Seattle, the site of the 1988 ASLA National Convention November 5-9, is one of the most scenic cities in the country. Built on seven hills at the later part of the 1 9th century, Seattle remained, until just the last twenty years, an outpost in the wilderness in the eyes of the rest of the country. Not so any longer. It has become a thriving metropolis controlling a large portion of the shipping to the Pacific Rim and is growing at a rate rivaling any other area in the country.

Some History

With its colorful history and natural beauty, Seattle has become the home to many vistors who never left. Named after Chief Sealth, Seattle was built on land purchased from the Duwamish Indians for $1,000 and the promise that the town would be named after their chief. Even the Indians had egos, but not as large as those pioneers that built the city. The Northwest Indians, unlike the Plains Indians, based the hierarchy of the tribe on individual family wealth. In this case, Chief Sealth was the wealthiest of the Northwest Indians.

The father of Seattle is often credited as being Henry Yesler, a lumber tycoon who made his fortune cutting down the trees in and around the city, milling them and selling them at a fantastic profit to the builders of Seattle. Yesler owned a great deal of Seattle, from the cable car line to the water system which, originally, was made of hollowed out log sections from Yeslers mill. The term “Skid Road” originated in Seattle because Yesler’s company used to skid its logs down a long, steep hill into

Elliott Bay from his mill at the top of the hill. This road, now known as Yesler Way, was the center for a great deal of Seattle’s shadier past and in the pioneer days was populated with unsavory characters. Sailors, lumberjacks and all forms o f hardened men wandered this street in search of the fun and pleasure available on “Skid Road.” Yesler Way, now the northern border of Pioneer Square, still resembles the way it looked during the first years of the city, but has been restored and is now the home of many thriving businesses.

Pioneer Square, and all its buildings, was gutted by the great fire of 1889 which leveled the entire existing downtown area, approximately 30 square blocks. After the fire, the city leaders decided to build right over the remaining brick shells after first burying what remained of the downtown area. This was accomplished by washing down an existing hill (Denny Hill) into the tidal flats and pushing the water front out approximately 500 feet. The old water front used to be just west of what is now First Avenue. With hydraulic hoses, water was pumped from Puget Sound, to the top of Denny Hill and the earth was washed downward creating what is now known as the Denny Regrade. More earth was moved in this excavation than was moved in the construction of the Panama Canal. An entire hill disappeared in the matter of two years.

The first two stories of Pioneer Square served as the foundation of the new buildings which were made out of brick. The second story of the existing buildings became the basement of the new buildings and for a short time the streets were one story above the entry level of the shops. Pedestrians had to climb up a ladder, cross

the street and climb down the ladder just to get across the street. For more fascinating information about this interesting situation, take the walking tour of underground Seattle which begins at Doc Maynards Tavern in Pioneer Square.

In 1897, during some of the darkest times in the cities history, the discovery of gold in Alaska triggered the first major period of growth since its founding. Seattle became the jumping off point for the great gold rush that was to continue for the next ten years. People from all over the nation converged on Seattle on their way to make their fortune in the Alaska Gold fields. Half of Seattle expected to make their fortune in Alaska, the other half expected to make their fortune outfitting those going to make their fortune. As word spread, prospectors by the thousands came through Seattle on their way, and spent a great deal of their money coming back through. It was at this time that Seattles ship building business began. The demand for ships to get prospectors to Alaska was so great that those anxious to get to Alaska were paying ten times the going rate just to be the first to Alaska.

Seattle Today

Pioneer Square, which began restoration about 15 years ago and is still in progress today, was brought about by the citizens of the city after developers began to raze some of the towns oldest landmarks. One battle in particular stirred the citizenry to action. In 1962, the old Occidental Hotel was razed and in its place a parking garage was built. This grotesque architectural abomination serves as a reminder to the preservationist struggle of the citizens of this fair city.

North of Pioneer Square, about a mile, in the main part of Downtown is the Farmers Public Market, one of the main attractions of the city. Farmers and craftsmen from throughout the region come to the market to sell their wares and food stuffs in an open air market that has remained unchanged (except for a major restoration completed within the last five years) since the 1 920’s You will find fresh vegetables, seafood, and all sorts of ethnic foods in this one of a kind market.

To the west and just down the hill from the market is the waterfront. Though not as tourist oriented as the waterfront in San Francisco, the Seattle waterfront is an honest, working waterfront with alot of appeal to the wanderer with many good seafood restaurants. It is also the home of the Seattle Aquarium where the native plant and sea life of the Puget Sound can be observed. You can travel the length of the water front on a street car originating from Pier 70.

To the west of Seattle, across Puget Sound and a 30 minute ferry ride away, is the Olympic Peninsula, home of one of the largest natural rainforests in the world. The Olympic National Forest is a lush, undisturbed and largely unpopulated area reminding one of what it must have looked like when the settlers made their trek across the country. But be warned, if you visit this area, take a rain coat as the peninsula receives rainfall year round.

The Olympic Mountain range serves as a rain barrier to Seattle, which receives far less rain than what has been rumored throughout the country. Emmett Watson, a crusty old Seattle newspaper columnist and the founder of the “Society for Lesser Seattle” is generally credited for the origination of this rumor as a ruse to keep people from settling and, according to Watson, ruining his city. Watsons worst nightmares have been realized, however, as the city has realized spectacular growth over the last ten years. As little as twenty years ago the skyline of downtown had but one building over 15 stories tall, the Smith Tower, and now is a solid mass of skyscrapers.

To the east of the city, and within a 45 minute drive from Downtown, are the Cascade Mountains, home of the majestic Mount Rainier, the second highest peak in the contigious United States. On a clear day, Rainier can be seen looming over the city as a visual reminder of the beauty of the area.

Other attractions for your stay in Seattle include:

• The Boeing Museum of Flight, located near the Boeing Plants in South Seattle.
• The Seattle Art Museum, located in Volunteer Park.
• The Arboretuem, located just north of The University of Washington, Husky Stadium.
• The Museum of History and Industry, located at the entrance to the Arboretuem.
• The Seattle Center, home of the 1962 World’s Fair, located at the north end of downtown.
• Snoqualimie Falls, located east of Seattle about 30 miles.

What once began as a mass of small Indian fishing villages is now one of the most dynamic, thriving cities in the country. LASN hopes to see you in Seattle for this years ASLA Conference which promises to be one of the best yet!