Site Report 3

Birds-Eye View of the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition

Population of Seattle from 1900 to 2000

The audio file can be found at the following Google Drive link here

Hello, and welcome to the audio tour of the block between 11th and 12th Avenue, and 41st and 42nd Street!  This block is just west of the University of Washington and north of Portage Bay.  It is on a slight incline to the north.  Until the late 1800s, this land was heavily forested.  Beginning in the late 1800s, the area changed dramatically as it was logged and as roads, rail lines, and new development emerged. The UW, which was originally located in downtown Seattle, was moved to its current location in 1895. In addition, the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition took place in 1909 on the current site of the UW, as shown by historical images of the Exposition.  These factors brought a large number of new people to the University District and Seattle, as evidenced by Census Bureau records.  Over the years, the primary usage of this block, and the surrounding area, has been housing.  In the era since World War II, this block and surrounding areas have primarily featured apartments and multifamily housing.  This housing was intended for, and has supported, students and other people associated with the University, due to its close proximity to the campus.  Fast forwarding to the present, you’ll notice that almost the entire block is now comprised of apartment buildings.  Some of these apartments, like the apartment complex on the far northeast corner of the block, were built as early as 1957.  Other buildings, like the Cedar Apartments on 42nd Street, were built as recently as 2008.  Looking toward the future, the block will continue to change when the new light rail station on 43rd Street opens just two blocks north.  I hope you have enjoyed this brief history of the block.  Thank you.