Seattle Historic Postcard Collection
Preview up to 100 items from this collection below. Highlights of early 20th century Seattle, as depicted through our historic postcards. Cards include images of buildings, attractions and events from the 1900s to the 1960s along with messages between friends and family.
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New York Block, ca. 1907
The New York Block, constructed between 1890 and 1892, was located at the corner of Cherry Street and Second Avenue.
Identifier: spl_pc_00230
Date: 1907
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Union Station, ca. 1911
Transcribed from postcard: "This new depot is 145 x 185 fet. and cost, with its switching yards, $1,000,000 for construction. It is the most northern "out post" of the Harriman system of 13,000 miles of railroads, the greatest in the world." During the early 1900's, there was increasing interest in connecting railroads with Seattle. The high demand and competition between railways resulted in two railway stations being built directly next to each other at 4th Avenue and Jackson Street. King Street Station was constructed in 1906 and can be distinguished by its tower. Union Station (which is depicted in this postcard) was constructed in 1911 and originally known as the Oregon and Washington Station. (Alternative names for Union Station include the Union Depot and the Northern Pacific Great Northern Depot.) The back of this postcard describes the station as "This new depot is 145x185 ft. and cost, with its switching yards, $1,000,000 for construction. It is the most northern "out post" of the Harriman system of 13,000 miles of railroads, the greatest in the world." For a good example of the differences between Union Station and King Street Station see spl_pc_01011 where Union Station appears in the foreground and King Street Station appears in the background.
Identifier: spl_pc_01010
Date: 1911
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Seattle waterfront, ca. 1915
Transcribed from front of postcard: "Seaport of Seattle, showing the 42 Story L.C. Smith Building and central portion of Water Front." Transcribed from back of postcard: "42- Story L.C. Smith Building Seattle. Great View from Observation Floor and Balcony."
Identifier: spl_pc_00211
Date: 1915?
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4th Ave. and University St., ca. 1915
The White-Henry-Stuart Building (constructed 1908-1915 and demolished in 1974) appears on the right and the Cobb Building (completed in 1910) appears on the left.
Identifier: spl_pc_00203
Date: 1915?
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Hotel Lincoln's rooftop garden, ca. 1910
Hotel Lincoln was constructed in 1900 at the intersection of 4th Avenue and Madison Street. The hotel was destroyed by fire in 1920.
Identifier: spl_pc_00803
Date: 1910?
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Swedish Tabernacle at Bellevue Ave. and E. Pike St., ca. 1915
Located at the corner of Bellevue Avenue and Pike Street, construction on the Swedish Tabernacle Church was completed in 1906 under the guidance of the architect, John A. Creutzer.
Identifier: spl_pc_00314
Date: 1915?
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Federal Building at 3rd Ave. and Union St., ca. 1910
Street view of the Federal Building in downtown Seattle with the White-Henry-Stuart Building and the Pantages Theatre in the background. Construction on the Federal Building (also known as the U.S. Court House, Custom House and Post Office) began in 1903 and ended in 1908. The building was located at the intersection of Union Street and Third Avenue, which was being regraded at the time. The Third Avenue regrade left a gap of four feet down to the new sidewalk which resulted in a new set of stairs being added to the building's exterior. The building was demolished in 1958.
Identifier: spl_pc_00413
Date: 1910?
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View east from James St. and Yesler Way, ca. 1915
Transcribed from postcard: "Looking up James Street at the left. Yesler Way at the right from Pioneer Square. Showing the 42 Story L.C. Smith Building Seattle, U.S.A." The Seattle Hotel, which appears in the center of the image, was constructed in 1890. It replaced the Occidental Hotel which burned down in the fire of 1889. In 1891, the building served as home to the Seattle Public Library and was converted into an office building in the early 1900's. By 1961, the building was abandoned and later torn down and replaced with a parking garage. This instigated a historic preservation movement in the Pioneer Square area to preserve other historic buildings before they could be demolished. The Smith Tower, which appears in the background, was constructed in 1914 by the architecture firm Gaggin and Gaggin. It was the tallest building in Seattle until the construction of the Space Needle in 1962.
Identifier: spl_pc_00213
Date: 1915?
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Washington Hotel, ca. 1905
The Washington Hotel (originally called the Denny Hotel) as it appeared at its location on 4th Avenue and Stewart Street before the Denny Regrade. Construction of The Denny Hotel started in 1889 but was stopped with only the exterior completed when the Panic of 1893 hit. James A. Moore purchased the property, renaming it the Washington Hotel, but was only able to operate it for a short time before the Denny Regrade forced it to close. The initial regrade lasted from 1902 to 1911 and sluiced much of the land that the hotel originally stood on down into Elliott Bay.
Identifier: spl_pc_00826
Date: 1905?
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St. James Cathedral, ca. 1907
Bishop Edward O'Dea purchased the land for St. James Cathedral's First Hill site in 1903 after successfully petitioning the Pope to relocate the episcopal see from Vancouver, Washington to Seattle. The cornerstone for the building was laid in 1905 with more than 5,000 people in attendance and the cathedral officially opened on December 15, 1907.
Identifier: spl_pc_00304
Date: 1907?
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