So what is Seattle famous for, apart from a cracker of a place to be sleepless in?
Well there is the legacy of the great fire of 1889, which devastated downtown Seattle but furnished civic leaders an opportunity to make good out of the bad planning that had gone before it. They embarked on a program of land fills to, literally, raise the streets above sea level. For the buildings that survived, that meant their ground floors having the light of day shut off as they became basements. These “basements” were left unchanged; forgotten but preserved in a stillness of time, as time itself passed by in the world above. And that begot a little dividend for the tourist Industry during the late 20th century. During the early 1970s I saw a movie set in Seattle called ‘The Night Strangler’. In it, reporter Carl Kolchack pursues a 120 year old vampire down Into “Old Seattle”, the underground city that had once stood up top. A vast and cavernous place within which the vampire lives with his memories.
My ambition to see the underground myself was finally realised on the Underground City Tour, which actually begins above ground at Maynard’s Public House in Pioneer Square. A fully restored 1890s ornate saloon, this atmospheric drinking den is worth enjoying a few beers in alone and not just as warm up for the tour. After some background history, it is then time to descend the back stairs to the first of three blocks of a half forgotten underworld.
What became quickly apparent was the cavernous underground of The Night Strangler owed more to artistic licence and a studio set in Hollywood. The real life Seattle Underground may not be as spectacular but is none the less fascinating. Streets, storefronts, sidewalks, as intact as they were back in 1889. Empty window frames that once housed glass; a bathroom, a bank teller’s cage, even a taproom with bar remain preserved in the dust of time. A dislodged sign heralds the Jericho Inn Mission; fallen memento to a place for the fallen. This is the house of Miss Havisham only now it has gone metropolitan. Creepy and claustrophobic, the underground tour is walking through a ghost world from the past. A route to tread carefully lest we wake the dead and the only sounds of life are the footsteps of those walking the sidewalks up above, unaware of this secret world beneath their feet.
A museum marks the climax of the tour. Here, Seattle’s strange history can be relived in mementoes, photos, historical documentation and souvenir shop. So If you are ever Seattle bound why not give the subterranean city a go? And if contemplating the city from its darkest bowels is not quite your cup of mocha, then try viewing it from atop the 500 foot high plus Space Needle. Now there is a contrast…
Barry McCann is a writer, editor and broadcaster, specialising in short stories, reviews, features, talks and, more recently, travel writing. Barry is the editor of Parnassus, MENSA’s Art & Literature Journal and is currently Writer in Residence at BBC Radio Lancashire. Find him on Face Book.
If you enjoyed this article then you will no doubt enjoy Barry’s ‘Folklore Tour of the Lake District’ and ‘The Padstow Obby Oss’
From Michael:
Seattle is great. It’s top of the list of cities we will visit in the US this year. Pity that all their sports team is s**t.
From Barry:
Seattle is also on the doorstep of Twin Peaks country. Visited both the hotel and the diner with its damn fine cherry pie. May write about it one day.
From Zoë Dawes:
Never been but sounds like a great place. No comment on the team
From Zoë Dawes:
Cherry Pie is sooo scrumptious! Thanks so much for the article Barry – a great start to 2011 and the QT Guest posts. Another place to add the list …
From Jools Stone:
I love the idea of this underground tour. How did it get to be underground then, what’s the story behind it? The film looks intriguing too. Perhaps you’ve got something here, a series of posts inspired by films. You could do Withnail & I and the Penrith Tearooms.
From Kathy:
How fascinating! Thanks for sharing this, looking forward to reading more of your articles Barry :0)
From Barry:
Hi Jools
The original Seattle was built below sea level at high tide and used to get flooded. it is said one lad drowned while crossing the street. After the great fire, it was decided to rebuild a level up to get around this problem. Thus what had been first floor became ground floor. There is a very informative and amusing book about Seattle’s bizarre history called “Sons of the Profits or There’s No Business Like Grow Business: The Seattle Story 1851-1901″ by William C. Speidel. I should think it will be available on the internet.
From Zoë Dawes:
Am hoping Jools is going to contribute something to the QT blog. Barry & Jools should meet some day!