Seattle History

The largest city in the Pacific Northwest, Seattle is located in Washington, just south of the Canadian border. The seat of King County, Seattle sits on the shore of Elliot Bay, situated between Puget Sound and Lake Washington. The Olympic Mountains rise majestically to the west, while the Cascade Range runs along the eastern horizon. Seattle is well known for the natural beauty that surrounds it; the abundance of lush evergreen trees have given rise to the nickname "Emerald City." Seattle's reputation for being rainy has also garnered it the nickname "Rain City," but the city is situated in the rain shadow of the Olympic Mountains which protects it from the bulk of the Pacific coast weather. The fact is Seattle stays cloudy most of the time, but actually gets less rain than Houston, Atlanta, or New York City. People in Seattle like to joke that they came up with the "Rain City" moniker to scare the Californians away.

The founding of Seattle was a complicated affair and, to this day, there is still some controversy surrounding the key figure in its establishment. The Denny Party, led by Arthur A. Denny, arrived in the area in 1851 and settled at Alki Point (where West Seattle would later be located). In 1852, they decided to move their settlement to the more easily defended shores of Elliot Bay. Meanwhile, David Swinson "Doc" Maynard had arrived at Elliot Bay at roughly the same time and established his own settlement just south of Denny's. Where the Denny Party had a tumultuous relationship with the Duwamish and Snohomish tribes in the region, Maynard had early on established a diplomatic relationship with the natives. It was his suggestion to name the settlement Seattle, in honor of the Duwamish's chief, Noah Sealth.

Eventually, the two communities merged into one, but even after the plats were filed for Seattle in 1853, Denny and Maynard both remained fiercely territorial regarding their claims. The Denny Party was comprised of conservative Methodists and, for the most part, teetotalers. Maynard, on the other hand, was a drinker who lived with both his wife and ex-wife. Another point of contention was Maynard's belief that properly managed vice was vital to a frontier town's economic success; he had a hand in establishing Seattle's first and most infamous brothel. Even the layout of the streets proved a point of contention between the two parties. Maynard aligned his street grids on strict compass bearings, while Denny chose to let his follow the coastline. The tangle of streets where the grids collide is still prevalent in Seattle today.

Historically, Seattle's economic success has been a story of booms and busts. The lumber industry boom was particularly profitable for the city until the Panic of 1893, when an unexpected run on the federal gold supply led to widespread bank failures and a national depression. Industrial cities and mill towns all throughout the U.S. experienced severe unemployment, and Seattle was no exception. However, in 1897, the S.S. Portland arrived from Alaska with its cargo of "more than a ton of solid gold" from the banks of the Klondike River. The Klondike Gold Rush was underway, and Seattle became the jumping-off point for those headed north. A number of companies sprang up in Seattle in the wake of its newfound prosperity, including 1907's startup American Messenger Company (which eventually became UPS). The end of the gold rush brought another period of decline, but Seattle's shipbuilding industry came to the forefront during World War I, and the city once again prospered. William Boeing's Pacific Aero Products Co. (which later grew into The Boeing Company) began operation in Seattle in 1916, and manufactured many of the planes used by the U.S. in World War II. The growth of commercial aviation after the war led to yet another boom in Seattle's economy that lasted until the Boeing Bust of the late 1960s. The city's recession led to thousands of people leaving Seattle to seek work elsewhere, and rumors began circulating that Seattle was well on its way to becoming a ghost town. In 1971, a couple of real estate agents responded humorously to the pessimism by putting up a billboard with the message "Will the last person leaving SEATTLE - Turn out the lights."

The latest boom in Seattle, a surge in software, web, and telecommunications companies, was sparked in the mid-1990s when the Internet went mainstream. Many companies abandoned their traditional business models and began focusing primarily on generating a web presence. This so called dot-com bubble burst in 2000; thousands of startup companies simply went out of business. Companies such as Microsoft, Amazon.com, and RealNetworks survived the bust and have managed to remain relatively strong, but the boom is definitely over. Today, Seattle is home to a burgeoning biotechnology industry, which many predict will be the city's next boom.

Seattle is home to University of Washington, Seattle Pacific University, and Seattle University, and the college presence has definitely had an impact on the city's arts and culture. Seattle has long figured prominently in the alternative music scene. It is considered the birthplace of grunge music (also known as the Seattle Sound), with bands like Nirvana, Alice in Chains, Pearl Jam, and Soundgarden rising to prominence in the 1990s. Seattle also brought the upscale coffee bar to the mainstream, offering gourmet blends as well as espresso drinks. Seattle's Best Coffee, Tully's, and Starbuck's were founded in Seattle.

Bumbershoot, a 4-day music festival, is held every Labor Day weekend in Seattle, while the Northwest Folklife Festival kicks off every Memorial Day weekend. Seattle also hosts a number of annual sporting events, such as the Chilly Hilly Bicycle Classic, theOpening Day Regatta, and the Seattle Marathon. The city is home to a number of professional sports teams, including the Seattle Seahawks (NFL), Seattle Mariners (MLB), and the Seattle SuperSonics (NBA).

Seattle's most recognized landmark is the Space Needle, constructed for the 1962 World's Fair. Located on the grounds of Seattle Center, this tower features an observation deck at 520 feet that affords a brilliant view of the downtown Seattle skyline, the Olympic Mountains, the Cascade Range, Mount Ranier, and Elliot Bay. Kerry Park, on the south slope of Queen Anne Hill, also offers a panoramic view of the city that is featured on the majority of Seattle's postcards. The Capitol Hill neighborhood, sometimes known as "hipster central," is the center of Seattle's counterculture and home to a number of popular bars, restaurants, and night spots. Pike Place Market, a multi-leveled public market on the Waterfront, offers a variety of unique shops and family-owned restaurants on its lower level. The upper level features crafts stalls, produce stands, and the Pike Place Fish Market, famous for the "flying fish" that are tossed between fishmongers.