The unique floating homes of Seattle got their start almost simultaneously with the development of the city itself. Seattle's first industries were logging and fishing, both seasonal enterprises, and it became common for loggers and sailors to build themselves floating shacks from scrap boards during their off seasons. As the trend spread, houseboats were built as permanent homes for families of men who worked at Lake Union's many industrial facilities: lumber mills, a chemical plant, a tannery, a varnish manufacturer, an asphalt plant, an asbestos factory, and shipbuilding yards. Because of the low-cost living, the houseboat colonies also attracted bohemians, political radicals, and a certain share of criminals. Lake Washington became the site for the city's wealthy to build their own houseboats for recreational purposes, made easier after the Yesler cable-car line was installed in 1888, connecting downtown Seattle to Lake Washington.

In this image Marjorie May (Sayre) Lothrop (1929-2011) relaxes with a book and her cat, Trigger, on the porch of the houseboat next to hers in Portage Bay. At the time the City of Seattle had suggested eliminating houseboats on Lake Union, and Ms. Lathrop was opposed, saying "they're real tourist attractions."

Caption by Peter Blecha, from "Seattle's Historic Houseboats," HistoryLink.org Essay 9507.
Caption information also derived from captions written by Post-Intelligencer staff and attached to the back of the photograph.