Site Report 2
The original natural state of the block from the maps displayed depicts 11 buildings scattered throughout the area which is now 45th and Roosevelt. There is a single road leading up to the buildings where Roosevelt Way is now. The original topography of the area slopes upward to the north with a change in height of about 30 – 45ft from the south to north edge of where the block would had been. To the north of the block the land flattens out for a while. As you move east there is a river (now Ravenna Creek) which flows from Green Lake into the Union Bay marshlands (now occupied by the University of Washington golf course and Union Bay Natural Area). To the south there was a railroad that ran along lake union which now serves as the Burke-Gilman Trail. To the west of the block the geography slopes slightly downward into a slight ravine which would have carried rainwater away into Lake Union. It seem that because of the strategic geographical location, being central to the key natural and manmade features, the block of 45th and Roosevelt was cleared much earlier than the surrounding blocks, which can be seen in the U.S. geological survey map. Because of the early development of this location relative to the surrounding area, Roosevelt Way and 45th St. were established as main roads.
Early establishment of infrastructure can influence the development of the city many years later. A picture taken in 1928 of the block shows a gasoline station on the left hand side of the photograph. This is interesting because it is the same spot where a Chevron gas station is located now many years later. The original landscape of the block has been highly morphed over the years, leaving almost no sign of the previous environment. The only immediate sign of a previous landscape is the gradual upward slope as you travel north. However, even the slope of the block has changed. Over the years the construction of new foundations has reshaped the block, leaving only a slightly sloping sidewalk as evidence of the previous geography. The new buildings, sidewalks, and landscaping hides the natural world that the block rests upon. However, halfway down the block along 9th Ave NE there are still remnants of an old cracked sidewalk. This section of the block gives insight into the actual age of the block that the new apartment buildings and neat landscaping cant. It shows a history of heavy use and the cities battle against the natural environment as the weeds attempt to reclaim the land in the cracks of the pavement.