One day after the polls closed, we have Mike McGinn and Joe Mallahan virtually tied at 49% for Seattle’ s next mayor.
It will be days (and perhaps a recount) before we know who the winner is but there is one thing that’s known: a large two story slab of concrete is waiting for them. Congrats sir, it’s all yours! Click for higher res.
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| GATEWAY TO ALASKA AND THE ORIENT is Seattle, Washington, on the shores of beautiful Puget Sound. Along its busy waterfront may be seen freighters from every world port, passenger liners, ferries, sleek, grey ships of the U. S. To the east is snow-crowned Mt. Rainier, which dominates skyline. Seattle offers the tourist delectable seafood, along with a cosmopolitan variety of foods. A. city of lovely homes, there are zoos, art museums, the famed Floating Bridge across Lake Washington, and in August, the annual Seattle Seafair, a 10-day water carnival, climaxed by the Gold Cup Hydroplane Race on Lake Washington. — Photo by Dept. of Commerce & Economic Development, Olympia, Wash. Circa 1960. |
Its is always so amazing to see photos of Seattle before I-5. I love the blog. Keep it up!
And look, is that the Princess Margurite in the foreground? (forewater?)
I remember the old Bell Street bridge over Alaskan Way. Never crossed it, though.
Well, it is not the Princess Margurite. She had two funnels. This ship has three. After a quick review of a web site with post cards of many of the Canadian Pacific West Coast Fleet, I think she matches with either the Princess Joan or the Princess Elizabeth. There is even a lovely card of the “Victoria Inner Harbour with the CPR “Princess Joan and the American ferry “Chinook”"
http://www.simplonpc.co.uk/CP5.html#anchor262778
…Canadian Pacific West Coast steamers Princess Elizabeth (1930) and Princess Joan (1930). Original builders were Fairfields of Glasgow, and their service was between Seattle, Victoria and Vancouver B.C, and were withdrawn by CP in 1959.
They originally had three funnels, which were trunked into a single large funnel when both sisters were bought by Epirotiki in 1960, entering service the following year. Although identical in appearance, they have different internal layouts. Both have a large garage for cars (entered by side doors) and a swimming pool forward of the funnel. In Epirotiki service they started as three-class ships, on a passenger and car ferry service between Italy-Greece-Cyprus-Israel.
They were later used for cruising. Pegasus and Hermes both spent their later years as accommodation ships in Scotland, and were scrapped in 1976 and 1974 respectively.
And look! The Kalakala is pulling into Coleman Dock!
It was a tradition for the senior class to get a field trip to Victoria on the Princess Margurite, what a party! I guess that’s why they stopped doing it.
That must be that bridge to nowhere that I remember from my childhood!
I thought the bridge to nowhere was Lenora Street.
Yes, I’ve just checked. According to HistoricAerials.com, the bridge in the left foreground was at Lenora. It was there in 1936, long before the viaduct was built. In 1980 it still emptied onto the wharf’s rooftop, but by 1990 the wharf was gone and the bridge was truncated after crossing Alaskan Way. In the ’90s it was further cut back, but part of the extension from the bluff was incorporated into the new footbridge and elevator for the condo complex that sits athwart the old Lenora right of way between the railroad tracks and Alaskan Way.
Not being a Seattle resident, I’m not familiar with your “two story slab of concrete.” To what are you referring?
The “two story slab of concrete” is the SR-99 Alaskan Way Viaduct, the eyesore running diagonally across the photograph, separating the docks from the city. Quite a lot of time has been wasted over the past several years discussing when and how to replace it. The current plan is to route SR-99 through a deep-bore tunnel running under Downtown, opening up the waterfront to the city for the first time in more than 50 years.
Shot pre-’67. Old Shaky – the Kalakala – can be seen loading down at Coleman!
And the magnificent CPR ferry! Every summer, my mom would drop my sister and I off at Bell Street en-route to Granny’s house in Victoria for the summer. My mom admonished me to take care of my younger sister. To this day, she has no idea of my fantasy of her falling overboard in the Strait!
Paul Henry: Thanks for the info. I am aware of the Viaduct discussion, I just didn’t know what the “slab of concrete” was referencing. Thought it might be City Hall or the Mayor’s residence.
Seattle Greg- Great info on the Princess ships. I think the Princess Elizabeth was Marguerite’s predecessor on the Victoria run. I know that in 1969, Princess Elaine was moored on Harbor Avenue SW, next to where Salty’s On Alki is now. We went to dinner aboard her for my senior prom in 1969, before heading to the Spanish Ballroom at the Olympic. The gates for the Princess Elaine were still there in 1987-88.