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1909 Map of Seattle Special

Name: 1909 Topographic Map of Seattle Special
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1911
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1911

About this map

The city of Seattle is presented here in a period of monumental expansion, caught between the waters of Puget Sound and Lake Washington. A focal point of the era is the site of the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition on the grounds of the State University, a landmark event that signaled the region's rising status. The intricate grid of the central city radiates outward toward established neighborhoods and industrial areas like Ballard and Georgetown.

Transportation networks are heavily detailed, featuring the tracks of the Great Northern and the Puget Sound Electric Ry, which linked the urban core to outlying settlements like Atlantic City and Rainier Beach. From the military post at Fort Lawton to the meandering course of the Duwamish River, the map documents a landscape transitioning from its 1893 survey roots to the bustling maritime and rail hub of the early twentieth century.