Ivar Haglund
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Ivar Johan Haglund (March 21, 1905 – January 30, 1985) was a
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folk Folk or Folks may refer to: Sociology *Nation *People * Folklore ** Folk art ** Folk dance ** Folk hero ** Folk horror ** Folk music *** Folk metal *** Folk punk *** Folk rock ** Folk religion * Folk taxonomy Arts, entertainment, and media * Fo ...
singer Singing is the art of creating music with the voice. It is the oldest form of musical expression, and the human voice can be considered the first musical instrument. The definition of singing varies across sources. Some sources define singi ...
,
restaurateur A restaurateur is a person who opens and runs restaurants professionally. Although over time the term has come to describe any person who owns a restaurant, traditionally it refers to a highly skilled professional who is proficient in all aspe ...
and the founder of
Ivar's Ivar's is a seafood restaurant chain based in Seattle, Washington, United States, with operations in the Puget Sound region. Ivar's also owns the Seattle-based burger restaurant chain Kidd Valley. History Ivar's was founded in 1938 by Sea ...
.


Background

Ivar Johan Haglund was born in Seattle, Washington, the son of pioneers Johan Ivar Haglund, a Swedish immigrant and Daisy Hanson Haglund, daughter of Norwegian immigrants. His maternal grandparents had purchased
Alki Point Alki Point (, ) is a neighborhood in western Seattle, Washington. It is a point jutting into Puget Sound, the westernmost landform in the city's West Seattle district. Alki is the peninsular neighborhood on Alki Point. Alki was the original se ...
in 1869 from Seattle pioneer
David Swinson Maynard David Swinson "Doc" Maynard (March 22, 1808March 13, 1873) was an American doctor and businessman. He was one of Seattle's primary founders. Maynard was Seattle's first doctor, merchant prince, second lawyer, Sub-Indian Agent, Justice of the Peac ...
. The house on the property, which is now located at 3045 64th Avenue SW in West Seattle, is considered to be the oldest house in Seattle. His mother died of starvation when he was only three on February 26, 1908, while under treatment by Linda Hazzard, a so-called fasting specialist. However, following autopsy, it was determined that his mother had been suffering from terminal stomach cancer, possibly for years, and that she would have died even without Hazzard's "treatment". The official cause of death was reported as stomach cancer. Ivar himself was treated by Hazzard several times after his mother's death, likely due to his father's belief that Hazzard's treatment had eased his late mother's suffering and extended her life. Haglund “graduated from the
University of Washington The University of Washington (UW and informally U-Dub or U Dub) is a public research university in Seattle, Washington, United States. Founded in 1861, the University of Washington is one of the oldest universities on the West Coast of the Uni ...
in 1928 with a degree as a stockbroker.”


Career

In 1938, he opened Seattle's first
aquarium An aquarium (: aquariums or aquaria) is a vivarium of any size having at least one transparent side in which aquatic plants or animals are kept and displayed. fishkeeping, Fishkeepers use aquaria to keep fish, invertebrates, amphibians, aquati ...
along with a
fish and chips Fish and chips is a hot dish consisting of batter (cooking), battered and fried fish, served with French fries, chips. Often considered the national dish of the United Kingdom, fish and chips originated in England in the 19th century. Today, ...
counter on Pier 54. Friends who visited him included novelist
Thomas Wolfe Thomas Clayton Wolfe (October 3, 1900 – September 15, 1938) was an American novelist and short story writer. He is known largely for his first novel, '' Look Homeward, Angel'' (1929), and for the short fiction that appeared during the last ye ...
(1900–1938), one of whose last photographs was taken in the company of Haglund in July 1938. In 1946, Haglund opened a full restaurant on Pier 54, Ivar's Acres of Clams, which with the fish and chip counter survives to this day (although they have been thoroughly remodeled). He coined its motto, "Keep Clam." He expanded the fine dining and fish and chips restaurants into a regional chain. In 1965 he bought Pier 54. Ivar's Salmon House opened in 1971. The 1980s saw the addition of multiple Ivar's Fish Bars. Today, there are 24 Ivar's fast casual Seafood Bars, three Fish Bars, and three full-service restaurants: Ivar's Acres of Clams, Ivar's Salmon House and Ivar's Mukilteo Landing. After his neighbor on Pier 56 put up a sign reading "Don't Feed Sea Gulls, Health Regulation" in 1971, Haglund responded with his own sign encouraging customers to feed the
seagull Gulls, or colloquially seagulls, are seabirds of the subfamily Larinae. They are most closely related to terns and skimmers, distantly related to auks, and even more distantly related to waders. Until the 21st century, most gulls were placed ...
s. In 1976, Haglund bought the
Smith Tower Smith Tower is a skyscraper in the Pioneer Square neighborhood of Seattle, Washington, United States. Completed in 1914, the 38- story, tower was among the tallest skyscrapers outside New York City at the time of its completion. It was the t ...
, a Seattle landmark that was once the tallest building in North America west of the Mississippi River. In 1983, he was elected
port commissioner A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Hamburg, Manches ...
after filing as a prank. He died of a
heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when Ischemia, blood flow decreases or stops in one of the coronary arteries of the heart, causing infarction (tissue death) to the heart muscle. The most common symptom ...
just over a year later. With no direct heirs, he left his estate principally to the University of Washington School of Business in support of the University Restaurant Program. In 2009, the Ivar's restaurant company enlisted local historians to conspire in a hoax, in which historic billboards were placed underwater, ostensibly by Haglund before his death, and then "rediscovered."


See also

* '' Ivar Feeding the Gulls'' (1988)


References


Further reading

*Stephens, Dave ''Ivar: The Life and Times of Ivar Haglund'' (Seattle: Dunhill Publishing, 1986)


External links


Article about Ivar Haglund on ''historylink.org''Photo of Ivar Haglund
on the site of his ''alma mater'', the
University of Washington The University of Washington (UW and informally U-Dub or U Dub) is a public research university in Seattle, Washington, United States. Founded in 1861, the University of Washington is one of the oldest universities on the West Coast of the Uni ...
(class of 1928). * . Performed by The Iconics with John Roderick of The Long Winters at the Pike Place Market's 100-year Anniversary Concert
Some of Ivar's 1950s radio ads
{{DEFAULTSORT:Haglund, Ivar 1905 births 1985 deaths American folk singers Singers from Seattle American people of Norwegian descent American people of Swedish descent University of Washington Foster School of Business alumni Businesspeople from Seattle American restaurateurs 20th-century American singers 20th-century American male singers 20th-century American businesspeople