Portrait of Albert Burrows (1837-1896). Ca. 1890. Credit: University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections
Married life was soon disrupted, as in 1861, tensions between the North and South would escalate into the Civil War, where Burrows served in the Union Army. Once the war ended, Burrows returned to his homestead in Iowa until his wife, Martha Burrows, died in 1876.
After her tragic passing, Albert Burrows decided to make the move westward where he would be entitled to 160 acres of land for homesteading as a Civil War veteran. In 1882, after a short stop in Sacramento, Burrows and his four children would arrive in Seattle, Washington, where he would get a job working at a sawmill.
In Seattle, Burrows would meet George Miller, who had settled in the present-day Beaux Arts area with his family. Intending to establish a school with other families, Miller convinced Burrows to settle nearby on the east side of Lake Washington, in what is now present-day Bellevue.
Once settled on his land in 1883, Burrows would first build a log cabin, now known as the Burrows Cabin. He would also build a house at the lake end of present-day SE 15th, where Burrows homesteaded a mile of waterfront. Also in 1883, Albert Burrows would donate land on which he and George Miller would build a one-room schoolhouse, a 10x12 log cabin.
This would be the first public school in the Killarney area and was built on the west side of 108th Ave SE, north of SE 25th Street.
This 10x12 log cabin school was built by Albert Burrows and George Miller.
Miss Calanthia Burrows (“Tunie”), Albert’s daughter, was the first teacher for the 7 students. She was paid $40.00 for a three month term. The 7 students included 2 younger Burrows children and 5 Miller children.
In 1892, Burrows, along with other pioneers in the Killarney area, would help build the two-room Main Street School on the SE corner of 100th and Main Street. This school was built with Bellevue’s first bond issue shortly after Washington had been established as a state.
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| Old Main Street Schoolhouse in Bellevue. Ca. 1905. Credit: University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections |
Burrows served in the Washington House of Representatives for the 43rd district from 1895 to 1896. He lived 59 years, born February 20, 1837 in Morgan County, Indiana and died April 30, 1896 in Bellevue, Washington. He was elected in 1894. Burrows Landing is a 0.25-acre park south of Chism Beach Park. Burrows Landing, now a community dock, was named in his honor.
Albert Burrows would serve in the Washington State Legislature before passing away from Bronchitis in 1896.
The Burrows cabin has had a long history and has been moved several times over the years. The cabin had remained in its original spot on SE 15th, close to Lake Washington, until the 1930s at which point the cabin was moved to Bellevue, near where Bellevue Square now stands.
The cabin would not remain there for long. In 1946, an expanding city required the cabin to be moved yet again, this time to a private area off 112th Ave NE. At this point, the cabin was owned by Rody Burrows, the grandson of Albert Burrows. Rody made a few additions in 1956, doubling the size of the cabin.
Burrows Cabin, built by Civil War veteran Albert Burrows Sr. in 1883, was transported August 2016 to Chism Beach Park.
Burrows Landing was situated about half way between Meydenbauer Bay and Beaux Arts area.
Albert Selden Burrows Jr., who was simply known as “Sel,” eventually became the Superintendent of Schools in King County
https://eastsideheritagecenter.org/blog/2024/11/7/the-burrows-cabin-the-legacy-of-bellevue-pioneer-albert-burrows
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