406 results for: Construction and Urban Planning
Photograph
Regrading on Third Avenue near Spring Street, Seattle, 1906
Seattle's hills are steep, but they used to be steeper. During various regrading projects, the city tried to make the streets and avenues more level. Some areas were raised and some were lowered. Nearby buildings were raised or lowered too. Others were torn down or moved away.This photograph was taken during the regrading project on Third Avenue in downtown Seattle.…
ID Number:SHS503
Date:1906
Photograph
Second Ave. and Spring St. during regrade, circa 1909
This image shows the corner of Second Avenue and Spring Street, looking east up Spring, during one of Seattle's regrading projects. The Lincoln Hotel is at upper right, on the corner of 4th Avenue, with the roof of the Seattle Public Library visible just behind. The cross of Providence Hospital is just visible above the Library. Horses and a cart…
ID Number:SHS911
Date:Circa 1909
Photograph
Corner of Terry and Columbia streets on First Hill, Seattle, circa 1895
One of Seattle’s seven hills, First Hill was city’s first “neighborhood” to be settled in the 1870s. Rising 366 feet above Elliott Bay, the once-forested slope was an easy walk to the city’s commercial district. By 1883, the hill entered a new era as the retreat of its “first families,” including mayors, judges, industrialists, timber barons, and art collectors. Over…
ID Number:SHS1006
Date:Circa 1895
Photograph
Workman posing at Fremont townsite, Seattle, May 1888
Seattle's Fremont neighborhood is located at the northwest corner of Lake Union, and was originally part of the William A. Strickler homestead. On March 1, 1888 David Thomas Denny (1832-1903) and John Philo Hoyt (1841-1926) bought 240 acres from Strickler's estate, then sold the parcel to Carrie and Edward Blewett on March 20, 1888. With the help of their agents,…
ID Number:SHS1047B
Date:1888
Photograph
Men posing in front of tent near Jacob Furth home, 1889
The Great Fire of June 6, 1889 was a significant turning point in Seattle's history and changed both the physical and political landscapes of the City. In this image men pose in front of a tent set up after the fire during regrading operations, in which streets were raised up to 22 feet in places, helping to level the hilly…
ID Number:SHS1359
Date:1889
Photograph
Smith Tower under construction, Seattle, circa 1913
The Smith Tower was Seattle's first skyscraper. This photo shows the skeleton of the skyscraper in the midst of construction that took four years to complete. The construction company, E.E. Davis Co., set a record by using a single crane to erect 8 floors of steelwork in one week. Upon opening in 1914 it was the tallest building west of…
ID Number:SHS2129
Date:Circa 1913
Photograph
Workers pouring concrete for Beacon Hill reservoir, Seattle, circa 1911
Washington's Cedar River originates in the Cascade Mountain Range and drains into Puget Sound via Lake Washington. Since 1899 the upper Cedar River watershed, and its subsequent reservoirs and pipeline infrastructure, have been operated by Seattle Public Utilities, providing drinking water for about two-thirds of King County. The population of Seattle and King County grew quickly after the establishment of…
ID Number:SHS3768
Date:Circa 1911
Photograph
Alaskan Way Viaduct from 1st Ave., Seattle, 1960
The Alaskan Way Viaduct was an elevated highway in Seattle which was completed in 1966 after 16 years of construction and decades of planning. The double-decked highway ran along the Elliott Bay waterfront above the surface street, Alaskan Way, following previously existing railroad lines. The viaduct provided Seattle with its first bypass route around the downtown business district. The viaduct…
ID Number:SHS3978
Date:1960
Photograph
Adding floors to the County-City Building, circa 1930
In 1916, the new King County Courthouse and Municipal Building, also called the County-City Building, opened on Third Avenue in downtown Seattle. The building, designed by Seattle architect Augustus Warren Gould, was five stories tall, with a partial sixth story for the use of the city engineer. In 1929-1931, architect Henry Bittman's six story addition expanded Gould's original building upwards.This…
ID Number:SHS6523
Date:Circa 1930
Photograph
Alaskan Way Viaduct under construction, Seattle, circa 1952
The Alaskan Way Viaduct was an elevated highway in Seattle which was completed in 1966 after 16 years of construction and decades of planning. The double-decked highway ran along the Elliott Bay waterfront above the surface street, Alaskan Way, following previously existing railroad lines. The viaduct provided Seattle with its first bypass route around the downtown business district. The viaduct…
ID Number:SHS7287
Date:Circa 1952