Categories: Lifestyle

These throwback photos show how Pike Place Market has changed through the years

As you probably know, Seattle’s favorite public market and one of its most iconic landmarks, Pike Place Market has a long history. And throughout that history, it’s had a few looks, some better than others. So we thought we’d take a blast to the past and look at the ways that the market has changed.

Pike Place Market throughout the years

The Market a few years after opening, 1913

Pike Place Market was built in 1907 and is considered to be one of the oldest public farmers’ markets in the entire country. However, it is important to note that before, the land was a public market it was Native American land.

Adding the bulkhead to the market, 1939

But in the colonial sense of land ownership, the slot of land was owned by Goodwin real estate company. And Goodwin saw an opportunity for the development of this land and decided to open the market. Luckily for him, this decision was a good one as the market turned out to be a huge success.

But the good times couldn’t last forever.

World War II rolled around and the United States made the decision to intern thousands of Japanese Americans. And it just so turns out that a majority of the sellers at the market were Japanese Americans. So the market grew empty and fell on hard times.

Japanese American farmers

Times were so hard that when the 1960s rolled around, the building was slated for demolition. Thankfully architect Victor Steinbrueck was able to help save the market by declaring it a historic district. Can you imagine Seattle without the market?

The underside of the market in the 1960s

So today we are left with the wonderfully quirky market and all of its history. If anything we hope that its changes throughout time show you the importance of saving our city’s heritage buildings. If you’d like to learn more about the market you can click here.JTNDZGl2JTIwaWQlM0QlMjJtb2JpbGUtYWQtb25seSUyMiUzRSUwQSUzQyUyMS0tJTIwU2VhdHRsZSUyMC0lMjBNb2JpbGUlMjAtLSUzRSUwQSUzQ2lucyUyMGNsYXNzJTNEJTIyYWRzYnlnb29nbGUlMjIlMEElMjAlMjAlMjAlMjAlMjBzdHlsZSUzRCUyMmRpc3BsYXklM0FibG9jayUzQndpZHRoJTNBMzIwcHglM0JoZWlnaHQlM0E1MHB4JTNCJTIyJTBBJTIwJTIwJTIwJTIwJTIwZGF0YS1hZC1jbGllbnQlM0QlMjJjYS1wdWItNTUyMTg1Njk1NTQ5NzQ1NiUyMiUwQSUyMCUyMCUyMCUyMCUyMGRhdGEtYWQtc2xvdCUzRCUyMjE2MjcxNzI5NDclMjIlM0UlM0MlMkZpbnMlM0UlMEElM0MlMkZkaXYlM0U=