Five Historic Sites in Seattle

A few months ago we relocated (once again) from the Seattle area to Central Pennsylvania to be close to certain archives (Getting ready for the next project) as well as historic sites from colonial times to the Civil War. In short, we moved for history. But that doesn’t mean that the Puget Sound region doesn’t have its share of historic sites. I’m surprised at how many people I meet say that they want to visit Seattle. So I thought I’d share a few of my favorite historic sites around Western Washington.

The Ballard Locks

Ballard Locks/Carl English Garden

What the locals call the Ballard Locks (for the community it’s located in), is officially named the Hiram Chittenden Locks and is run by the Army Corp of Engineers. The Ballard Locks connect freshwater Lake Union and Lake Washington with saltwater Puget Sound. Opened in 1917, it still operates today providing a water route out of Seattle’s eastside communities to the Pacific Ocean. Stop by the small museum and gift shop, take a ranger-led tour, or just hang out and watch the boats go through the Locks (surprisingly relaxing). The Locks are also the home of the Carl English Botanical Garden with walking paths through thousands of flowers, shrubs, and trees curated by Corps of Engineers gardeners.

Discovery Park/Fort Lawton

If you’d like to walk through a temperate rainforest without leaving the city, take a trip over to Discovery Park. The park is actually on a large hill overlooking the Ballard Locks and used to be the U.S. Army’s Fort Lawton. Lawton was a point of embarkation during WWII and Korea. You get some great views of Puget Sound from different points in the park. There are miles of trails. You can hike down to take an iconic picture of the West Point Lighthouse, see some of the old buildings left over from the army days, and visit the veteran’s cemetery located in the park.

The Denny Regrade, where Seattle
leveled out its steepest hills. seattlepi.com

Museum of History and Industry (MOHAI)

Everyone knows that Seattle is the home of Starbucks, Boeing, and Microsoft. But the city and surrounding Puget Sound have a rich history prior to these industry giants. Western Washington started out as a collection of “resource towns” supporting industries like lumber, mining, fishing, and shipping. Seattle was the gateway to the Yukon Goldrush. Seattle became what it is through an entrepreneurial spirit that even changed the landscape. That is evidenced by major construction projects like the Locks and ship canal, and especially the Denny Regrade. This fascinating history is told through the Museum of History and Industry. The MOHAI (pronounced MO-HI by the locals) is located on the southern tip of Lake Union. Plan on spending the whole day, especially since you’ll want to walk around the Center for Wooden Boats co-located there.

Goldrush Museum/Pioneer Square

In 1897 gold was discovered on the Klondike River in Canada’s Yukon Territory. Just coming off of a deep economic depression, thousands of fortune hunters from the United States, Canada, and all over the world, flocked to this remote valley in the far north. Seattle competed with other cities, namely Portland and San Francisco, to become the place to get your supplies before jumping off into the wilderness. Seattle won. The story is told in the Klondike Gold Rush Museum, located in the Pioneer Square neighborhood and part of the Klondike Gold Rush National Park. The museum is not large but very interesting. It is my favorite historic site in Seattle. Plus walking around the Pioneer Square section of town will complete your day. Some of the buildings date from the period of the Klondike Goldrush. Choose one of the great restaurants for lunch and enjoy the historic architecture.

Museum of Flight

If you are a fan of aerospace then the Museum of Flight, located on Boeing Field in South Seattle, is the place for you. It’s my favorite aviation museum, touted to be the largest, independent, not-for-profit air and space museum in the world. (Okay, I really like the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum too, but that’s across the country in D.C.) Plan for the whole day as there is a lot to see here. As they say, “it’s worth the price of admission.” My favorite is the “Red Barn,” the birthplace of the Boeing Aircraft Company in 1916.

Coast Artillery Museum at Fort Worden

Just five you say?

No! These are just my five favorite major historic attractions in the Seattle area. There is so much more history to see in Puget Sound, especially if you want to drive a little. Check out the National Nordic Museum in Ballard, or the Washington State History Museum in downtown Tacoma. Puget Sound has a deep maritime history. Check out the U.S. Naval Undersea Museum in Keyport or the Puget Sound Navy Museum in Bremerton. And another favorite of mine is Fort Worden State Historical Park in Port Townsend on the Olympic Peninsula. It's the home of a Coast Artillery Museum and you can explore the concrete batteries where they filmed "An Officer and a Gentleman." It’s a long list. Got one to add? Share it in the comments below. 

Defending Puget Sound: Fort Casey State Park

Spring finally sprung here in the Seattle area. We took an unusually nice day off weather-wise and drove to Fort Casey State Park on Whidbey Island, one of our favorite picnic spots. Along with Fort Worden and Fort Flagler state parks, Fort Casey is a former coast artillery position built around the turn of the twentieth century for the defense of Puget Sound. All three state parks are great for hiking, camping, or letting kids play on the old concrete batteries. Each one is around a two-and-a-half-hour drive from Seattle, including sometimes waiting for a ferry. But Fort Casey is my favorite.

A new coat of paint and a restored
"disappearing gun"

Fort Casey has always been less crowded than the more noteworthy Fort Worden. Fort Worden, located at Port Townsend was the shooting location for the movie “An Officer and a Gentleman” with Richard Gere. Also, Port Townsend is a picturesque tourist destination. Not that it’s a bad thing, but it brings with it crowds and there is a bit of litter and graffiti on the walls of the batteries. Fort Casey is quiet and clean. As a matter of fact, on our visit we saw that the park is being restored to its original condition in that workers are applying a fresh coat of paint and are mounting two restored “disappearing guns.” This work should be complete by the end of May.

During the second half of the nineteenth century the United States was concerned about the defense of their new territories in the Pacific Northwest, particularly Puget Sound. There was a sense of urgency that came with increased tensions with Spain in the lead-up to the Spanish-American war. A survey of Puget Sound by the Corps of Engineers easily noted that Admiralty Inlet was a narrow gateway into the rest of Puget Sound. In fact, Admiralty Inlet is only about four miles wide. Construction was started in the late 1890s on all three forts, Casey, Worden, and Flagler, that would create a “triangle of fire” for any invading fleet.

It is only 4 miles across Admiralty Inlet
between Forts Worden and Casey

Fort Casey was activated in 1901. By 1907 there were 34 pieces of coastal artillery sitting 100 feet above sea level. Similar strength was located at the other two points of the triangle. This investment in defense didn’t last very long. The threat of invasion diminished. So much so that during the First World War, 13 of the guns were removed from Fort Casey and sent to France as heavy artillery and rail guns. Battleships got bigger, matching the forts for the size of guns. Also, the advent of the airplane that was able to bomb the forts necessitated removing the cannons and replacing them with anti-aircraft guns during the Second World War. 

Great views at Fort Casey

After WWII, Fort Casey stood vacant and fell into disrepair. The fort was officially deactivated in 1953 and was later transferred to the Washington State Parks. If you would like to know more about the defenses of Puget Sound, read this article on HistoryLink.org, or visit the Coastal Artillery Museum at Fort Worden. You also might take a look at the book, "The Pictorial History of Fort Casey" by Terry Buchanan.