Site Report #2
This is a map of the area from 1845. It shows how the area was preivously covered with trees and forest.
Site Report #2: Environmental History
When consulting early topographical maps of this block it appears that there is a slight change in elevation causing there to be a hill as one walks down the block from NE 45th Street towards NE 43rd Street. This hill is slight and seems to not have posed much difficulty when developing the area. Due to this decline in the land, the buildings were set up in such a way that they can be accessed at different floor levels from the sidewalk. For instance, if approaching the building that holds Petco and Art Supplies from the sidewalk that lines NE 45th Street, it would seem that the animal store is on the first floor of the structure while the art store is in the basement. However, when approaching this same building from 8th Avenue NE one can walk straight into the Art Store from the sidewalk making this shop appear as the first floor of a two story building. The way they set up this building along the hill allows the space to be used for multiple reasons and is a very effective use of the land.
Also from looking at different maps of this block one can conclude that forestry was originally there before human inhabitation. A map from 1845 shows there being some forest in the area. However, as presented in maps from the late 1890s, it appears the trees were cut down. It seems these timber trees were cut down and used for development and commercial reasons. Then the block was inhabited and thus the trees were not allowed to grow back. Overtime with the addition of more buildings, streets, and the highway around this area, it seems the block become completely filled with concrete, buildings, and homes. The block does have some trees today, but these trees seem to have been placed as a means of decoration and to provide some shade.
Since this area has a slight hill and used to be forest, the natural environment has had an effect on the current urban environment. Due to the decline in elevation along the block, some of the sidewalks have had more wear and tear on them than other sidewalks on more flat areas. Some of the concrete has been pushed up or cracked. This provides evidence that the land is hilly and possibly a slight change in the degree of the hill. Then due to the previous forestation of the area, there does seem to be some grass and weeds growing through the concrete. The fact that grass is growing by itself through the sidewalks is evidence that the area was naturally forest.