Seattle's Waterway to the World

Seattle historians Paul Dorpat, Jennifer Ott, David Williams and others tell the fascinating story of the building of the Hiram Chittenden Locks & Lake Washington Ship Canal, to commemorate their centennial.

[@peeonu25]

We also named an Island after Mercer... Nearly every dollar I've made in my life has been on that canal. It's interesting that so much of our world was imagined by so few. It's a shame our world has become so small. Rigging as a Boilermaker for a decade at Foss, I really appreciate the history you're sharing, You're showing the world what the PNW's is all about.

[@user-xx8ud2sr8i]

Mercer Island. Where God can't even afford to live. lol

[@Lisa1111]

My mommy's middle name is Gould for during the depression here, he helped to feed the family. He "adopted" her so to speak. My mama is now 92. Thank you 🥰

[@kRis-rn6so]

Thank you for making this epic video. Through your eyes, I see history... what a gift.

[@dbrooks2795]

Outstanding documentary. Born in Ballard and raised in various areas of Seattle. My daddy LOVED taking us kids to these places. Was great to hear how they came to be. Still love and appreciate the history of Beautiful Seattle

[@user-ib3qb5zn8u]

I was here in 1995 , when worked on american crab boat JUNO ...It was a very doog time ! i was 25 old ...I very like this visit ...Best city in a best country !!!!! Salute from Russia ..

[@hkl8087]

The Native history in this documentary is brief. Would have liked to hear more of that history.

[@tonylatimer1308]

Yes, I noticed that. The achievements of these pioneers was absolutely remarkable, but the film skirted around the impact on the Native population.

[@joiadams1112]

We are the Duwanish tribe . Elliot treaty they stole our land

[@DanPackard]

The environmental devastation caused by this project that lowered Lake Washington nine feet and cut off the flows of the Black and White rivers into the Duwamish, briefly covers a meager two minutes (starting at 34:20). The negative impacts on fish, wildlife, and generally our health and longevity, is completely ignored. Otherwise, a fine production with great historical photos.

[@Vaunraymond]

You can hear more of the Native American side of the story In a 12-minute mini-documentary I produced in conjunction with this longer documentary. It is titled "A Glass Half Full: Native Americans & the Ship Canal." It can be found on KZbin at: kzbin.info/www/bejne/pKHLZaGMiNhjb8U

[@clayz1]

The mentions of native life in Seattle are brief because of how the locals were either treated or ignored as much as possible. Not a proud history.

[@nickefgen9219]

The Preston boat is in Anacortes now it’s great to see the history of Seattle and how the locks where built, great video thank you for posting it

[@strongdelusion9442]

My Dad and I used to go down to the H. C. Locks on Saturday to watch all the yachts go through into Shilshole bay, that was along time ago, 1965!

[@WillyMcCoy50]

Really cool documentary. Thank You!

[@harperwelch5147]

What wonderful information and stories are told here. Thanks so much for posting and sharing our history.

[@redbarnz]

Thank you! I grew up in Seattle and had no idea of the incredible history of the Locks and the Ship Canal. You made this presentation fun, informative and enjoyable!

[@SJR_Media_Group]

Thank you for this excellent video. I even learned a few things I didn't know or forgot. I was also cross referencing your maps, plans, and photos with a map of Seattle. I must have heard the history of lowering Lake Washington, Montlake Cut, Fremont Cut, Locks, etc. many times over the years. This video showed it in such a way that non-Architects and Engineers can easily understand. As a graduate of the Department of Landscape Architecture at University of Washington, we had field trips to the Locks and Gardens. Some of the plant species are from different climates than Seattle, yet do well in the protected areas. Gould, the Architect of Locks and Structures has his name on the UW Building 'Gould Hall' where Architects and Planners come for a world class education as I did in the 70's. I used to take guests to the Locks and Gardens when they visited me. I haven't been there in years, moved over the mountains to Yakima. I do plan on visiting at least once more. Thank you again.

[@rcrinsea]

Glad to see the documentary did not shy away from the vicious racism Asian people experienced from the whites. It is something too few people know about. It should be required learning in schools.

[@patmcchesney3135]

Glad to see the mention of the narrow guage RR

[@clayz1]

34:12 This picture shows (in the distance) the Bascule railroad bridge located at what is now Nickerson Marina. This bridge was dismantled in late 70s or early 80s. It was no longer used by the Ballard RR or CP RR. It was always in the up position. When the government got wind of people climbing it just for kicks, it was taken down. I am one of the three guys that climbed it, and I did so twice. -clayton derooy, seattle wa.

[@elizabethlarsen2763]

if ur a Seattle hx buff, this documentary is well worth watching. in Nov 2019, the locks were closed for maintenance for a short period of time.....

[@funtucsonman2838]

Very good historical doc. I want to learn more about Seattle. In another video I found out about Seattle's underground city.

[@robertbrouillette6767]

I lived in Seattle for 25 years, been through these locks, and the Panama Canal a gazillion times. And being originally from Baton Rouge, Louisiana on the Mississippi River, I invite everyone to visit the Army Corps of Engineers at Vicksburg, Mississippi to see the model of the Mississippi River. And visit the old Louisiana State Capitol building which Mark Twain called “The sham castle.”

[@danevans9347]

thanks for sharing.

[@tonylatimer1308]

Thank you for that very interesting insight. It will enrich the visit that we intend to make from the UK next year.

[@westfork]

I grew up within a few blocks of the Chittenden Locks, caught my first fish (flounder of all things) @age 4 there. Back in the 1960s they taught Seattle history in all elementary grades.

[@user-xx8ud2sr8i]

Now it is the BALLARD HOMELESS BIN.

[@user-xx8ud2sr8i]

Spent 30 years there and watched the Democraps trash it.

[@meganissimo1]

This is gold! I learned too many new details about Seattle to count. And I recognized Hiram Chittenden’s house - he lived a block away from me! 😮😮

[@Shuttertours]

Vaun, this is a wonderful documentary and really brings the story to life. I met a friend of yours (sorry I forgot her name) at the Locks who suggested I search for this on KZbin.

[@johndutton4612]

Vaun is dead baby

[@hkl8087]

This is a Western take over (Settlers).

[@mikewilkinson4588]

Seattle is a blue collar town.....the Ballard locks provide endless hours of observational entertainment ....like when they brought the pieces of the 520 bridge through.........I grew up here and miss the Seattle before the tech boom and the greedhead developers priced the working class out.......

[@TheTacfour]

Tell that to Jenny Durkan who cares zip for the working class..

[@gurnblanstein9816]

The tech boom ruined Seattle

[@208flatheads3]

How old are you if you don't mind me asking?

[@mirathsu]

❤

[@ruggedearthsports8035]

You're right that Seattle "was" a blue collar town. $1,000,000 average home? We bought our I grew up there too in the 80s, 90s, early 2000s. It still has the PacNW charm, beauty, and plenty of free parks (if you can find parking) but how do people afford a home? My parents bought ours for $100k in 1982, they sold and moved to an apartment. Our home is now 1.3 million on zillow.

[@shawnchen47]

Good to know Mercer and Pike story

[@mattcwatkins]

Go Jennifer Ott! It was weird to hear your voice first, think "I know that voice!", and then see it's you.

[@Lisa1111]

"Aquired the land"? From Chief Si'ahl?

[@jimhere1]

More like stolen land

[@joiadams1112]

We are still here! WELCOME TO DUWAMISH LAND 🌹😌🌱

[@Lisa1111]

Joi my sister I am happy to hear that 🤗🙏🏽❤

[@nicholaschard7143]

R.I.P. John Overbo Skipper of the halibut schooner the " PACIFIC " fisherman terminal Ballard Wn .1963

[@markbrinton6815]

I had thought that George McClellan was involved in this project too.

[@jeffpetrie7744]

Oh hey... Thomas Burke. Who looks good?! YOU look good. 😘

[@gregfawcett5152]

Need to make a canal from the South End of Puget Sound to Aberdeen great for shipping and would improve the water quality of Puget Sound.

[@catherinem1578]

You didn’t actually say how you got the natives to cooperate when starting to build Seattle.

[@dangerousele1]

is this video appropriate for kids

[@willybrisbois5926]

NewNewYork

[@dnorlund1662]

So sad that the COE couldn't have incorporated the Black River into the the design. All about money

[@erikabrennan3343]

This would be better without the music.

[@luxuriousfir]

It's obvious the canal was already there from a previous civilization. Those settlers just dug it out.

[@wb100radio]

"european settlers" riiiiiiiight

[@TheSalMaris]

Halibut schooners Vansee and Polaris, seen here were built by John Strand in what is now underwater at the foot of NW28th since the lowering of Lake Washington. To say they wouldn't be there without the fresh water after 1917, is a little disingenuous of history.

[@ScoundrelSFB]

Loved the documentary, but the white actors killed me. "Hip hip, huzza!"

[@Bendoverwtf]

Yeah didn’t know we had wizard in Washington 😂

[@gabrielford3473]

the "acting" is so off putting that I turned off what is a subject ive always been interested in. On to more digging!

[@shanarbrown]

So, excavating, filling, moving, destroying, and expelling this area is just going back to nature? "just reconnecting the Sound and Lake Washington? How sensationally disgusting.

[@susanparker1323]

I was born in Seattle. Essentially this documents how colonialism destroyed paradise and put up a parking lot. ..

[@user-xx8ud2sr8i]

Helped build a great city to be destroyed by Democrap values, or lack of.

[@across_the_plane6800]

Horrific massacre to indigenous life, as usual 🤦🏻‍♂️

[@jeffpetrie7744]

Did the Duwamish people receive any compensation for the devastation of their livelihood and culture? - LOL: What am I thinking?! This is the USA: OF COURSE THEY DID NOT!! - What a horrible blight and embarrassment in the history of Seattle.

[@bearlutz8114]

White man's history

[@westfork]

Yes, and it's glorius.

[@rcrinsea]

@@westfork- "glorious".

[@jimhere1]

Stolen land

[@timothy468]

No, conquered land.

[@jimhere1]

@@timothy468 the white supremacist virus that landed in 1492 shows its face