Blue water, not yellow brick, surrounds the Emerald City of Seattle. Cupped between the jagged Olympic Mountains to the west and the volcanic peaks of the Cascade Range to the east, the city sits on a narrow strip of land between Puget Sound and 18-mile-long Lake Washington. Just north of downtown these bodies are united by a system of locks and a ship canal feeding into Lake Union, which bisects the city. Frequent rains and mists keep the surroundings cleaner and greener than most other cities of similar size.
Although early maritime expeditions sighted the Washington area before the close of the 18th century, Seattle itself was settled comparatively late. With an entire continent to cross, the first families did not reach what was to be Seattle until 1851 when they settled at Alki Point. The windswept town was soon moved around the point on the more protected shore of Elliott Bay. The city was named for Sealth, a friendly chieftain of the Duwamish and Suquamish tribes who was paid $16,000 for the use of his name.
The expanse of virgin timberland combined with the fine natural harbor to make an ideal setting for the first industry, Henry Yesler's sawmill. The mill cut timber for export, and the road down which logs were rolled led to the expression “skid road,” which later evolved into “skid row.”
The population grew as the wilderness areas and their fur-bearing inhabitants drew lumberjacks, trappers and traders; the prospect of converting neighboring American Indians lured migrant missionaries.
The city prospered, but by 1865 a noticeable void remained: The busy bachelors had no brides. Asa Mercer, founder of the Territorial University, went East and recruited 11 brave and eligible young ladies to return with him; a second group of 57 women included the soon-to-be Mrs. Mercer. A hundred years later the saga became the basis for the 1960s television series “Here Come The Brides.”
Built almost entirely of wood, the young city was destroyed in 1889 when a painter's glue pot boiled over and started the Great Fire. Seattle was soon rebuilt using more stone, iron and concrete. By 1893 the first transcontinental railroad had reached Seattle, and maritime trade had been established with the Orient and points east.
Swift growth followed the 1897 Klondike gold rush, for which the city served as a starting point. Seattle's population increased sixfold 1890-1910; tideflats were filled and steep slopes were leveled to create more liveable areas. In 1909 the city was host to its first world's fair, the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exhibition; the University of Washington now occupies the site.
Much of modern Seattle began in 1962 with the Century 21 Exposition, the last U.S. World's Fair to turn a profit. In addition to creating the Space Needle, the Seattle Center, the Coliseum and other city landmarks, the fair prompted the further development of parks, roads and transportation systems. Development was achieved with the preservation of the natural surroundings in mind.
The mainland U.S. port closest to the Orient, Seattle is a major trade center for exporting agricultural products, transportation equipment, seafood and forest products. Natural gas and lumber are imported from Canada; automobiles and electronic equipment are brought in from Japan; and petroleum arrives from numerous oil producing nations. The city also is a major world center for high-tech industries and bio-technological research.
