West Marine View was widened, access was cutoff, the houses in that block were tom down to make way for the road and the property became a vacant lot. She didn't know who owned the property either. Since most people thought the property belonged to the city, I started my research there. I was determined to find the true owner and find out what plans, if any, they had for the land. The person I spoke to at the City of Everett told me they did not own the land and asked if I had contacted the Bayside Neighborhood Association to get help in resolving the problem. As a newcomer to Everett, I was unaware of the Association but decided to attend the next meeting and bring my questions and concerns about the vacant property along with me. Continued...