Pier 48

A Complex History and a Critical Time to Move Forward

The last vacant lot on the Seattle waterfront is more than just a development opportunity. It is a location that carries memories of Native settlements, economic development and environmental changes by white settlers, and a history of efforts by those settlers to erase the natives and non-whites who sought to make their lives in Seattle.

Photo below courtesy of MOHAI, "Indian encampment on Ballast Island at the Seattle waterfront, ca. 1900-American Indians of the Pacific Northwest, image portion - University of Washington Digital Collections.

native-americans-resident-on-ballast-island-near-oregon-improvement-company-dock-a-seattle

HSD was seeking funding in the state legislature in 2023 to insure that the future of the Pier 48 site is designed by and for the communities in south downtown, re-engaging Pioneer Square, the Chinese American community, and native communities around the future of Pier 48. If you would like to be involved as we figure out how to move forward, please email us!

Bronze historical marker plaque mounted on painted metal anchor (likely stylized, not real). Text is surrounded by a relief carving of a rope, knotted at the top center. Next slide for text of marker.

Text of marker surrounded by a rope graphic with knots at 4 corners. Historical Point of Interest: Ballast Island. In this area, once part of the bay, vessels from ports all over the world dumped their ballast. Untold thousands of tons were unloaded into the water by ship's crews, including 40,000 tons from San Fransisco's Telegraph Hill. The island, long a gathering place for the Indians on their annual migrations, was covered in the 1890s by construction of Railroad Avenue (now called Alaskan Way). Presented by The Yukon Club and Propeller Club

2022 Photo of waterfront facing SW from Smith Tower.

A 1916 photo of the Seattle Waterfront, also presumably from Smith Tower, showing warehouses along with waterfront

Lightly colorized drawing from Harper's Bazaar showing an angry white mob surrounding Chinese residents of Seattle with intent to drive them out of the city.

Image shows a mixed group of people, many of Asian descent, some wearing high-viz vests, in a semi-circle in front of the pavillion in Hing Hay Park, some standing, some crouching. Several hold US flags.

Hazy purple stage photo of the band Nirvana on stage at the Pier 48 building. Concert was filmed 12/13/1993 for MTV's "Live and Loud NYE concert. This building was demolished in 2010.

Rather romantic view of surfaced sub with a sunset behind its stacks. This photo is from the sub's berth in San Diego, not Seattle, but it is the sub that was docked here.

Photo across a parking lot of a warehouse building at Pier 48. Long and low, the false front facade has a blue-painted arch with the label "Pier 48, Port of Seattle"