Still There

Not really sure what they were thinking in cutting off Jefferson between Commerce and Pacific but since it will only effect motorized traffic I’m sure we will adjust. This very early, moody photo of the Pinkerton Building (the oldest building in the entire University of Washington system) captures the character of the neighborhood 110 years ago. At the photographer’s back in 1905 was the Northern Pacific Railroad passenger depot and for immigrants and tourists just arriving at the terminal city of the northern transcontinential railroad this was what they saw. Six years later, Union Station was finished, the old wood framed depot was demolished. The shops, houses and boarding homes in this picture became the heart of Japantown before disappearing entirely after World War 2. Save this image to your phone and next time you are on campus stop at the top of the stairs up to Jefferson from the Prairie Line. This is what you will see, edited by time and in present day color.