Maritime Seattle

Seattle grew from pioneer settlement to bustling metropolis, its waterfront evolving from a marsh to a thriving complex of industrial sites on both salt and fresh water. This pictorial history weaves the story of the evolution of the Seattle and King County waterfronts through photographs, images, and maps as it develops from marsh to container terminal. Beginning in 1850 with the pre-canal era, here are the lumber mills, local freight and passenger transportation, coastal and ocean shipping, the shipyards, and the stories of significant figures in the history of Seattle's waterfront. Shown also is how the rapid growth of the shipyard facilities was counterbalanced with the development of the labor movement. The forging of this shipping epicenter is captured here in over 200 vintage photographs.

For over 50 years the Puget Sound Maritime Historical Society has been an important resource for the preservation and interpretation of the maritime heritage of the greater Puget Sound area. Most of the images are from a collection of photographs and negatives acquired from the acclaimed Joe Williamson, one of the society's founding members and a long-time maritime photographer and collector in the Puget Sound region.