Salmon Bay Through Time: Toward the Bridge and the Locks
More perspectives of lower Salmon Bay in Seattle 1903 - 2020
Here's another now and then composite view of lower Salmon Bay in Seattle, this time looking east towards the future city.
If you’re not familiar with the location, Salmon Bay splits the Seattle neighborhoods of Magnolia to the south/southwest and Ballard to the north. It is below the Ballard Locks and drains the Ship Canal, Lake Union, Portage Bay and Lake Washington into Puget Sound.
The top image was shot in by Wilse in 1903 prior to the construction of the bascule train bridge in 1913 and Locks in 1917, (MOHAI).
The bottom modern view I photographed in 2022 from 39th Ave W in the Seattle neighbohood of Magnolia showing the train bridge and Locks.
The 1908 view shows why the name Shilshole or šilšul (or Shilshoolabsh people) means "threading the bread" in regards to the sandbars mid-channel at lower tides. One would have to wait for higher tides to bring a canoe or boat into Salmon Bay.
The big sandbar on the Ballard side was titled CHutqeedud meaning "lying curled up" or "lying curled up like a pillow." It was known for great clamming.
As a paddler who loves to play in tidal rapids, this would've been a fun feature to have in the neighborhood. An opposing wind may of created standing waves to surf, or a fun downstream rapid to run from upper Ballard to Shilshole Bay. In the older photo you can see some light current generating class 1 riffles in between the two sandbars.
Unfortunately for paddlers, all sandbars here were dredged to allow shipping through the Locks, built in 1916-1917.
This view below is slightly south of the above Then view and shot close to the medium embankment edge. Also at a higher tide.
Ballard was logged in 1870, so few old trees stand in these images. Looking up the bay in the middle of the image you can see logging mill smokestacks.
Resources:
Native Seattle - Coll Thush, UW Press
Paul Dorpat - Seattle Now and Then: Salmon Bay
Waterway - The Story of Seattle's Locks and Ship Canal - Williams/Ott/HistoryLink
Also find good info on the Duwamish and Shilshole people in this Wikipedia link
Related Posts:
Where Salmon Bay Meets Shilshole Bay, Past to Present
Discovering Seattle’s Shilshole Bay at Low Tides / Paddling the Salish Sea