Mrs. Bertha Davis has another mission to accomplish in life. Her energy and force of will are incontrovertible – from former student to new acquaintance, one has no choice but to do her bidding. The retired Ballard teacher and reading specialist is adamant that the bell on Ballard Avenue must ring again; preferably in time for her 97th birthday in February 2011.

The bell tower at the triangle intersection of Ballard Avenue and 22nd Avenue NW is not just a Marvin’s Park anchor; it is a repository of history that links present-day Ballard to its 1889 origins as its own city in Washington (with nefarious detours along the way). It sits on the site of Ballard’s first city hall and once again houses the 1600 pound bell that rang at 6 p.m. to signal shift’s end at the local mills. To mark Ballard’s centennial in 1989 a group led by Ballard’s own State Senator Ted Peterson took the dream of returning Ballard’s bell from exile (following the earthquake that damaged town hall) all the way through the fundraising, design and dedication. Mrs. Bertha Davis was treasurer of the Ballard Bell Centennial Foundation.

Many of the original group that used to meet in Jay White’s law offices in the “little house”on Ballard Avenue are “no longer with us,” said Bertha. Ted G. Peterson died a few years back. The civic-minded Tom Miller, owner of Scandie’s at the top of Ballard Avenue died in 2000. Others have simply moved a bit afield. Banker Joe Schafer is said to be in the University District now. Jay White is now a Superior Court Judge based at the Kent Regional Justice Center. Although the bell tower recently hosted Santa’s arrival and is currently wrapped in white lights, the bell has long been silent, supposedly rendered almost unplayable after an incident that combined inebriation and bell ringing (although Pacific Fishermen can still manage with a boat hook).

Mrs. Bertha Davis kept all the original stationary and the list of every donor who contributed to creating the bell tower. She can recall practically every name on the donor list (along with every student that she taught over 50 years) and the triumphant unveiling attended by Seattle’s then-Mayor Charles Royer. But she wants that original half-tone bell to be able to ring, and she thinks it should be automated: an option that was out of reach during the original fund raising. Since recovering from a broken hip, Mrs. Davis has been organizing her Bell Tower archives and preparing rally the troops.

Enter Laura G. Cooper, co-author of recently released Fishes & Dishes, artist, member of the Ballard Historical Society AND coincidently latest owner of the home that belonged to the family of State Senator Ted Peterson and his family for 64 years. Within hours of meeting Mrs. Davis, Cooper managed to approach several locals who were crucial to building the Bell Tower; Warren Aakervik of Ballard Oil and Rob Mattson of City of Seattle’s Neighborhood Office. Ballard has been “bell-less” ever since Cooper moved to Ballard: a state she didn’t think to question until Mrs. Davis served her pumpkin bread, cookies and a box of records.
So as we enter the holidays and New Year, consider yourself on notice. Things are going to happen at the bell tower. Jay White is looking through his records. Rob Mattson gave specifications and padlock key to an industrial engineer so he could assess the situation.

It will take some additional funds to make repairs to the bell mechanism and add automation that will allow it to ring, perhaps not daily, but as warranted for special occasions…such as Bertha Davis’ 97th birthday – and one hopes, her centennial.
Let’s hear it for Bertha.