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Seattle Underground

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When they reconstructed their buildings, merchants and landlords knew that the ground floor would eventually be underground and the next floor up would be the new ground floor, so there is very little decoration on the doors and windows of the original ground floor, but extensive decoration on the
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For the regrade, the streets were lined with concrete walls that formed narrow alleyways between the walls and the buildings on both sides of the street, with a wide "alley" where the street was. The naturally steep hillsides were used and, through a series of
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Once the new sidewalks were complete, building owners moved their businesses to the new ground floor, although merchants carried on business in the lowest floors of buildings that survived the fire, and pedestrians continued to use the underground
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At first, pedestrians climbed ladders to go between street level and the sidewalks in front of the building entrances. Brick archways were constructed next to the road surface, above the submerged sidewalks.
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At approximately 2:20 p.m. on June 6, 1889, an accidentally overturned glue pot in a carpentry shop started the most destructive fire in the history of Seattle. After this
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The concrete floor of the former meat market was originally at the level of the wooden platform on the left but sank over time because of decomposing sawdust fill.
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Only a small portion of the Seattle Underground has been restored and made safe and accessible to the public on guided tours. In 1965, local citizen
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and adjacent buildings. The tour route passes disused storefronts, artifacts, and multiple tunnel entrances.
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A second tour, Beneath the Streets, was created in 2013 and uses other sections of the Underground network.
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This article is about subterranean walkways. For Seattle's underground rail network, see
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formally created "Bill Speidel's Underground Tour", which continues to operate from the
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The Seattle Underground. The facade seen here was at street level in the mid-1800s.
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lit by the vault lights (still seen on some streets) embedded in the grade-level
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Start of the Great Seattle Fire, looking south on 1st Avenue near Madison Street
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Network of underground basements and walkways in Seattle, Washington
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is a network of underground passageways and basements in the
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In 1907, the city condemned the Underground for fear of
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Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. 551: 528: 385:(underground features in cities around the world) 469:"The Inside Story: Going Underground in Seattle" 205:had originally been built mostly on filled-in 612: 8: 422:"The P-I error that changed Seattle history" 619: 605: 597: 1138:Tourist attractions in Washington (state) 531:Doc Maynard, The Man Who Invented Seattle 129:Learn how and when to remove this message 592:Mashable: 1905-1930 The Seattle Regrade 395: 7: 67:adding citations to reliable sources 1133:Buildings and structures in Seattle 494:McKenzie, Madeline (June 3, 2015). 1004:Naples underground geothermal zone 439:Coppard, Patricia (July 1, 2019). 25: 579: 43: 274:Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition 54:needs additional citations for 1050:Forestiere Underground Gardens 913:Underground mining (soft rock) 908:Underground mining (hard rock) 893:Subsurface utility engineering 467:Lyke, M.L. (January 7, 2001). 181:A view looking upwards at the 1: 903:Underground mine ventilation 1060:Underground House Las Vegas 1159: 1055:Underground House Colorado 984:Underground City, Montreal 979:Underground City (Beijing) 426:Seattle Post-Intelligencer 410:. June 7, 1889. p. 5. 370:Underground City, Montreal 345:Manchester Cathedral Steps 31: 1086:Hockerton Housing Project 627:Man-made and man-related 1100:Earth shelters Australia 880:underground construction 408:Los Angeles Daily Herald 840:Missile launch facility 1065:Underground World Home 550:Speidel, Bill (1990). 249: 186: 174: 146: 954:Kőbánya cellar system 949:Houston tunnel system 888:Rock-cut architecture 247: 180: 172: 144: 78:"Seattle Underground" 1029:Subterranean fiction 1024:Subterranean warfare 588:at Wikimedia Commons 63:improve this article 1019:Subterranean Toledo 1014:Subterranean London 934:Caves of Maastricht 898:Tunnel construction 679:Burial vault (tomb) 586:Seattle Underground 554:Sons of the Profits 473:The Washington Post 365:Underground Atlanta 217:from backing up at 159:Seattle, Washington 151:Seattle Underground 18:Underground Seattle 1143:Underground cities 974:Underground living 856:Underground hangar 404:"Seattle in Ashes" 350:Raising of Chicago 325:Catacombs of Paris 253:new ground floor. 250: 191:Great Seattle Fire 187: 175: 147: 1120: 1119: 1074:Earth shelters UK 1045:Bill Gates' house 1038:Earth shelters US 808:Military features 799:Ventilation shaft 667:Civilian features 584:Media related to 500:The Seattle Times 340:Mary King's Close 330:Catacombs of Rome 139: 138: 131: 113: 16:(Redirected from 1150: 1081:Underhill, Holme 989:Mine exploration 851:Underground base 846:Scallywag bunker 815:Air raid shelter 794:Smuggling tunnel 759:Underground city 699:Dugout (shelter) 636:Natural features 621: 614: 607: 598: 583: 569: 558:. 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July 22, 2011. 418: 412: 411: 400: 383:Underground City 359:Portland, Oregon 355:Shanghai tunnels 335:Edinburgh Vaults 310:Pioneer Building 263:vaulted sidewalk 239:amethyst-colored 157:neighborhood of 134: 127: 123: 120: 114: 112: 71: 47: 39: 21: 1158: 1157: 1153: 1152: 1151: 1149: 1148: 1147: 1123: 1122: 1121: 1116: 1112:Lightning Ridge 1095: 1069: 1033: 917: 878: 865: 835:Fallout shelter 803: 662: 631: 625: 576: 566: 549: 543: 523: 520: 518:Further reading 515: 514: 504: 502: 493: 492: 488: 478: 476: 466: 465: 461: 451: 449: 438: 437: 433: 420: 419: 415: 402: 401: 397: 392: 321: 302: 167: 135: 124: 118: 115: 72: 70: 60: 48: 37: 34:Link light rail 30: 23: 22: 15: 12: 11: 5: 1156: 1154: 1146: 1145: 1140: 1135: 1125: 1124: 1118: 1117: 1115: 1114: 1109: 1103: 1101: 1097: 1096: 1094: 1093: 1088: 1083: 1077: 1075: 1071: 1070: 1068: 1067: 1062: 1057: 1052: 1047: 1041: 1039: 1035: 1034: 1032: 1031: 1026: 1021: 1016: 1011: 1006: 1001: 996: 994:Mines of Paris 991: 986: 981: 976: 971: 969:Trench warfare 966: 964:Tunnel network 961: 959:Tunnel warfare 956: 951: 946: 941: 936: 931: 925: 923: 922:Related topics 919: 918: 916: 915: 910: 905: 900: 895: 890: 884: 882: 867: 866: 864: 863: 858: 853: 848: 843: 837: 832: 827: 822: 817: 811: 809: 805: 804: 802: 801: 796: 791: 786: 781: 776: 774:Secret passage 771: 766: 761: 756: 751: 746: 741: 736: 731: 726: 721: 716: 711: 706: 701: 696: 691: 686: 681: 676: 670: 668: 664: 663: 661: 660: 655: 650: 645: 639: 637: 633: 632: 626: 624: 623: 616: 609: 601: 595: 594: 589: 575: 574:External links 572: 571: 570: 564: 547: 541: 519: 516: 513: 512: 486: 459: 446:Times Colonist 431: 413: 394: 393: 391: 388: 387: 386: 380: 367: 362: 352: 347: 342: 337: 332: 327: 320: 317: 301: 298: 270:bubonic plague 203:Pioneer Square 166: 163: 155:Pioneer Square 137: 136: 51: 49: 42: 28: 24: 14: 13: 10: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 1155: 1144: 1141: 1139: 1136: 1134: 1131: 1130: 1128: 1113: 1110: 1108: 1105: 1104: 1102: 1098: 1092: 1089: 1087: 1084: 1082: 1079: 1078: 1076: 1072: 1066: 1063: 1061: 1058: 1056: 1053: 1051: 1048: 1046: 1043: 1042: 1040: 1036: 1030: 1027: 1025: 1022: 1020: 1017: 1015: 1012: 1010: 1007: 1005: 1002: 1000: 997: 995: 992: 990: 987: 985: 982: 980: 977: 975: 972: 970: 967: 965: 962: 960: 957: 955: 952: 950: 947: 945: 942: 940: 939:Civil defense 937: 935: 932: 930: 927: 926: 924: 920: 914: 911: 909: 906: 904: 901: 899: 896: 894: 891: 889: 886: 885: 883: 881: 876: 872: 868: 862: 859: 857: 854: 852: 849: 847: 844: 841: 838: 836: 833: 831: 828: 826: 825:Blast shelter 823: 821: 818: 816: 813: 812: 810: 806: 800: 797: 795: 792: 790: 787: 785: 782: 780: 779:Semi-basement 777: 775: 772: 770: 767: 765: 762: 760: 757: 755: 754:Utility vault 752: 750: 747: 745: 742: 740: 739:Rock-cut tomb 737: 735: 734:Rapid transit 732: 730: 727: 725: 722: 720: 717: 715: 712: 710: 709:Earth shelter 707: 705: 702: 700: 697: 695: 692: 690: 687: 685: 682: 680: 677: 675: 672: 671: 669: 665: 659: 656: 654: 651: 649: 646: 644: 641: 640: 638: 634: 630: 622: 617: 615: 610: 608: 603: 602: 599: 593: 590: 587: 582: 578: 577: 573: 567: 565:0-914890-06-9 561: 556: 555: 548: 544: 542:0-914890-02-6 538: 533: 532: 526: 525:Speidel, Bill 522: 521: 517: 501: 497: 490: 487: 474: 470: 463: 460: 448: 447: 442: 435: 432: 427: 423: 417: 414: 409: 405: 399: 396: 389: 384: 381: 379: 375: 371: 368: 366: 363: 360: 356: 353: 351: 348: 346: 343: 341: 338: 336: 333: 331: 328: 326: 323: 322: 318: 316: 313: 311: 307: 299: 297: 295: 291: 287: 283: 279: 275: 271: 266: 264: 260: 254: 246: 242: 240: 236: 230: 228: 222: 220: 216: 212: 208: 204: 200: 196: 192: 184: 179: 171: 164: 162: 160: 156: 152: 143: 133: 130: 122: 111: 108: 104: 101: 97: 94: 90: 87: 83: 80: –  79: 75: 74:Find sources: 68: 64: 58: 57: 52:This article 50: 46: 41: 40: 35: 27: 19: 929:Cave dweller 789:Storm cellar 553: 530: 505:February 14, 503:. Retrieved 499: 489: 477:. Retrieved 472: 462: 452:February 14, 450:. Retrieved 444: 434: 425: 416: 407: 398: 314: 306:Bill Speidel 303: 267: 255: 251: 235:Vault lights 231: 223: 188: 183:vault lights 150: 148: 125: 116: 106: 99: 92: 85: 73: 61:Please help 56:verification 53: 26: 1107:Coober Pedy 999:Mole people 944:Coober Pedy 861:Spider hole 744:Root cellar 629:subterranea 479:January 26, 475:. p. 3 290:speakeasies 215:Elliott Bay 197:one to two 119:August 2007 1127:Categories 390:References 294:opium dens 278:flophouses 209:and often 89:newspapers 875:quarrying 769:Wine cave 689:Catacombs 259:sidewalks 219:high tide 207:tidelands 830:Casemate 784:Stepwell 724:Hypogeum 714:Erdstall 704:Dry well 684:Borehole 674:Basement 658:Sinkhole 527:(1978). 374:Montreal 319:See also 286:gambling 282:homeless 280:for the 201:higher. 195:regraded 1091:Malator 1009:Sapping 729:Manhole 694:Dungeon 288:halls, 265:above. 227:sluices 211:flooded 199:stories 165:History 103:scholar 871:Mining 842:(silo) 820:Bunker 749:Tunnel 653:Grotto 648:Cenote 562:  539:  292:, and 105:  98:  91:  84:  76:  877:, and 719:Fogou 300:Tours 110:JSTOR 96:books 764:Well 643:Cave 560:ISBN 537:ISBN 507:2022 481:2022 454:2022 149:The 82:news 378:CBD 376:'s 65:by 1129:: 873:, 498:. 471:. 443:. 424:. 406:. 296:. 284:, 221:. 620:e 613:t 606:v 568:. 545:. 509:. 483:. 456:. 361:) 132:) 126:( 121:) 117:( 107:· 100:· 93:· 86:· 59:. 36:. 20:)

Index

Underground Seattle
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"Seattle Underground"
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Pioneer Square
Seattle, Washington


vault lights
Great Seattle Fire
regraded
stories
Pioneer Square
tidelands
flooded
Elliott Bay
high tide
sluices
Vault lights
amethyst-colored

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