t Pos Ave
t ry S
6th Ave S
Occidental Ave S
Train Station
S King St
Chinatown / International District
S Jackson St
G
Bus Tunnel & LINK Light Rail Tunnel
Information (seasonal)
16 12
2
5th Ave S
13 4th Ave S
Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park
11
1
Ferry / Water Transportation
10
xt S
4
e
E Ave
S Main St
B
F
2nd
A
2nd Ave S
5
fon tai n
Pl S
15 14
16
ay S ad W
Historic Shoreline
Pre
Occidental Square
o Railr
Trail
E
C
1st Ave S
Alaskan Way S
Buried Treasure
S
Smith Tower
S Washington St
3
A-F
E
3rd Ave S
6
Trail Stop
W
St
Yesler Way
7
SEATTLE’S FIRST NEIGHBORHOOD!
Background sketch courtesy of Bill Speidel’s Underground Tour
Pioneer Place Park
t es S
Occidental Ave S
Welcome to
Although this map designates a specific starting point, you may choose to pick up the trail at any of the featured stops. Enjoy your tour through Pioneer Square, as you discover treasure after treasure along the way…
J am
D
8
Start Here
on er s
Ave
Ave
9
Washington State Ferry
People’s needs and desires flow across time to shape Pioneer Square. This theme links together the collection of stories that are told as part of the Trail to Treasure. By following the routes on this map, you’ll get to know people who were born and grew up in this historic neighborhood, and people who traveled from afar to settle here— many of whom have become local legends. You’ll also learn stories of the special places and events that helped shape the history and development of Pioneer Square, the city of Seattle, and the greater Puget Sound region.
J ef f
3rd
rn ste We
er Ch
N
Ave 4th
Ave 1st
To Pike Place Market & Waterfront
King Street Train Station
Union Station
H
To Stadiums
Explore THE HISTORY OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD 1.
KLONDIKE GOLD RUSH NATIONAL PARK Begin your Pioneer Square tour at Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park, housed in the 1889 Cadillac Hotel building. From late 1890, and known earlier as Elliot House, Derig Hotel, and Star Lodge, it hosted longshoremen, laborers, and prospectors—key players in Seattle’s early industrial boom. In the early 1900s, Pioneer Square was home to thousands of single men in temporary jobs, including logging, fishing, and railroad building. The Cadillac Hotel offered them cheap lodging. Notice the historic signage still found on the building’s façade.
2. SEATTLE WATERFRONT PARK Imagine water all around you. Here, next to the stadiums, you’re standing on former tideflats shaped by Duwamish River silt, once stretching all the way to the mouth of the river, and east to the base of Beacon Hill. A salt lagoon once filled the area from Yesler Way to S Jackson St and Occidental Ave S to 2nd Ave Ext S. Between the 1850s and 1889, it was filled with debris, including sawdust from Yesler Mill and rubble from the Great Fire. In 1892, City Engineer Reginald H. Thomson began major projects to lower downtown hills and raise the tideflats above sea level. 3. ALL THAT JAZZ In the “Roaring Twenties,” Seattle thrived with speakeasies, roadhouses, and jazz. Even during the Depression, musicians found work in small clubs, especially along Jackson Street, known for its vibrant, diverse street life. By the 1940s, nightclubs stretched from 5th Ave S to 14th. Seattle later became a music hub for the rock and grunge scene, from Jimi Hendrix in the 1960s to Nirvana in the 1990s— many world renown artists performed in clubs throughout Pioneer Square.
4. TRIBAL VILLAGE The southern part of Occidental Square Park was once a tidal lagoon and island—likely only an island at high tide. The Duwamish people built a winter village here, with longhouses used for shelter, celebration, and trade. A now-buried stream once flowed south, emptying into the lagoon near 3rd Ave S and S Main St. When settlers arrived in the 1850s, local tribes welcomed them and helped build the city. Chief Si’ahl (Seattle), leader of the Duwamish and Suquamish peoples, sought alliances for his people’s future. But urban development and city policies eventually displaced the Duwamish from Pioneer Square. Today, the Duwamish Longhouse and Cultural Center by the river affirms their enduring presence and deep connection to this land. 5. SHELLY’S LEG During the 1970 Bastille Day parade, an antique cannon accidentally fired a hardened confetti ball, costing Shelly Bauman her leg. Her $330,000 settlement funded Seattle’s first disco and openly gay bar, which opened here in 1973. To honor its unusual origin, Shelly and her co-owners named the bar “Shelly’s Leg.” Pioneer Square was the heart of Seattle’s early LGBTQ+ scene before it expanded to Capitol Hill in the late 1970s. 6. WASHINGTON STREET BOAT LANDING Built in 1920, the landmark iron-and-steel pergola once housed Seattle’s harbormaster. For centuries before, the site was a tribal canoe landing. Just south lies Ballast Island, formed in 1880 from material dumped by ships before loading coal nearby. It served as a Native American encampment around 1884 because it was not within the limits of the city from which Native Americans were excluded through an 1864 town ordinance. Over time, Mosquito Fleet steamers and later ferries replaced Native canoes on Puget Sound. The Washington Street Boat Landing remained in use until the 1970s, then was restored and returned to its original site in 2017.
7. GOING FOR GOLD When gold was discovered in Canada’s Klondike River in 1896, Seattle became the gateway for 70,000 prospectors headed north. Most passed through Pioneer Square, buying supplies from shops along 1st Ave S (then Commercial St). While few struck it rich, Seattle businesses thrived by selling gear or providing lodging or entertainment. The Klondike Gold Rush jumpstarted the city’s economy and immediately ended the Panic of 1893 depression in Seattle. 8. FROM SINKING SHIP TO PRESERVATION ANCHOR For the best view of this parking garage, stand at the southwest corner of 1st Ave S and Yesler Way. Built in 1962 on the site of the once-grand Seattle Hotel, the “sinking ship” structure sparked public outcry and a movement to preserve Pioneer Square. Seen by many as an eyesore, it helped lead to the neighborhood’s designation as Seattle’s first historic district in 1970, now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. 9. FROM A PILE OF LOGS TO A BOOMING CITY “Skid Road” was a logging term likely coined in western Washington and became an early name for the Pioneer Square area. In 1852, Henry Yesler built Puget Sound’s first steampowered sawmill, and loggers used the hillside to skid trees down greased logs to the mill below. More businesses opened not long after, fueling early growth in the area. Over time, “Skid Road” evolved into the more familiar term “Skid Row.” 10. THE GREAT SEATTLE FIRE OF 1889 On the night of June 6, 1889, a massive fire swept through Pioneer Square. Starting in a cabinet shop at First Avenue and Madison, the Great Seattle Fire destroyed 30 blocks, including much of the business district, wharves, and rail terminals. The citizens of Seattle quickly rebuilt with fireproof brick and stone structures. Within a year, over 50 buildings rose in the Richardsonian Romanesque style, and the population jumped from 25,000 to 43,000. As you explore the neighborhood, look for repeating arches, heavy columns, and intricate details that define this nationally recognized historic district.
11. A PLACE FOR ARTISTS The 1919 Tashiro Kaplan Building once housed a farmer’s market, hardware store, social services, and artist studios. In the 1980s, economic downturns made Pioneer Square an affordable live-work hub for artists. But by the 1990s, rising rents pushed many out as building owners sought wealthier tenants. In 2004, the Tashiro Kaplan Building was revived through a public-private partnership, reopening with 50 affordable housing units, studios, and galleries, and 20+ commercial arts-related businesses. Today, it remains a popular stop for visitors on First Thursday Art Walk—the nation’s longest-running established art walk which occurs every First Thursday of the month. 12. STAYING ON TRACK From the train overpass on S Main St, you can see the south portal of the mile-long tunnel that routes trains beneath downtown Seattle. The Great Northern Railroad arrived in 1893, with its depot at Columbia St and Railroad Ave (now Alaskan Way S). To reduce traffic congestion and avoid running trains along the waterfront, James J. Hill began tunnel construction in 1904. It officially opened in 1906 with the completion of King Street Station. 13. ALL ABOARD In 1890, the Northern Pacific extended its main line from Tacoma to Seattle, and the Great Northern railway arrived along the waterfront in 1893. James J. Hill built King Street Station in 1906. Nearby, Union Station opened in 1911 after disputes between the rivals Northern Pacific and Union Pacific railroads. These depots welcomed people from around the world, bringing diverse immigrant communities to Seattle and employing many, including African American porters. Union Station ended passenger service in 1971, while King Street Station continues to serve passengers today.
14. EARLY JAPANTOWN Seattle’s first Japantown, or Nihonmachi, was centered on S Main St, stretching east past today’s ChinatownInternational District and west to Pioneer Square. At its peak, nearly 14,000 people lived and worked here. The restored Furuya Building at 2nd Ave S and Main St stands as a reminder of this history. The Chinese community declined under the Chinese Exclusion Act, while the Japanese community grew -- building businesses, running hotels, and raising families here. During World War II, Japanese Americans were forcibly removed and sent to internment camps. Their homes and businesses were taken, and few returned after the war. Those who returned helped to reestablish Japantown. Continue east to 6th and S Main to explore the neighborhood today and visit the Wing Luke Museum at 719 S King St to learn more. 15. CHINESE INFLUENCE Look north to S Washington St to see the traditional thirdstory balcony of the Chin Gee Hee Building. Chin Gee Hee immigrated from China in 1873 and became a partner in the Wa Chong Company. In 1886, a mob attacked the city’s Chinese residents and forcibly expelled many from Seattle via S Washington St—known as the Chinese Expulsion, though Chin stayed. The community returned after the 1889 Great Fire, with early Chinatown centered here. After the Jackson Street regrade around 1910, many Chinese residents moved east to what is now the Chinatown-International District. Learn more at the Wing Luke Museum, 719 S King St. 16. THE ORIGINS OF LGBTQ+ PRIDE IN SEATTLE In 1974, Seattle’s first “Gay Pride Week” was held in Occidental Square, then the center of the LGBTQ+ neighborhood in Seattle. Taking place five years after New York’s Stonewall Uprising, the event featured a picnic, street dance, and a rally of about 200 people. It later evolved into the beloved annual Seattle Pride Parade, now the largest single-day event in Washington state and one of the biggest Pride parades in the country.