Retired history teacher and author Randal Gravelle presents the history of Mountlake Terrace at the MLT Library, May 9, 2026. (Photos and slides courtesy RJ Perna)
Drawing from his book, Mountlake Terrace: A History Of Four Square Miles, local author and retired history teacher Randal Gravelle shared vivid stories and surprising facts that bring this area’s early history to life.
A home once stood on Edmount Island in Lake Ballinger in the early 20th century.Lake McAleer was renamed Lake Ballinger in 1901 after future Seattle mayor and U.S. Interior Secretary Richard A. Ballinger purchased the lake and renamed it in honor of his father, Richard H. Ballinger.Col. Richard Henry Ballinger served in the Union’s 3rd Mississippi Regiment during the American Civil War.
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One clarification on Richard Henry Ballinger’s Civil War service.
The history gets a bit muddled as there were both Union and Confederate units with very similar names.
Ballinger was with the 53rd United States Colored Infantry, an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army.
Originally formed as the 3rd Regiment Mississippi Volunteers (African Descent), the regiment was composed of African American enlisted men commanded by white officers.
But there was also the 3rd Mississippi Infantry Regiment, commonly known as the “Third Mississippi”, which was an infantry formation of the Confederate States of America in the Western Theater.
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As noted in the embedded web link, this book is available through Amazon. A well researched and fascinating history of this area.
One clarification on Richard Henry Ballinger’s Civil War service.
The history gets a bit muddled as there were both Union and Confederate units with very similar names.
Ballinger was with the 53rd United States Colored Infantry, an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army.
Originally formed as the 3rd Regiment Mississippi Volunteers (African Descent), the regiment was composed of African American enlisted men commanded by white officers.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/53rd_United_States_Colored_Infantry_Regiment
But there was also the 3rd Mississippi Infantry Regiment, commonly known as the “Third Mississippi”, which was an infantry formation of the Confederate States of America in the Western Theater.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3rd_Mississippi_Infantry_Regiment
You can view his gravesite here:
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/10758/richard_henry-ballinger