Presented by the Fremont Chamber of Commerce, Seattle, WA.

History

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Shipwrights, loggers and bridge tenders, oh my!

The Fremont Bridge

“The Fremont Bridge, the first double-leaf bascule drawbridge spanning the Lake Washington Ship Canal, opened June 15, 1917, 19 days before the Government Locks at Ballard were officially dedicated. The bridge links the neighborhoods of Fremont and north Queen Anne, previously connected by a streetcar-carrying wooden trestle.” Where is that trestle now?!

Learn more about the Fremont Bridge.

Ship Canal

“As the Native travelers illustrated, connecting saltwater and freshwater made sense, except for one large problem. Lake Washington was about 29 feet, and Lake Union about 20 feet, above sea level, while Salmon Bay was a tidal inlet with a water level that fluctuated 10 to 12 feet daily.” The Ship Canal opened in 1917 connecting the saltwater of Puget Sound to the freshwater of Lake Washington via Lake Union. It consists of two cuts, the Fremont Cut between Salmon Bay and Lake Union and the Montlake Cut between Lake Union and Lake Washington, and a set of locks at the west end of Salmon Bay. The Hiram M. Chittenden Locks accommodate approximately a 20-foot (6.1 m) difference in water level between Lake Washington and the sound. How did they do it?!

Learn about the Ballard Locks.

Burke Gilman Trail

“Born as a railroad.”  The 27-mile trail has become a major transportation corridor that serves thousands of commuter and recreational cyclists. It demonstrates that when the proper facilities are provided many people will chose healthy, pollution-free, non-motorized modes of travel. The trail can at times be busy and even crowded with cyclists, walkers, joggers and skaters. The trail begins at 11th Avenue NW in Ballard and follows along the Lake Washington Ship Canal and north along Lake Washington. At Blyth Park in Bothell the trail becomes the Sammamish River Trail and continues for 10 miles (16 km) to Marymoor Park, Redmond, on Lake Sammamish. Learn More: Seattle Transportation and Wikipedia

Last Carnegie Library

Seattle’s first public library was opened in 1903 in Fremont and still remains the longest operating branch in the Seattle Public Library history. This historic branch has since been listed on the National Register of Historic Places and named a landmark building by Seattle’s Landmarks Preservation Board. Amenities: FREE public computers, Wifi access, Art by Dennis Evans, and more. Read more from Fremocentrist.com and learn more at History.org 

Read more about our Seattle Library branch in Fremont at the Seattle Public Library.

BF Day School

Fremont’s BF Day School predates the public school system!

BF Day School is named after the donor Benjamin Franklin Day after he paid for the first three months of rent. Opened in 1893 this school is the longest operating public school in Seattle and has been educating our youth for 125 years, predating Seattle’s public school system. The building is a designated historic landmark and undergone state-of-the-art renovations. Since 2009 it has the largest rain garden in Seattle Public Schools. The Fremont Chamber of Commerce partners with BF Day for annual fundraising events and has a lifetime membership for all their great community work. Learn more about the School and read more from Fremocentrist.com and History.org

Gasworks Park

“Gas Works Park occupies a 20.5 acres (8.3 hectares) promontory between the northwest and northeast arms of Lake Union. Little is known of pre–Euro-American site history, but there were Native American settlements around Lake Union. Native names for Lake Union include Kah-chugTenas Chuck, and Xa’ten. In the mid-19th century, Thomas Mercer named it “Lake Union” in expectation of future canals linking it to Puget Sound and to Lake Washington. Dense forests still came down to the water’s edge and the lake drained into Salmon Bay through a stream “full of windfalls and brush, impassable even for a canoe”. (Bass 1947, p33) Lake Union in the 1860-70s was a popular vacation spot with Seattleites for summer house-boating and picnicking.” (Wikipedia)

Planning a handstand walking contest? Need space to practice your tiddlywinks? Want to host a haggis-fest? Have it at Gasworks Park! Reserve your space with the City of Seattle’s Parks Department.

Woodland Park Zoo

Founded in 1899, Woodland Park Zoo has sparked delight, discovery and unforgettable memories for generations of Northwest families. People who experience the wonders of the natural world are inspired to protect it. That’s why every year we lead more than 1 million people on a journey that inspires a lifelong love of animals, makes science come alive, and gives people the tools to take conservation action. (Woodland Park Zoo)

George Washington Memorial Bridge (Aurora Bridge)

Opened in 1932, the Aurora Bridge, officially called the George Washington Memorial Bridge, is a cantilever and truss bridge that carries State Route 99 (Aurora Avenue North) over the west end of Lake Union and connects Queen Anne and Fremont. The bridge is 2,945 ft (898 m) long, 70 ft (21 m) wide, about 167 ft (51 m) above the water and is owned and operated by the Washington State Department of Transportation. Learn more from fremocentrist.comHistory.org or Wikipedia