VintageSeattle.org

Vintage Seattle Player O The Week award goes to Seahawks punter Rick Engles. In 1976, the Hawks used two third-round picks on Engles and kicker Don Bitterlich. During college he was 2nd in the nation with a 46.6 average punt at the University of Tulsa. Though he only lasted three seasons in the NFL, he was known for his cannon-foot and could really launch the ball. As you can see from his 1977 Topps card, he also had a pretty nice mustache. These days, Engles can be found back in Tulsa as president of Machinery Resources, Inc. Click on the image for higher-res.

Rick Engles, Seattle Seahawks, Punter, Topps, 1977.

There are only a few things I can tell you about Elden. He (maybe she) probably wasn’t from the US of A. He (or she) wrote a few postcards one hundred years ago. Oh, and he (she) liked parks. At least, that’s what these vintage postcards of Madison Park and Kinnear Park would have us believe. Elden, what is your story? Click on the images for a larger view.

Front: 4017. Madison Park And Band Stand Showing Lake Washington, Seattle.

Back: Selichrom — Adolph Selige, Pub. Co. St. Louis — Leipzig.

Front: Scene In Kinnear Park, Seattle, Wash.

Back: Published by The Puget Sound News Company, Seattle, Wash. Leipzig, Berlin and Dresden.

This vintage advertisement comes once again from a 1900 copy of The Argus. Pictured are “The Old Man” and “The Boy,” owners of Newell Mill and Manufacturing Company of Seattle. The mill was located in what is now the South Park neighborhood. When the town was annexed by Seattle in 1907, Newell Mill was its largest employer. Here’s another high-res image of the mill from Wikipedia. Spy the image below and give it a click for more detail.

Newell Mill & Manufacturing Company. Manufacturers of shingles, fir and cedar lumber. We furnish bridge timbers, cedar siding, lath and all kinds of rough and dressed lumber. The Argus, 1900.

Not long ago, John Chilson (author of one of my favorite blogs Stumptown Confidential) sent along a couple goodies he had hiding out in his garage. Among them was a pamphlet titled “Seattle The Nation’s Most Beautiful City,” designed to hype up the city in advance of the ‘62 World’s Fair. It starts out: “A well known world traveler once said that Stockholm, Sweden, was the most beautiful city in Europe; Seattle, Washington, the most beautiful in America. Though controversial, this remark about Seattle, we believe, is true. Many ‘pretty’ cities have their particular points of attractiveness, but none has such a complete variety of natural beauty within its city limits.” Two things were clear to me. One, the well known world traveler had obviously never been to Newark, NJ. Two, this pamphlet had some beautiful circa 1961 aerial shots of the city. Let’s take a gander. Click on the images for larger views. Thanks, John! We’ll continue this series in the future.

Looking southward across Seattle toward Mt. Rainier. Lake Union is in the center.

Seattle’s downtown area along Elliott Bay waterfront.

A view of the University of Washington with Lake Washington’s Union Bay in the background, before the 520 bridge had been constructed.

Seattle’s Capitol Hill district showing Lake Washington and the Cascade Mountains in the background. Near the center of the picture is Volunteer Park with its reservoir and Seattle Art Museum.

As an addendum to yesterday’s Trace Lofts feature, Jim Goldberg was nice enough to send along this image of Bekins Moving & Storage Company from way back when in Seattle. Though they’re no longer located at 629 First Ave and the only horsepower they’re using is from their van, you can still have Bekins move you today. Have a look and give the image a click.

Bekins Moving & Storage Company, Seattle, Wash. 629 First Avenue. Image courtesy ek Real Estate Group.

With every handful of beautiful old buildings in Seattle that fall victim to “progress,” there are a few select rays of sunshine that usually come in the form of adaptive re-use. It’s been catching on in Seattle for a while now and I hope that the market and appreciation of these types of conversions continue to grow. One such project is Trace Lofts located on 12th and Madison (you may be familiar with the project if you read Matt Goyer’s Urbnlivn Blog). The condo started selling this past Spring and currently has 9 units left. One of the first things I saw on the project’s web site read “Auto parts, monks, and jock straps? The Trace building has been an automotive warehouse, a home to Tibetan monks, and an athletic equipment company. Intrigued?” Well I was, so I had Jim Goldberg of ek Real Estate Group show me around. The building was completed in 1919 with strong Chicago school design elements. The Bekins Moving Company set up shop there in 1935, Tibetan Monks used the commercial ground level in the late seventies, and Ewajo Interpretive African-American Dance Studio moved in during the nineties. Now that’s some mixed-use! The property was purchased in 2005 by developers who then converted the site into condos while retaining the architectural makeup. Once again, special thanks to Jim Goldberg and ek Real Estate Group for the tour. Let’s view the photos! Click on the images if you’d like to see a larger version.

The Trace Building now anchors the up-and-coming 12th Ave in Capitol Hill. Looking northeast.	The west face of the building just across the street from the Ferrari dealership.
The south face of the building along Madison Street.	Looking up toward the modillion course. The brick exterior has also been restored.
Moving to the west, again looking up.	Planters fill the windows and terra cotta trim is in good condition. All commercial level millwork is original and restored.
Looking south on the sidewalk with the Trace buyer’s lounge in the foreground. This is going to become the Gun Club bar with retail space further south.	The east face of the building features a not-quite-ghost sign. It’s a shame that the upper portion of the sign was covered up and some areas of the wall have been sullied with graffiti.
A look inside the building’s ground level commercial space as it undergoes construction.	This 8,000 square feet of commercial space is still unaccounted for.
Many original insulated fire doors from the building’s exits were re-used as bedroom doors. See below. Door number eight may have been too rusty to salvage.	The front door on the west side of the building leads you to a unique entry filled with antique sewing machines.
The mail area and front entry house a nice juxtaposition of cold and warm building materials.	The building was purchased in 1999 by Ernie Allen of C.H. Holderby to store thousands of vintage sewing machines.
Found materials serve as decoration grounding the building in its history.	Sewing machine pedals also serve as condo number faceplates — another unique and interesting touch.
This unit exists in a floor built on top of the existing building structure. We have recently seen these types of additions cause agitation with the Stadium Lofts project.	Alternate angle looking outside the floor-to-ceiling windows. The unit has a narrow fresh-air patio space.
Some units contain original fire doors salvaged from the building. It’s a very cool touch.	Sweeping into the bedroom to show exposed ductwork and pipes, giving the room a slightly industrial look to match the building’s origins.
A unit for sale in the original portion of the building. Stainless appliances, reclaimed wood floors, and an open layout are staples throughout.	The original car-decking and beams have been preserved throughout the building. The most visible change to the structure is the red earthquake related reinforcement.
The bathrooms are modern and tastefully decorated.	This top floor unit has a very nice view and a lot of natural light. I can see my house from here.

Just received an update from Christine Palmer of Historic Seattle regarding the fate of Central District’s historic Washington Hall (see here and here for previous Vintage Seattle content). Looks as though it still isn’t out of the woods just yet, but getting closer. Here is the word:

Washington Hall, Seattle, Washington.

These days the Seattle Monorail only moonlights as a symbol of modern times, opting instead to spend its days colliding with itself. Be that as it may, this vintage postcard set features the Alweg Monorail in its glory days. You know, the days when it carted around 8 million people a year (now just 2.5 million). Let’s be clear though, this monorail was an accomplishment for the city and there were some bragging rights that came along with it. So check out these 1960’s era postcards showing the Alweg Monorail and Downtown Monorail Terminal. As you can see, the terminal used to stand a block further south than it does now and was much larger. This changed in 1988 when Westlake mall was redesigned. Do we have any Vintage Seattle readers who rode the monorail during the ‘62 World’s Fair? Tell us about it in the comments. As always, these images are clickable for more detail.

Front: Alweg Monorail.

Back: Two symbols of modern times. The sleek Alweg Monorail, first of its kind in America, swiftly whisks visitors to the Seattle World’s Fair grounds and back to beautiful downtown Seattle. Like a sentinel watching, stands the 600-foot Space Needle. Color photo by Morley Studios.

Front: Downtown Monorail Terminal.

Back: Monorail Terminal in Seattle’s Westlake mall. The first high-speed Monorail system in the U.S.A. This sleek vehicle of the future whisks visitors from downtown Seattle to the World’s Fair grounds — over a mile away — in 96 seconds and is being eyed by other metropolitan cities of the country for the solution of their mass transportation problems. Photo by Max R. Jensen.

Vintage Seattle Player O The Week goes to none other than “The Cruzer,” Julio Cruz. He played second bag for the Mariners from 1977 through 1983 while stealing 40 bags six seasons in a row. “The Cruzer” for sure. Ichiro Suzuki is just about to take this Mariners all-time leading base stealing record from him, however. Here is his 1980 Topps card and just look at that sweet vintage M’s pullover jersey with pitchfork logo. Anyone see him play when he was still a Mariner? Click on the image for full resolution.

Julio Cruz, Seattle Mariners, 2nd Base, Topps, 1980.

We’re rolling on with Part 2 of our feature of the historic Victorian Painted Lady for sale at 1603 45th Ave SW in West Seattle. If you missed Part 1 of this feature, be sure to check it out here. Since we took a look at the exterior of the home yesterday, we’ll now have a look inside. And what a splendid piece of Seattle history this interior reveals! Known as the “Herren House,” it was built around 1891 for Civil War veteran Archibald Herren who had come west from North Carolina. Archibald, his wife Lola, and five children moved into the house and during their five year stay had two more children. Over the years, the home has had surprisingly few alterations and once you step into the house you really do feel transported to the late 1800’s. For more on the long history of the home, visit the Department of Neighborhoods page on the property. Again, I want to thank Kurt Metzger of Windermere Real Estate for showing me around the premises. On with the photographs! Click on the thumbnails for larger views.

As you enter the front entryway, this is the sight you are greeted with. A 1930’s tax photo sits on the coffee table.	The view from the top of the stairwell. These stairs ascend all the way up to the finished attic space.
The front living room has one of the home’s four fireplaces. Period light fixtures and original hardwood floors fill the rooms.	Light fills another living space just off of the kitchen. Picture hanging molding can be found throughout the home.
This second floor living space could be used as a bedroom or parlor.	Moving toward the front of the house, you can see where the round tower is located.
Toward the back of the home you’ll find this bedroom with floral wallpaper. The doors with stained glass windows lead out to the back balcony.	The back windows in the house reveal great views of Puget Sound.
The stained-glass windows bathe the original hand-carved staircase in vivid colors.	A detail shot of the second floor stained-glass window.
Coming with stainless steel appliances, granite slab countertops, and a Viking range, the kitchen is one area of the home that is definitely not vintage.	The third floor attic space with coupled nine-over-one double hung sash.
Close-up of the front porch stained glass window.	The bathrooms in the home feature stained glass and nearly century old fixtures.
A view of one of the second floor bathroom with clawfoot tub.	The antique toilets are inscribed “Patented Dec 7, 1897.” Now that’s some vintage sh*t!
Showing another second floor bathroom, this time a touch more modern with the shower.	Close-up detail of the vintage bathroom sink fixtures. Very unique.
Almost all hardware in the home is original and in very nice condition.	These pocket doors separate the front living room from the dining room. This separation is very typical in a Queen Anne style house.
Hardware detail in the second floor bedroom.	Molding from the same room is very well maintained.

“Wow!” That’s what I found myself muttering over and over when I first toured the historic Victorian Painted Lady for sale at 1603 45th Ave SW in West Seattle. This is probably the most impressive property I’ve photographed for Vintage Seattle, so I am very happy to share it. In fact, there’s so much to see that I’ve once again split this feature into two parts. For Part 1, we will consider the exterior for Part 2 concentrate on the interior. This historic West Seattle Victorian was built in 1891 and is thought to be one of the oldest homes in the area. The property is downright sprawling — with over 4,000 square feet inside and almost 10,000 square feet to the lot. Once again, it is for sale right now for $1,499,000. So if you are looking to keep up a piece of Seattle History, this is a nice opportunity. Again, be sure to check out for Part 2 of this feature where we explore more of the home’s history. I want to thank Kurt Metzger of Windermere Real Estate for taking me through the home. Well, enough of my claptrap — on with the photos. Click on the images to see full-res versions.

The front face of the home is dramatic and beautiful. Right away, the eye is caught by the stained glass windows, gingerbread decorations, and arresting round tower.	A view of the corner lot from the 45th Ave SW and SW Seattle St intersection. Note the common Queen Anne style one-over-one double-hung sash, foliate brackets, and a fascia board above the recessed entry.
Bringing the light post into focus in front of the property, 1603 45th Ave SW.	A side view of the home shows well manicured shrubs surrounding the property.
The opposite side of the home is the least detailed.	Moving back around to the front of the property brings us back to the entry.
Showing the back face of the home. Just opposite this view is the 2-car garage and rose garden.	Close-up of the round tower with wooden finial. Notice the intricate shingle pattern design.
Sweeping to the left reveals the gable with supporting decorative brackets.	Moving toward the back of the house to reveal the 2nd floor balcony.
Yet more detail millwork under the balcony with carved panels.	Close-up view of the balcony balustrade with beveled posts.
This type of carved, stylized sunburst motif was common on Queen Anne style homes.	The front entry shows more scroll-sawn brackets and supports.

If you’re a student of portrait photography then you probably know very well who Edward Curtis is. And if you’re not a photography nerd like my ilk, then you’re in for a treat. Edward S. Curtis was a Seattle-based photographer who in 1906 was offered a grant from J.P. Morgan to compile a series of photos of Native Americans and their culture. He wrote: “The information that is to be gathered … respecting the mode of life of one of the great races of mankind, must be collected at once or the opportunity will be lost.” During Curtis’ lifetime, over 40,000 photographs were taken and 20 volumes of the collection released. Let’s start the first installment of a series on this work. Click on the thumbnails for high-res copies.

Mowakiu, a Tsawatenok Indian, bust portrait, facing front, circa 1914. Image courtesy Edward S. Curtis Collection — Library of Congress.	Quilcene boy, circa 1913. Image courtesy Edward S. Curtis Collection — Library of Congress.
Chukchansi woman, head-and-shoulders portrait, facing front, circa 1924. Image courtesy Edward S. Curtis Collection — Library of Congress.	Cheyenne male, facing front, hair in wrapped braids, blanket around shoulders, circa 1910. Image courtesy Edward S. Curtis Collection — Library of Congress.
Navajo girl, circa 1904. Image courtesy Edward S. Curtis Collection — Library of Congress.	Hupa woman, head-and-shoulders portrait, facing left, circa 1923. Image courtesy Edward S. Curtis Collection — Library of Congress.
The seal-hunter, Noatak, in kayak, facing left, circa 1929. Image courtesy Edward S. Curtis Collection — Library of Congress.	Hupa fisherman with spear lying on bank. Circa 1923. Image courtesy Edward S. Curtis Collection — Library of Congress.