Seattle Trivia
by johnataylor · 19 things on NewTwos
- Photo by Thom Milkovic on Unsplash
- Facts about the USA's Emerald City gleaned from a variety of sources.
- Seattle boasts the original Skid Row (now called Yesler Way).
- The world's first gas station opened in Seattle in 1907.
- Seattle Trivia: Seattle is known for its rain. However, Seattle actually averages less rainfall per year than New York, and Seattle residents buy more sunglasses per capita than any other city in the nation. So much for the myth of a rainy, cloudy, Seattle!
- While Seattle is now known as the “Emerald City,” its original nickname was “Queen City.” This earlier moniker, which the city held from 1869 until 1981, reflected Seattle’s aspiration to become the premier urban center of the Pacific Northwest.
- Bertha Knight Landes became the first female mayor in America in 1926, breaking barriers and paving the way for future women leaders in politics. Her election to this prominent position exemplified Seattle’s progressive nature and its willingness to embrace change, challenging traditional gender roles and expectations at the time.
- The Space Needle was first designed on a cocktail napkin by Edward E. Carlson in 1961 as an inspiration for the 1962 World’s Fair.
- While it may not seem like the best place to be during a natural disaster, the Space Needle has a foundation that goes 30 feet underground so the structure can withstand a 9.1 magnitude earthquake and up to 200 mph winds.
- Many tourists flock to see the “original Starbucks” in Pike Place Market, but the first true Starbucks was located at 2000 Western Avenue. This lesser-known location, which opened its doors in 1971, marks the humble beginnings of the now-global coffee giant that has become synonymous with Seattle’s vibrant cafe culture.
- Harbor Island is the largest man-made island in the country. It’s mainly used for industrial and commercial activities, and no one lives there.
- Parts of current-day Seattle sit 22 feet above the original city which was destroyed in 1889 by the Great Seattle Fire. An overturned glue pot ignited a massive fire in a city that was mainly made of wood buildings. Instead of rebuilding the city from the ground up, it was decided that the new city would be built on top of the old city.
- Many people know that grunge bands such as Nirvana and Soundgarden got their start in Seattle, but Sir Mix-A-Lot, Kenny G, Kenny Loggins, and Heart also began there.
- Seattle has the biggest houseboat population in the nationSeattle has the biggest houseboat population in the nation.
- Roy Olmstead was Seattle’s famous cop-turned-bootlegger and became known as “The Good Bootlegger” during Prohibition. Unlike other bootleggers, he insisted the people working for him didn’t carry guns or kill anyone if they were caught. This was because he said he would rather “lose a shipment of liquor than a life.”
- One source of engineering pride for Seattle is that it holds the record for the longest floating bridge in the world. The SR 520 or Evergreen Point Floating Bridge is 7,710 feet long, spanning about a third of the width of Lake Washington. It connects Seattle to Mercer Island, Bellevue, and other cities on the Eastside and beyond.
- Seattle is built on seven hills, just like Rome and San Francisco. Some of the most well-known of these are Queen Anne Hill, Capitol Hill (which has the steepest), First Hill, and Beacon Hill. Be prepared for a climb at some point if you’re walking or driving around the city!