Image: Boston Public Library/Flickr
The popularity of postcards has declined with the rise of email and texting, but in the 20th century they were still a staple for tourists. Those traveling to Seattle had plenty to choose from — with its picturesque streets and beautiful water and mountain views, it was the perfect subject for artists. Read on to see some of the postcards people visiting the city may have sent home.
Pike Place Market, 1913
Image: Seattle Municipal Archives/Flickr
When Pike Place Market opened in Seattle in 1907, it was the picture of postcard perfection. Thanks to a $10,000-contribution from the City of Seattle, stalls were added in 1910 so that more local produce farmers and bakers could sell their goods to the public.
Pioneer Square, 1910
Image: Seattle Municipal Archives/Flickr
In 1909, Seattle built an underground “comfort station” beneath Pioneer Square. According to HistoryLink, it had bathrooms with marble stalls, brass fixtures, oak chairs, white-tiled walls and terrazzo floors. They were advertised as the world’s most luxurious underground toilets, and were flushed approximately 5,000 times every day except Sunday, when they were flushed 8,000 times.
Pioneer Square Totem Pole, 1910
Image: Seattle Municipal Archives/Flickr
In 1899, a committee of 15 Seattle citizens traveled to Alaska and stole the 60-foot totem pole pictured above from the Native American Raven Clan. The totem pole, whose top carving is a raven, was made to honor a woman named Chief-of-All-Women who drowned in the Nass River while on a journey to visit an ailing sister.
A federal grand jury in Alaska indicted the thieves for theft of government property, but due to rampant cronyism, the thieves were never punished and the totem pole was never returned. It was eventually damaged in 1938 and replaced with a replica.
The Olympic Hotel, ca. 1925
Image: Seattle Municipal Archives/Flickr
When the Olympic Hotel was completed in 1924, the owners held a gala that over 2,000 people attended. The Italian Renaissance-style building is currently on the National Register of Historic Places.
Downtown Seattle and Mount Rainier, 1918
Image: Seattle Municipal Archives/Flickr
Even in 1918 Seattle residents were asking, “is the mountain out?” Between 1916 and 1930, Mount Rainier National Park experienced an eight-fold increase in visitors.
Ballard Locks, 1917
Image: Seattle Municipal Archives/Flickr
The Hiram M. Chittenden Locks (better known as the Ballard Locks) and complete waterway opened to boat traffic on May 8th, 1917. Hiram M. Chittenden commanded the US Army Corps of Engineers in Seattle in 1906 and helped persuade Congress to appropriate $2,275,000 for the necessary locks on June 25th, 1910, reports HistoryLink.
3rd Avenue and Pike Street, 1947
Image: Seattle Municipal Archives/Flickr
During the 1940s, Seattle became Boeing’s company town. By 1947, Boeing employed about one in every five of King County’s manufacturing workers, and in 1957 about one in every two.
Space Needle, 1962
Image: 1950sUnlimited/Flickr
The Space Needle is a Seattle landmark, but even so it’s occasionally closed down for storms. Notable closures took place during the Columbus Day storm of 1962 and during the “Inauguration Day” storm of 1993, when winds reached 90 miles per hour. According to the Space Needle’s information page, the structure is built to withstand a wind velocity of 200 miles per hour.
Capitol Hill, 1908
Image: Richard/Flickr
During the early 20th century, an intrepid developer named James Moore decided to reinvent Capitol Hill by creating “Millionaire’s Row.” The expensive strip of homes was close to the city’s new streetcars, but also near a cemetery. Mourners continued to use the street for processions despite its new upper crust tenants.
Seattle World’s Fair, 1962
Image: Joe Haupt/Flickr
The World’s Fair was Seattle’s coming out party, and had close to 10 million attendees. Children were attracted to the Science Pavilion and the Gayway, a space-oriented amusement zone with rides such as the Meteor, the Space Whirl and the Trip to Mars.
