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A city with a hidden basement level
Walk through Seattle’s Pioneer Square and you might notice glass blocks in the sidewalk. Some of them glow when the sun hits, like the street has a secret light switch. That glow is your hint that Seattle has a “second” street level below you.
The Seattle Underground is a set of old sidewalks, storefronts, and basements that used to be street level. When Seattle raised parts of downtown, the old ground floor got buried under the newer streets. Today, guided tours let you see a preserved slice of that earlier city.
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The fire that changed everything
In 1889, downtown Seattle was mostly wood, packed tight, and easy to burn. The Great Seattle Fire of June 6, 1889, swept across about 100 acres of the business district and waterfront. It became a turning point for how Seattle built, planned, and paid for basics like water and fire protection.
The damage was massive, with losses estimated at around $20 million at the time. Rebuilding moved fast, but it came with tougher rules and bigger ambitions. Seattle wanted a downtown that could handle rain, tide, and growth.
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Rain, tides, and sewer trouble
Seattle’s early core sat low near Elliott Bay, and the tide could be unforgiving. Heavy rain turned streets into mud, and flooding made daily life harder than it needed to be. Even sewer lines could struggle when water levels surged…