Image
1909wahighwaymap

From the Digital Archives: 1909 Washington highway map

Nowadays, when we look at a highway map of Washington, we see a complex web of gold, red and black lines crisscrossing the state. But it wasn’t always this way. In the early 1900s, highways were a rarity in the Evergreen State. Probably because cars and trucks were rarities as well, considering that the automobile had just been invented. This 1909 map displays Washington’s located and proposed highways, railroads (the dominant form of transportation then) and county seats. The map reveals there was no established state highway yet for what we now call the I-5 corridor, only a proposed highway. That meant trains were still by far the fastest way for Seattleites to travel south to Portland or north to Bellingham. The map shows there was a highway stretching east from Seattle and over Snoqualmie Pass to Cle Elum. You’d think the highway would continue to Ellensburg, right? Nope. It veered north over Blewett Pass before winding its way to Wenatchee, Waterville and eventually Spokane. It’s worth noting there was a proposed road from Cle Elum to Ellensburg and what was then North Yakima. As you study the map, you realize that some few Washington cities of today weren’t around back then, including Bellevue, Federal Way, Issaquah, Lacey, Longview, Moses Lake and Richland. But you also notice a plethora of very small towns dotting the 1909 map that you don’t find on current versions: Eagleton, Kosmos, Wellington, Billington and Wheatland, among others. The map is found in the General Map Collection, 1851-2005 on the State Digital Archives website.


(html)

Secretary of State
Steve Hobbs

이미지
Image of Secretary of State Steve Hobbs

Connect with Us

Search Our Corner

About this Blog

The Washington Office of the Secretary of State’s blog provides from-the-source information about important state news and public services.

This space acts as a bridge between the public and Secretary Steve Hobbs and his staff, and we invite you to contribute often to the conversation here.

Comments Disclaimer

The comments and opinions expressed by users of this blog are theirs alone and do not reflect the opinions of the Secretary of State’s Office or its employees. The agency screens all comments in accordance with the Secretary of State’s blog use policy, and only those that comply with that policy will be approved and posted. Outside comments will not be edited by the agency.