[music]
This handwritten document from May 1905, is one of the records in the collection of the City of
Ballard, one of the Annexed Cities Collections at the Seattle Municipal Archives. The collection
includes items such as bids, petitions, reports, contracts, and an assortment of other documents.
Ballard was annexed to the City of Seattle in 1907. The petition to the Mayor and City Council
is a request to repeal the law limiting where cows could graze and run freely. The petition states
in part quote "unless we can get you to repeal the law lately passed, pushing the boundary of herd law"
"back so far, many will be obligated to sell their cows in which many cases is over half their living"
"we ask that they be allowed to herd anywhere above Brig Street and West of Ferry, as no grass"
"amounting to anything grows in the timber above the boundary lines now given for herding purposes."
For me this petition illustrates many things. In addition to the fact that it is just a lovely
handwritten artifact with four pages of signatures, it shows the changing values with respect to
animals starting with the native americans who originally occupied the land, these shepherds who
objected to smaller boundaries for their cows, and a city that would not tolerate cows at all.
The reference to the timber and grass, suggests a changing landscape and geography,
from rural to urban, as the City grew. In comparing this petition to one supporting the new boundary,
the socio-economic differences emerging between the herders and those in favor
of the legislation are evident. Another petition submitted near the same date supported the new
boundary complaining about having 20 or 30 cows being herded too close to their houses
and quote "those shepherd boys use all kinds of profane and obscene language in the presence of
women." This petition urging a repeal of the law was denied a few days after it was submitted.