Past years tumble forth
buildings beneath sea level
History unclothed
Guides lead you down stairs
through tunnels lit by lamp light
A bygone era
Treasures were unearthed
ornately carved oak wood saved
Buried tools of life
Stable horses stomped
past dank stores, bars and hotels
Place of ill repute
Men labored in mills
some sought the elusive gold
Smiling girls milked cows
Women slaved and taught
Long dresses once swept dust from
wide planked wooden floors
The first families
built a city on mud flats
at the water's edge
One can hear murmurs
of rough card games and fist fights
drinking heavy ale
Saturdays they danced
dipping to jumping music
till the first daylight
Indigenous shared
bountiful water, wildlife
Undisturbed mountains
flourishing meadows
Environment so pristine
But progress stepped in
Sad we did not know
Back then we had no vision
Should have let it be
by klr
The Seattle fire destroyed the original town in 1889. With the subsequent flooding it was wise to rebuild the city with brick and mortar. Having stood on shifting tideland originally, the old businesses roofs became the new stores' floors and commerce carried on. The first buildings got new sidewalks below that permitted the use of wooden structures that remained and that became part of the new level.
Guides lead you down stairs
through tunnels lit by lamp light
A bygone era
Treasures were unearthed
ornately carved oak wood saved
Buried tools of life
Stable horses stomped
past dank stores, bars and hotels
Place of ill repute
Men labored in mills
some sought the elusive gold
Smiling girls milked cows
Women slaved and taught
Long dresses once swept dust from
wide planked wooden floors
The first families
built a city on mud flats
at the water's edge
One can hear murmurs
of rough card games and fist fights
drinking heavy ale
Saturdays they danced
dipping to jumping music
till the first daylight
Indigenous shared
bountiful water, wildlife
Undisturbed mountains
flourishing meadows
Environment so pristine
But progress stepped in
Sad we did not know
Back then we had no vision
Should have let it be
by klr
The Seattle fire destroyed the original town in 1889. With the subsequent flooding it was wise to rebuild the city with brick and mortar. Having stood on shifting tideland originally, the old businesses roofs became the new stores' floors and commerce carried on. The first buildings got new sidewalks below that permitted the use of wooden structures that remained and that became part of the new level.
