Seattle Neighborhoods: Wallingford — Thumbnail History (historylink.org)Wallingford, Seattle’s north end community that borders Lake Union, is a thriving commercial and residential neighborhood known for its shops and restaurants, Guild 45th Theater, and Gas Works Park. In 1891, Seattle annexed most of the area north of Lake Union and its outlet to Salmon Bay, an area that included Green Lake. Shortly thereafter, an electric trolley running from Lake Union at Fremont to Green Lake spurred the development of the “interlaken” area, most of which developed into the area known as Wallingford. It was named for John Wallingford (d. 1913) who came from Maine and in 1888, purchased land on this picturesque but not precipitous hill between the two lakes.