Site Report #2

Workers install pipe near Roosevelt Way, pictred April 13, 1946. Seattle Municiple Archive, Photograph collection.

Topograpghy of block 12 on Roosevelt and 42nd University Way. Taken 1/20/2017, Seattle Dept. of Planning & Development GIS, Map archive

Mossy parking lot in alley way on block 12 on Roosevelt Way and 42nd University Way. Taken by Julian Borusinski on 1/06/2017

After researching my block’s past I found out that my block was once a very large hill or at least the beginning of one. After looking at a topographical map as well as revisiting my site to take more pictures it became obvious that my site was once very uneven and if you look closely you can still the see the remnant unevenness by looking at some of the driveways that descend into the ground at a very steep slope. Due to the unevenness of the ground I can only assume that it was extremely difficult to level the ground in order to build things and make it the way it is now. My block was originally the typical Washington forest cluttered with trees, very uneven, and slightly marshy. As more and more people started residing in Seattle before anything was built on the land the trees were cut down far in advance to create supplies to build elsewhere. A good deal of time later when the industrial era started it was completely leveled and had pipes installed all throughout its surrounding area through old pictures I found out that my block was actually one of the very first to get piping installed underground this is probably due to its close proximity to the water. The first sign that is a very clear indicator of what my block used to be are the trees growing on it as well as the roots running under the roads and cracking the cement, if they can grow even in these suburban conditions then the soil in the area must be pretty fertile so the trees originally on my block must have been many. Another sign is the cement caving in some spots causing it to crack and look very weathered may mean that the land was and still is not completely solid underneath all the cement, not only that but the large amount of moss growing between the cracks in the cement is probably due to a very moist ground underneath everything.