Pacific Science Center and Arches

I give a lot of face-time to the Space Needle.  I LOVE the Space Needle.  But on this, the 51st anniversary of the opening of the 1962 Seattle World's Fair, I'd like to give a shout-out to the Pacific Science Center and especially the arches.

About December 1961 - Photo used with permission: Courtesy of Seattle P-I Collection, MOHAI (CM)

Did you know the Pacific Science Center was called United States Science Pavilion, or Federal Science Pavilion during the World's Fair? The Pavilion and its arches were designed by the same architect that designed the former World Trade Center "Twin Towers".  Read more about Minoru Yamasaki here on HistoryLink. According to the Pacific Science Center website, the arches will be lit green for Earth Day today and tomorrow. They are certainly beautiful in their native white or lit with a variety of colors for special occasions and fully deserve to be featured in numerous postcards.


"Pacific Science Center - Seattle Center America's Newest Playground - Fountains, pools and graceful arches create a charming setting for the Pacific Science Center - five handsome buildings housing the greatest collection of scientific exhibits ever assembled for public viewing. The Science Center is a prime attraction at Seattle Center located on the 1962 Seattle World's Fair site."



"Pacific Science Center. The magnificent 109-ft. "Space Gothic" arches at the entrance to Pacific Science Center are dwarfed only by the 600 ft. Space needle which towers in the background. Both are outstanding attractions at America's newest playground, Seattle Center, formerly the site of the 1962 Seattle World's Fair." C13086a - Color photo by Max R. Jensen.


"Pacific Science Center. Seattle Center. A constant supply of displays and ideas are presented at this facility the year 'round. No trip to Seattle would be complete without a visit to this outstanding attraction."


"Pacific Science Center, formerly the U. S. Science Pavilion, was a major exhibit at the 1962 Seattle World's Fair. Dramatic architecture and fairyland lighting create an outstanding setting for a world famous collection of scientific exhibits. The Space Needle towers over all." C27899 Color Photo by Max R. Jensen


"Pacific Science Center was a major exhibit at the 1962 Seattle World's Fair as the U.S. Science Pavilion and now is a prime attraction at Seattle Center. Soaring Gothic arches, fountains and fairyland lighting create a beautiful setting for the Center's world-famous collection of scientific exhibits. Seattle's Space Needle towers over all." C13555a - Color photo by Mike Roberts.


"Pacific Science Center. Located in the new Seattle Civic Center, this beautiful structure was permanently constructed for the Century "21" World's Fair held in 1962. This is to be retained and kept up to date as a science center for the entire northwest." C-628 Ektachrome by Clifford B. Ellis.


"Federal Science Pavilion Seattle, Washington." P49501 by Morley Studios


"Seattle Center" "Pacific Science Center - acclaimed as one of America's most beautiful buildings, created to house the greatest collection of scientific exhibits ever assembled. Noted architect Minoru Yamasaki designed five pavilions around a beautiful series of pools and fountains, shown illuminated at night. Pacific Science Center is one of many attractions at America's newest playground, Seattle Center." C13556a - Color by Mike Roberts

Giant Cedar Stumps

The Pacific Northwest has some remarkably giant cedars.  One famous giant cedar stump is thought to be anywhere from 1,000 to 2,000 years old.  It has been an attraction for almost 100 years.
A few mid-century postcards:

"Giant Cedar Stump on Highway 99, Washington - A group of Western Red Cedars - Thuja Placata Don - form a background for the 1250 year old giant which is twenty-five feet in diameter. Annually thousands of tourists drive through this roadside attraction." C-194 Ektachrome by J. Boyd Ellis

Same photographer, same angle and even the same postcard ID number but different car and the backdrop trees are a little larger.

"Giant Cedar Stump on Highway 99, Washington - A group of Western Red Cedars - Thuja Placata Don - form a background for the 1250 year old giant which is twenty-five feet in diameter. Annually thousands of tourists drive through this roadside attraction." C-194 Ektachrome by J. Boyd Ellis


"Washington's Giant Cedar Tree - This relic from a Western Red Cedar more than 2,000 years old stands along Interstate 5 about 14 miles north of Everett. Tourists frequently drive off the Freeway and take the short drive through the trunk. It is preserved at the request of Stillagumish residents. Placed along "Old 99" in 1922, the trunk is still a fond attraction." Color by Kyle Smith

My daughter and I had the pleasure of meeting this ancient tree stump yesterday! It is now situated at the Smokey Point rest area along I-5 (milepost 207) about eight miles north of Marysville. Cars no longer drive through it and a roof has been built over it. The sides look different and I don't know if it's deterioration or that I happened to photograph the backside.



"The Big Cedar Stump. This famous stump remains as evidence of the giant trees which once forested this area. Over 20 feet in diameter and 200 feet tall, the huge "Western Red Cedar" is believed to have been more than 1000 years old. Discovered by early settlers of the area, the following is a resume of its recorded history:
1893 - The Stump was killed by a fire which started in its hollow base
1916 - After the top was removed, Paul Wangsmo and Ole Rodway cut and chopped three spines from the core and cut archways through the stump.
1922 - After cutting the stump off at its base, Ole Reinseth and Slim Husby used horse teams to drag it north 150 yards where it was set on a concrete base.
1939 - The stump, by now cracked, was taken apart and pieced back together just north of Portage Creek, alongside the newly completed U. S. 99. On May 27, Crown Prince Olav and Princess Martha of Norway drove through the stump.
1971 - The stump's final move brought it here."

Another "famous" Washington cedar tree stump postcard I have is

History Link has this information with a slideshow of more postcards of this giant stump.
The article concludes with

Today all that remains is memories and countless postcards of the iconic abode. The original site (described on an old deed, according to Henry Lennstrom as: "The North half of the Northwest quarter of Section 27 Township 31 North Range 5 East W. M.") is notable mainly as an indistinct spot opposite the southeast corner of what is now the Arlington Airport.

Luckily, one publicly accessible vintage stump house still remains in the area. It was one that had originally been built in a huge Western Red Cedar stump by an area farmer named Joseph Kraetz. It was later sold and moved a couple times -- since 1923 it has been an attraction at the Stillaguamish Valley Pioneer Museum (20722 67th Avenue NE) in Arlington.

And the novelty of stump houses still retains attraction for many people. Indeed, from January through June, 2003, the Edmonds Historical Museum (118 15th Avenue N.) mounted an exhibit -- "Home Sweet Home: Living in a Stump House" -- that was graced by a visit from the now elderly son of Axel, Henry Lennstrom.

Ancient trees are uber-vintage!

Bellevue Washington

Happy 60th birthday, Bellevue!!

Bellevue was incorporated March 31, 1953.


"Incorporation of Bellevue as 3rd Class City operating under Council Manager form of Government." Fee $5.00

I haven't purchased very many Bellevue postcards but these are in my collection.  My favorite mid century King County photographer Max R. Jensen took most of them.


"Bellevue, Washington. One of the attractive and prosperous cities on the eastern shores of Lake Washington. Shopping Center in left distance." Clifford B. Ellis. Mailed November 1963


"Bellevue, Washington, located on the east side of Lake Washington, is the state's fourth largest city. A section of the main business district of this suburban city is seen."   Color Photo: Max R. Jensen.

I've been having fun comparing these next two.  They're both after 1969. You can see the SeaFirst building in the distance in Seattle which was dedicated March 28, 1969. (It's possible the top one might be as early as 1968 - the building stage of SeaFirst).  The top postcard shows J. J. Newberry's in the center.  The bottom one has Friedlander & Son's (Jeweler).  The August 30, 1972 Seattle Times writes Friedlander & Son would open it's Bellevue Square store soon.  The top postcard has "The Pacific National Bank of BELLEVUE" next to "House of Fabrics".  In the bottom postcard it appears the portion of the building "House of Fabrics" was located has been removed to build a drive-through for "Pacific National Bank of WASHINGTON".  "Baskin & Robbins 31 Flavors" is visible in the bottom postcard (the very lower left).  The strip mall on the far left looks like it's being remodeled in the lower postcard.  The clock on the street (in front of Newberry's/Friedlander's) is white/gray in the top postcard and brown in the lower one.  I would love more observations or date estimates about these postcards that you notice.


"Bellevue, Washington, located on the east side of Lake Washington is now the fourth largest city in the State. This complete, suburban shopping center, seen here, is easily accessible by the residents of Bellevue and the neighboring communities." B632 - Color photo by Max R. Jensen.


"Bellevue, Washington, located on the east side of Lake Washington is now the fourth largest city in the State. This complete, suburban shopping center, seen here, is easily accessible by the residents of Bellevue and the neighboring communities." B5556 - Color photo by Max R. Jensen.

And if you haven't already (or recently) viewed Bellevue, Washington: Over the Bridge to Gracious Living - don't miss it.


You might also be interested in my earlier posts about Bellevue which can be found here:
Bellevue 1987

East Channel Bridge Removal

Eastgate 1982

Factoria

Factoria Square March 1987

The Kingdome

The King County Domed Stadium was opened March 27, 1976 and called The Kingdome.

I went to the Billy Graham Crusade in the brand new Kingdome May 1976 with a friend from school. At 14 years-old, I was active at my home church but when they said we could go to the floor of the Kingdome for an altar call I decided I wanted to to do that so I could tour more of this giant stadium. I also went to a few Boat Shows and to countless Seattle Mariner baseball games there.  I recall in Junior high they would give us free tickets to Mariner games for being on Honor Roll. In 1978, The Kingdome was featured in one of my favorite TV shows at the time "Emergency" - the episode was titled "Most Deadly Passage" and I'd LOVE to see it again but I can't seem to figure out if it's on DVD.

The roof had problems since the beginning according to Wikipedia. In 1994 heavy tiles from the ceiling collapsed on to a seating area. The Kingdome needed to close for repairs. It reopened a little less than four months later with a cost of $51 million and the loss of life of two construction workers. Many were talking about its replacement. In 1999, Safeco field opened next door and The Seattle Mariners no longer played in the Kingdome.

Thirteen years ago today on March 26, 2000 the Kingdome was imploded to make room for the new Seahawk Stadium / Qwest Field / Century Link Field. It was pretty remarkable! Check out these two videos:





Enjoy these Kingdome postcards from my collection - a Seattle icon that is no more.


"King County Domed Stadium, Seattle" CT-886 "Covers 9.1 acres - 720 feet outside diameter - 250 feet to top of Dome - will seat 60,000 for baseball, 65,000 for football and 80,000 for personality shows. View as seen during construction in 1975, scheduled for completion in 1976." Pub. by Smith-Western Co., 1533 Broadway, Tacoma, Washington. Color by Kyle W. Smith ICS-106543


"King County Domed Stadium, Seattle, U. S. A." CT-996 "Dedicated March 27, 1976. This view shows a few of the 55,000 people who attended this gala event. The closed circuit television screen at top right is 49 feet X 65 feet. The stadium covers 9.1 acres - 250 feet to top of the dome - 720 feet outside diameter - will seat 60,000 for baseball, 65,000 for Seahawks Football and 80,000 for personality shows." Photo by Kyle W. Smith 10P309536

Just a note to mention that the Seattle Mariners are installing a new "Big Screen" at Safeco Field during the current off season - the one in the Kingdome was 65 feet wide the new Safeco one will be 201.5 feet wide.


"Seattle, Washington" Photo by Jack Leffler/Sky Eye. "Seattle, Washington - The Kingdome Stadium is a dominant feature south of the city's central business district." W-411


Kingdome - Seattle CT-994 "King County Domes (sic) Stadium Seattle, Washington. Covers 9.1 acres - 720 feet outside diameter - 250 feet to top of Dome - will seat 60,000 for baseball, 65,000 for football and 80,000 for personality shows. Dedicated March 27, 1976. Billy Graham Crusade May 9, 1976. Home of the NFL Seattle Sea-hawks - American League Baseball Seattle Mariners."


Seattle, Washington. night lights gild the Kingdome, home of the NFL Seattle Seahawks. Photo Walter J. Brown. CT-3505


Kingdome Stadium - Seattle, WA CT-2245 "King County Domed Stadium Seattle, Washington. Covers 9.1 acres - 720 feet outside diameter - 250 feet to top of Dome - will seat 60,000 for baseball, 65,000 for football and 80,000 for personality shows. Dedicated March 27, 1976. Home of the NFL Seattle Seahawks - American League Baseball Seattle Mariners."


CT-1477 "King County Domed Stadium Seattle, Washington. "Opened in 1976, this facility is the home of the NFL SEAHAWKS, AL MARINERS, NBA SONICS and the NASL SOUNDERS. The stadium covers 9.1 acres - 720 feet outside diameter - 250 feet to top of Dome - will seat 60,000 for baseball, 65,000 for football and soccer, 40,000 for basketball and 80,000 for personality shows."


Washington Picturecard CT-1573 "Kingdome, Seattle, Washington - Springtime view from Kobi Park. Opened in 1976, this facility is the home of the NFL SEAHAWKS, AL MARINERS, NBA SONICS and the NASL SOUNDERS. The stadium covers 9.1 acres - 720 feet outside diameter - 250 feet to top of Dome - will seat 60,000 for baseball, 65,000 for football and 80,000 for personality shows."


"Along Seattle, Washington's busy waterfront is Seattle's multi-purpose stadium, the Kingdome, with a maximum indoor seating capacity of 80,000. The stadium houses major sporting and entertainment events. Mt. Rainier (14,411 ft.) is on the horizon 90 miles away." Photo: David S. Curran.

Seattle Alweg Monorail

Happy 51st birthday Seattle Monorail!

From Seattle Monorail

"The Monorail opened to the public on March 24, 1962 nearly one month before the start of the World’s Fair. At a cost of $3.5 million, the trains carried more than eight million guests during the six months of the fair, easily paying for the cost of construction. The full initial capitol cost of the system was recovered and a profit was realized by ALWEG before the end of the fair."

Here are some Monorail postcards in my collection:


"Downtown Monorail Terminal in Seattle's Westlake mall. The first high-speed Monorail system in the U.S.A. The sleek vehicle of the future whisks visitors from downtown Seattle to the World's Fair grounds - over a mile away - in 96 seconds and is being eyed by other metropolitan cities of the country for the solution of their mass transportation problems." Photo by Max R. Jensen.



"Alweg Monorail. Two symbols of modern times. The sleek Alweg Monorail, first of its kind in America, whisking visitors between beautiful downtown Seattle and Seattle Center, America's newest playground, and the 600-ft Space Needle another unique attraction at the Center, towering in the background like a sentinel." C13296a - Color photo by Morley Studios


"Seattle, Washington. The Monorail, (transportation of the future), Space Needle, Federal Science Building and Seattle's new Civic Center."


"Seattle's Monorail. One of the two trains making the 1 1/4 mile - 95 second run between the downtown station on Westlake Mall and the exposition grounds." C-612 Ektachrome by Clifford B. Ellis


"Two symbols of modern times. The sleek Monorail, first of its kind in America, swiftly whisks visitors to the Seattle World's Fair grounds and back to beautiful downtown Seattle. Like a sentinel watching, stands the 600 foot Space Needle." Color photo by Max R. Jensen C13073

Some Then and Now video:
The first minute of the "Century 21 Calling" documentary



Seattle Monorail's video for their 50th birthday celebration last year

Vintage Easter Postcards

Early 20th Century Easter Postcards

Easter Greetings










"Fond Easter Greeting - A bright and merry Easter-tide And through the year all joy abide."












"All joy to your heart this morning. All blessings be yours, I pray, In the light of the Easter's dawning That gladdens the earth today." H. M. Burnside

Easter Joy






Eastertide






Happy Easter





(does that Easter Bunny look "happy" to you?)

Happy Easter!!