Seattle - Historical Background

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The Snohomish, Suquamish and other Native Americans were the first settlers of this Pacific Northwest area, later named Seattle after Native American headsman Chief Sealth. In the fall of 1851, the Denny Party landed on what is now Alki Beach (home to Alki Point Lighthouse) in West Seattle. After surviving one cold, harrowing winter, these first white settlers moved east across Elliott Bay to settle in the sheltered area that is now downtown Seattle and Pioneer Square.

Timber!

Timber quickly became the economic mainstay of this new community. The lush Pacific Northwest offered an abundance of big evergreen trees that settlers cut and sold for lumber. With the community's newly created wealth came an interest in higher education. The University of Washington was established in 1861 and moved to its present location in 1895. It remains the state's largest educational institution.

The Great Fire

Once the railroad reached nearby Tacoma in 1883, Seattle's population exploded. Six years later, almost everything Seattleites had built was lost in the Great Fire of June 1889. Seattle proclaimed itself a phoenix that would rise from the ashes, and, by the end of that year, the city constructed 130 new brick buildings atop the burned-out shell of the old city. Today, you can view the ruins of the original buildings on the Underground Tour. The 1890s was a period of rebirth, and the Yukon and Alaskan gold rushes helped move the city forward economically. As the gateway to a virtually uninhabited Alaska, Seattle was a major supplier of food and provisions to prospectors departing to brave the wilds in search of gold. Those who struck it rich spent freely on their way back through Seattle.

Booming Growth

In 1907 the Pike Place Public Farmer's Market opened. It remains a top tourist attraction today. By 1910 the city's population had grown to nearly 230,000, and steamers were used to ferry people and products across the bay. Electric trolleys started running in 1919, improving transportation between sprawling urban areas. Bits and pieces of highway followed. The economic boom took a new turn in 1916 when Bill Boeing tested his company's first plane. Since World War II, the region's economy has depended on the aerospace industry. Boeing developed the 707 commercial jet that changed commercial air travel.

1960s to Present

The 1960s brought the 1962 World's Fair, the Space Needle, the Monorail and Elvis to Seattle. The city became a destination spot for tourists, and the population continued to swell. Construction of Interstate 5 continued through downtown, and the ferryboat Kalakala was considered the ultimate in high-tech water transportation.

During the 1980s and 90s, Seattle became home to a fledgling company called Microsoft, a seller of gourmet coffee by the name of Starbucks, and Safeco Field, a state-of-the-art baseball stadium with a retractable roof. Top biotech companies also flocked to the area. Today, this cosmopolitan city nestled between the Cascade Mountains and Puget Sound remains home to corporations like Microsoft, Starbucks, Nintendo, Nordstrom, Immunex and many other internationally competitive companies.







Copyright 1999-2009 Wcities, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Wcities

Underground Tour


Offbeat look at old Seattle
 608 First Avenue
Seattle, WA 98104
+1 206 682 4646
http://www.undergroundtour.com
Underground Tour
Space Needle


Seattle's famous landmark
 400 Broad St
(Seattle Center)
Seattle, WA 98109
+1 206 905 2100
http://www.spaceneedle.com
Space Needle
Seattle Center Monorail


Seattle Center Monorail
 400 Pine St, 3rd Floor (Westlake Terminal)
Seattle Center, adjacent to the Space Needle and EMP/SFM (Seattle Center Terminal)
Seattle, WA 98101
+1 206 905 2620
http://www.seattlemonorail.com
Seattle Center Monorail
Nordstrom


Flagship store
 500 Pine Street
Seattle, WA 98101
+1 206 628 2111
http://www.nordstrom.com
Nordstrom
Pike Place Market


Famous produce and seafood market
 85 Pike Street
(at First Avenue)
Seattle, WA 98101
+1 206 682 7453
http://www.pikeplacemarket.org
Pike Place Market
Pioneer Square
Seattle
Pioneer Square
Alki Beach


Popular West Seattle beach
 1702 Alki Ave SW
Seattle, WA 98116
+1 206 684 4075
http://www.cityofseattle.net/
Alki Beach
Washington State Ferry


Largest ferry system in United States
 2911 Second Avenue
(mailing address)
Seattle, WA 98121
+1 206 464 6400 / +1 206 515 3400
http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries
Washington State Ferry
Safeco Field


Home of the Seattle Mariners
 1200 1st Ave S
(at Edgar Martinez Dr S)
Seattle, WA 98104
+1 206 346 4001
http://seattle.mariners.mlb.com
Safeco Field
University of Washington


University of Washington
 022 Odegaard
UW Information & Visitors Center
Seattle, WA 981095
+1 206 543 9198
http://www.washington.edu
University of Washington
Seattle
Seattle - Art & Entertainment
Seattle - Where to Stay
Seattle - Neighborhood Guide
Seattle - Dining & Drinking
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