Seattle isn’t the capital of Washington State, Although it is the most populous city. Let’s find out a little bit more about Seattle.

Some Facts

• The largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest.
• Founded
  • November 13, 1851
• Incorporated as a town
  • January 14, 1865
• Incorporated as a city
  • December 2, 1869
• Named for
  • Chief Sr’ahl
• Population
  • 737,015
  • Rank
    • 18 in the USA
• Website
  • www.seattle.gov

History

Like many places in the United States, the area was inhabited by Native Americans for about 4,000 years. In 1792, the first European to visit the area of Seattle was George Vancouver.

It was known as a Timber town because it had extensive natural resources. But over time, there were some issues. In 1885-1886 there were anti-Chinese riots. The unemployed whites were determined to drive the Chinses from Seattle. However, martial law was declared, and troops arrived to stop the riots.

In 1889 the city was hit with a great Seattle fire, which destroyed the central district.

The Klondike Gold Rush helped rebuild the panic of 1893. Seattle became a major area for transportation for the gold. They also used that as an opportunity to clothe the miners and feed them. Interesting that UPS, Nordstrom, and Eddie Bauer were founded during this time.

Boeing’s headquarters were based here until 2001 when it moved to Chicago.

Seattle became a major hub for technology, Amazon, F5 Networks, real networks, Nintendo of America, and T-Mobile. Microsoft is close by. The dot-com boom made Seattle a technology frenzy.

Entertainment also put Seattle on the map. One of my favorite movies Sleepless in Seattle, put Seattle on the map in 1993. The TV show called Frasier one of my favorite TV shows is called Seattle Home.

Space Needle

In 1962 the Worlds Fair made its way to Seattle, bringing in 2.3 million visitors. It still stands and still brings in a lot of tourism. I have eaten at the top of the space needle. It is quite a nice place.

Crime and homelessness

Like any city, crime in Seattle is normal. Here is a breakdown of the crime in Seattle in 2022. https://www.seattle.gov/documents/Departments/Police/Reports/2022_SPD_CRIME_REPORT_FINAL.pdf

Homelessness is there in Seattle, and I have seen homeless camps near the Stadiums. It is there, and I am not sure if it is growing.

In 2020, a group took over the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone after the death of  George Floyd. They had some demands.

• Defund the police by 50%
• Shift that funding to black communities in the way of community programs.
• The protesters won’t be charged.

This issue brought major attention to Seattle.