Seattle's Underground

The Pioneer Building was constructed in 1892, after the fire that leveled this area of Seattle

  Click here for information about the Pioneer Building, including a picture showing the 7th floor pyramid room that was removed after it was damaged in the 1949 earthquake.

Click here for pictures from another visit to Pioneer Square

Julia & Jan go on Bill Speidel's Underground Tour

Pioneer Square is Seattle’s oldest neighborhood. In 1889 most of downtown Seattle burned down. When the city was rebuilt, it was decided to raise the street level due to frequent flooding and problems with gravity-assisted flush toilets that backed up during high tide. The new stone or brick buildings were built on the original street level knowing that the streets were going to be raised and the second story would become the new street level. 

Check out the above illustration.  Walls were built on either side of the original street at the curbs and extended up to the new street level. Fill was added in the middle between the walls. Sewer pipes were buried in the fill.This left the original street level sidewalks and building entrances accessible - Ladders were provided so you could get from one level to the other. Eventually sidewalks were extended to the old second story. This finished the new street level and created the underground. Businesses continued to flourish in the underground until the city shut it down in the early 1900s out of fear of bubonic plague (lots of rats down there). Then illegal businesses took over much of the underground. Eventually they were shut down. It’s a very interesting story. 

remnants of the Otis Elevator which was installed in the Pioneer Building

Glass tiles were placed in the sidewalks on the new level to let light into the original older level of the city. Above - panel of tiles abandoned in the old level. Below - looking up from the original city sidewalks up to the new level of sidewalks. Allie (striped sweater) was our guide. She was fantastic - full of enthusiasm, knowledge, and jokes. 

Toilets were built up on platforms in an attempt to stop the geysers of sewage that erupted during high tide. The key evidently was to have your toilet higher than your neighbor's. More here

Couch is a prop left over from a movie filmed in the Underground. Note stencil painted on wall.

I wonder if this Sam's had any connection to Sam Israel, a "slum landlord credited with preserving much of Seattle's architectural heritage because of what has been termed his benign neglect." source

Jericho Inn Mission has two Facebook pages - here and here!

Click here for an earlier visit to the underground
Click here for a video about the underground
More information here