Not only is Seattle the biggest city in Washington, but it’s one of the most recognized metropolitan areas in the country. Most people are familiar with this big city on the street, but what can be found underneath isn't as well known. One of the most significant events in our state's history, The Great Seattle Fire Of 1889, destroyed the entire central business district downtown.
Instead of starting over somewhere else, Seattleites began to rebuild, which is why the city now sits up to 22 feet high above street level. If you take the Seattle Underground Tour, you can still explore these fascinating old ruins.
Tourists and locals alike can appreciate this guided tour in Pioneer Square, as it offers a unique look in the city's long lost past. You'll be led underneath Seattle's streets through the network of passageways that were once the main roadways and first-floor storefronts downtown.
The fire, caused by a glue pot on a stove, destroyed nearly 25 blocks of wooden buildings. It was decided that it would be best to re-build on top of the old streets, with some kind of stone or brick masonry. In this photo, you can see the view looking up at the city's current sidewalk.
Seattle built walls on the streets, filled the space in-between, and paved over to raise them, making the street levels nearly one story higher. Business owners re-opened shop faster than the city could re-construct, and as a result, the first floors of many buildings were below street level. To fix this, they installed skylights, and leaned a few ladders against walls for access.
Once the new sidewalks were complete, business owners moved to the new ground floor. By 1907, Seattle banned the underground completely in fear of the bubonic plague disease. It was used for storage and left abandoned for years, until someone decided to preserve it.
A local established "Bill Speidel's Underground Tour," and began to offer entertaining, informative tours of the ground underneath Pioneer Square. This former teller cage from an old bank can be spotted on the tour, among other buildings that are still labeled what they once were.
If you walk in Pioneer Square today, you can look down and still see the small square pieces of glass on the sidewalks that were the original skylights. This tour will lead you to buildings all throughout the neighborhood to explore different areas underground.
This abandoned "Sam's" sign can be spotted along the way, as well as many other relics including old city pipes, broken furniture, an old bathtub, signs with charming vintage fonts and more.
These fascinating tours underground give a whole new perspective into Seattle's amazing history. To learn more information, check out their website here, or by way of a new tour company, Beneath The Streets.
Have you taken the Seattle Underground Tour before? Want to check it out sometime? Share your thoughts/stories with us below.
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