Site Report #2 Environmental History
These images depict the landscape changes of the area surrounding Block 65, through the years of 1840s to present day (2017). What we now know is Washington, was once apart of the Oregon Territory according to the map from the 1840s. As you can see from these maps, once the University Heights School was built in 1903, no other structures were built on Block 65 even after the school closed its doors.
Prior to the development of the University Heights School in 1903, this land was property of the Duwamish Tribe. The Duwamish Tribe had resided here for hundreds of years, making this their home and providing for their families through fishing in the nearby Lake Washington and by hunting in prairieland. This all changed in 1855 when the Unites States tricked the Duwamish Tribe, along with others into signing away their land through the Treaty of Point Elliott. This treaty was supposed to ensure fishing rights and reservations of land dedicated to their tribes but in reality the land provided to them was far off and much smaller. This block in particular was full of thick forestry,“300 foot (tall) trees, 20 feet in diameter,” (Neilsen 32) and had an abundance of game.
Once the Duwamish Tribe was forced into reservations and the University of Washington was relocated to the University District in 1895, the population in this area began to exponentially increase. This led to the destruction of trees and the building of single family homes. Mrs. Bonnar was among those that lived in a small home on this block, she described the environment as being very muddy and covered in trees (Neilson 32). She also mentioned the lack of street lights or sidewalks made it difficult to get around at night, this has certainly changed in the 21st century where everyblock has streetlights to guide people. Alongside this block was a trolley system for all of the citizens who lived in those small homes away from campus.While looking at the street today, there are no signs of this popular form of transportation. The road has been renovated to support the flow of cars and large buses.
The population of the University District kept expanding and created the need for a school for the younger generations. This school, the University Heights School, was the created on this block in 1903 and is still standing there today in 2017. To build this school, developers completely cleared all of the trees and in the process destroyed most of the animal habitats, forcing a relocation. The school closed in 1989, but the same building is now home to the University Heights Center. The landscape surrounding this building has a community garden, a play ground and basketball court for the kids and a large parking lot for the center and nearby businesses.