Pioneer Square

Welcome to Pioneer Place, the heart of Pioneer Square and the site of Seattle's first permanent settlement. Throughout the years this triangle park has played a major role as a social center, transportation hub, and general landmark, and today is surrounded by some of the city's most famous architecture.

You will quickly notice the totem pole near the middle of the park. The original pole was added in 1890 when a group of men stole a totem pole from the nearby Tlingit Native American village. The pole was destroyed in 1938 by an arsonist and the city sent $5,000 to the Tlingits for a new one. According to the legend, the Tlingits sent back a note saying, "Thank you for paying for the first totem pole, please send another $5,000 for a new one". Whatever the true story, the U.S. Forest Service paid for the current pole, which was hand-carved by native craftsmen Charles and William Brown.

The adjacent Pioneer Building was once voted the finest building west of Chicago in 1892. The designer, Elmer Fisher, designed over 50 buildings in the nearby area all after the great fire of 1889 which destroyed most of the area. These Victorian-Romanesque buildings make Pioneer Square one of the better places in the city for Architecture lovers.

On the south side of the park along Yesler Way you will see the iron Pergola which kept passengers dry while waiting for the cable car. It was added to prepare for the 1909 World's Fair and is intricately designed and worth a closer look.

Yesler Way began the prominent street in Pioneer Square. It was originalyl called Mill Street because it was used in conjunction with Henry Yesler's sawmill on nearby Elliott Bay. It gained the nickname "Skid Road" (or "Skid Row") because logs cut from the hill were slid down the road greased up down to the mill below.

Yesler Way also served an important social role by dividing the "high brow" neighborhood of the north from the district of saloons, brothels and vice to the south. Sin and vine were tolerated for quite some time in the past and area soon became to be known as "Skid Row" for some of the lower-class activities going on.

The "Deadline" as it was known also separated the original land claims of Doc Maynard (south) and Carson Borren (north). When some of the founders of the city set out to plan the city in 1853 they could not decide on the orientation of the grid layout of the city, which is why there is a dramatic change on either side of Yesler Way.

This pedestrian street leading to Occidental Park was created in 1972, although the buildings on either site date back as far as the 1890s. The State Building (corner of Occidental and S Main St.) stands on what was once a blockhouse that early settlers used for safety while under attack by Salish Native American warriors in 1855.

It is easy to walk by this small park, but it can serve as a nice retreat from the busy streets outside. You can find chairs and tables to relax while you listen to the sounds of the waterfalls.

Hai Ying Wu designed this sculpture for a competition at the University of Washington School of Arts. It remembers the 37 Seattle firefighters who have passed in the line of duty protecting the city. On S Main St, across from parking lot you will see the Seattle Fire Department which was established after the Great Fire of 1889.

You will find many things in the small Occidental Park: A small tourist information booth, an entry into the Grand Central Building, which holds a nice indoor mall, and two totems on the northern side. These totems were carved by Duane Pasco. The taller totem represents a legend of how a raven stole the moon, while the other shows a man riding on the back of a whale.

The 42-story Smith Tower was once the 4th tallest building in the world when it opened on July 4, 1914 held claim to the title of "Tallest Building West of the Mississippi" for 50 years until the Seattle Space Needle was built. It was designed by Gaggin & Gaggin for the successful typewriter company, L.C. Smith.

Today you take take a ride on the traditional brass elevators to the 35th floor Observation Deck that wraps around the entire building for panoramic views of the city, Mt. Rainer, and the Cascase Mountain rangess.

The Chinese Room in the tower features a hand-carved ceiling and furniture and is one of the several reasons people come to see this historical building.

Prices
Adults - $7.50
Seniors and Students - $6
Children 6-12 - $5

Hours
April and October: 10am-5pm
May-September: 10am-Sunset
November-March: Saturday, Sunday 10am-3pm
(except during private events, open most holidays)