Preview up to 100 items from this collection below. Seattle’s massive effort to regrade and flatten much of the city’s hilly landscape is documented in this 1905-1908 photo album. Explore our map to see the modern-day photo locations.
4th Ave. Regrade from Cherry St., ca. 1906
The Colman Mansion and the Rainier Club appear on the right side of the street in the distance.
Identifier: spl_dr_030
Date: 1906
Denny Regrade, ca. 1906
Regrade debris in front of dwellings at unidentified location.
Identifier: spl_dr_022
Date: 1906
Drydocked
Fay Chong was born in Canton, China in 1912. He worked primarily in printmaking and in watercolor. He and his family moved to Seattle in 1920. He attended Edison High School where he was a classmate of George Tsutakawa. Chong worked on the Public Works of Art Project in the 1930's with Robert Bruce Inverarity, Jacob Elshin and Julius Twohy. Chong taught art at Cornish College for the Arts, Seattle Community College, Washington Senior High School and Ingraham High School. He received a Bachelor's degree from the University of Washington in 1968 and an MAT from the University of Washington in 1971. He died suddenly of a stroke in 1973.
Identifier: spl_art_C455Dr
Date: n.d.
Men guiding water jets for regrade work, ca. 1906
Workers guiding hydraulic jets and regrade runoff at unidentified location.
Identifier: spl_dr_017
Date: 1906
Third Avenue regrade, ca. 1905
Residences on the edge of the 3rd Avenue regrade.
Identifier: spl_dr_003
Date: 1905
View NW from 8th and Pike to Washington Hotel, ca. 1905
The Washington Hotel is pictured at the top of Denny Hill. Although the regrade started in 1903, James Moore, the owner of the hotel, refused to clear the property until 1906 when regrading of Second and Third Avenues were well underway.
Identifier: spl_dr_004
Date: 1905
Hotel Washington Annex under construction on Second Ave., ca. 1906
The Washington Hotel Annex (later known as Hotel Gowman and Hotel Stewart) under construction with the old Washington Hotel on the hill behind. Although the regrade started in 1903, James Moore, the owner of the hotel, refused to clear the property until 1906 when regrading of Second and Third Avenues were well underway.
Identifier: spl_dr_005
Date: 1906
View of regrade north from Madison St., ca. 1906
View north to regrade steam shovel at work on Spring St. between 2nd and 3rd Avenues. Piper and Taft Sporting Goods and Hotel George appear in the background.
Identifier: spl_dr_007
Date: 1907
Denny Regrade, ca. 1906
Water jets and building being deconstructed at unidentified regrade location.
Identifier: spl_dr_008
Date: 1906
View from 2nd Ave. of steam shovel and Washington Hotel, ca. 1906
Although the regrade started in 1903, James Moore, the owner of the Washington Hotel, refused to clear the property until 1906 when regrading of Second and Third Avenues were well underway.
Identifier: spl_dr_041
Date: 1906