• Hotel Seattle at James St. and Yesler Way, 1903

    Hotel Seattle at James St. and Yesler Way, 1903

    Located in Pioneer Square at the intersection of Yesler Way, James Street and First Avenue, Hotel Seattle was constructed in 1890. It replaced the Occidental Hotel which burned down in the fire of 1889. In 1891, the building served as home to the Seattle Public Library. Around the time of the construction of the nearby Smith Tower in 1914, Hotel Seattle was converted from hotel use to an office building. By 1961, the building was abandoned and later torn down and replaced with a parking garage. This instigated a historic preservation movement in the Pioneer Square area to preserve other historic buildings before they could be demolished.

    Identifier: spl_pc_00821

    Date: 1903

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  • Young Women's Christian Association at 5th Ave. and Seneca St.

    Young Women's Christian Association at 5th Ave. and Seneca St.

    Nowell, Frank H., 1864-1950

    Opened in 1914 and led by Mrs. Rees Daniels, the YWCA headquarters was a support center for young working women. The eight-story brick building still serves as the YWCA headquarters today.

    Identifier: spl_pc_00500

    Date: 1915?

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  • Smith Tower, Court House and City Hall, ca. 1950

    Smith Tower, Court House and City Hall, ca. 1950

    Transcribed from postcard: "Smith Tower, Court House and City Hall, Seattle, Washington, in down-town Seattle. From the observation platform in Smith Tower, a 42-story building, one may enjoy an excellent view of the city and surrounding country."

    Identifier: spl_pc_00210

    Date: 1950?

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  • King Street Station, ca. 1906

    King Street Station, ca. 1906

    During the early 1900s, there was increasing interest in connecting railroads with Seattle. The high demand and competition between railways resulted in two railway stations being built directly next to each other at 4th Avenue and Jackson Street. King Street Station (which is depicted in this postcard) was constructed in 1906 and can be distinguished by its tower. Union Station, originally known as the Oregon and Washington Station, was constructed in 1911. Alternative names for Union Station include the Union Depot and the Northern Pacific Great Northern Depot. The postcard captioning can be confusing because both stations were sometimes referred to as "union stations" due to the fact that multiple railroad lines were shared within the same terminal. For a good example of the differences between Union Station and King Street Station see spl_pc_01011 where Union Station appears in the foreground and King Street Station appears in the background.

    Identifier: spl_pc_01017

    Date: 1906?

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  • Frederick & Nelson

    Frederick & Nelson

    In Seattle, Christmas isn't Christmas without a Day at Frederick & Nelson. Seattle's most beautiful department store had rolled out the red carpet for its friends and neighbors this Christmas. The scene shows one of the First floor aisles.

    Identifier: spl_pc_00224

    Date: 1955

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  • St. James Cathedral, ca. 1909

    St. James Cathedral, ca. 1909

    Bishop Edward O'Dea purchased the land for St. James Cathedral's First Hill site in 1903 after successfully petitioning the Pope to relocate the episcopal see from Vancouver, Washington to Seattle. The cornerstone for the building was laid in 1905 with more than 5,000 people in attendance and the cathedral officially opened on December 15, 1907.

    Identifier: spl_pc_00306

    Date: 1909?

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  • Hotel Butler, ca. 1908

    Hotel Butler, ca. 1908

    The original Butler Block building was a three story wooden building that was constructed around 1875. This building burned in the fire of 1889 but was quickly replaced with a more substantial stone structure. The Butler Hotel or Hotel Butler began operation in the building in 1903, attracting many visitors and gaining a reputation during Prohibition for ignoring the laws against alcohol. The Great Depression forced it to close its doors in 1933 and now all that remains are the lower two floors of the building which were converted into a parking garage.

    Identifier: spl_pc_00808

    Date: 1908?

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  • Frederick and Nelson, ca. 1918

    Frederick and Nelson, ca. 1918

    The Frederick and Nelson flagship store opened in 1918 at 5th Avenue and Pine Street. The store attracted thousands of customers on it's first day and remained a popular shopping location for decades. The company went out of business in 1992 and the building was taken over by Nordstrom.

    Identifier: spl_pc_00204

    Date: 1918?

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  • Medical Dental Building, ca. 1925

    Medical Dental Building, ca. 1925

    The Medical Dental Building was constructed in 1925 and expanded in 1950. Initial plans for expansion during the 1930s were put on hold due to the Great Depression. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2006.

    Identifier: spl_pc_00900

    Date: 1925?

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  • Federal Building at 3rd Ave. and Union St., ca. 1910

    Federal Building at 3rd Ave. and Union St., ca. 1910

    Street view of the Federal building in downtown Seattle (also known as the U.S. Court House, Custom House and Post Office). Construction on the Federal Building began in 1903 and ended in 1908. The building was located at the intersection of Union Street and Third Avenue, which was being regraded at the time. The Third Avenue regrade left a gap of four feet down to the new sidewalk which resulted in a new set of stairs being added to the building's exterior. The building was demolished in 1958.

    Identifier: spl_pc_00406

    Date: 1910?

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