Seattle: 1900-1920 -From Boomtown, Through Urban Turbulence ...

Courtesy, Lawton GoweyBefore the level of Salmon Bay was raised nine feetbehind the Chittenden Locks when they were completedin 1916 the many structures at the shore—most ofthem Ballard’s lumber mills—were photographed withthis 9-foot rod indicating the level to which the freshwater would reach. Many structures were raised, someprotected behind seawalls, and a few were demolished.City Politics, 1904-1912: Progressivism Emerges79a plan of his own for consideration.His alternative was to build two locksbetween Salmon Bay and ShilsholeBay. He planned to site the locks eithernear the narrows at Shilshole Bay (thesite he favored) or at the eastern end ofSalmon Bay. Chittenden steadily builtsupport for his plan, but he encounteredopposition from Ballard mill owners,who feared the locks would cause theirproperty to flood. But the chamber ofcommerce, informed by Chittenden thatthese fears were exaggerated, assuredthem that such flooding would not occur.The Lake Washington Canal Associationsuccessfully lobbied the 1907 statelegislature to organize an assessmentdistrict. Moore sensed he was in over hishead and transferred his right-of-way tothe association.Enter the railroad interests.Railway and Marine News reported inits January 1909 issue: “[B]ig shippinginterests . . . almost to a man, are infavor of the Duwamish improvementto Black River.” Black River was LakeWashington’s natural outlet to the south and joined the White River to form the DuwamishRiver. (Since 1915 the White River north ofAuburn has been known as the Green River.)Railroad companies whose lines approachedSeattle from the south were already building inthe vicinity of the Duwamish. The flat land therewas ideal for warehouses and manufacturingplants. If the Duwamish’s meanders could bestraightened and its channel deepened, thenaccess to Elliott Bay would also be facilitated.The railroad companies’ lobby persuaded theOriginally printed in the Post-Intelligencer in the summer of 1906,this Black River scene is described there as “near” the CedarRiver, which then still joined the Black near where Airport Waynow meets Rainier Avenue. Later, in preparation for the ninefootlowering of Lake Washington in 1916, the Cedar River wasturned to flow into Lake Washington rather than into the BlackRiver. With this lowering the Black River, which was the ancientout-flow from the lake, went dry and the Lake Washington ShipCanal became the new outlet for the Twenty-two-mile long lake.