A Quick History of Seattle

The Seattle area has been inhabited for at least 4,000 years.. However, our interest here lies in when the city of Seattle was founded. Arthur Denny and his crew (known as the Denny Party) first settled Seattle in November 1851. Seattle's first name was New York (how original), then it became Duwamps (how unusual), before it received the final name of Seattle (after the chief of two Native American tribes living in the area).

• Great Seattle Fire of 1889 (destroyed the central business districts, but nobody died)
• The Klondike Gold Rush (reached Seattle in 1897 and made it a major transportation center)
• The Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition (a world's fair held in Seattle in 1909)
• The Seattle General Strike of 1919 (this was the first general strike in the country)
• The 1962 Century 21 Exposition (another world's fair with the construction of the Space Needle)
• Summer Goodwill Games (came to Seattle in 1990)
• The WTO Ministerial Conference of 1999 (along with the protests, riots, and unnecessary use of force by the police)
• The Nisqually Earthquake of 2001(most damage was minor, but it reminded everyone of the Seattle Fault--plus, the quake was plain scary)

The next time you are in Seattle, make sure you experience a bit of history by checking these places out:

• The Underground Tour: This walking tour takes you underneath Seattle's modern streets and sidewalks, showing you the original downtown.
• Pike Place Market: Step into the past by exploring this public market. First opening its stands in August 1907, Pike Place is the oldest continually-operated public farmer's market in the U.S. For more info on Pike Place Market, click here.
• The Center for Wooden Boats: Learn about Seattle's maritime history by visiting this small museum. Entrance is free and you will enjoy learning about the different kinds of boats the center has to offer. After taking the tour, you can rent a boat and take a tour of the lake. For more information on the CWB, click here.
• Bruce Lee's Grave Site: Visit the graves of Bruce and Brandon Lee, leave something special, and check out what other visitors have left.