Pioneer Square Park

English: Pioneer Square Park, originally Pioneer Place in Seattle, Washington, U.S. is a small triangular plaza after which the Pioneer Square neighborhood is named. The plaza was built in the couple of years immediately following the Great Seattle Fire of June 6, 1889, and was expanded significantly in the course of the 20th century by closing the street on its east side and incorporating that into the plaza.

High-resolution images[edit]

Images in this section should each be at least 6 Megapixels.

Before the Fire, circa 1887. Photographer identified only as "Moore". After the fire, the street would be widened, running right through the former location of the Yesler-Leary Building at left. The triangular park was then formed in the middle.
Another view from about the same time, from a different angle. Photographer unknown. Annotated.
Looking north on First Avenue South immediately after the fire in June 1889. The ruins of the Yesler-Leary Building would soon be demolished to allow the street to continue straight through, with the triangular park to its right (east). Photograph by Boyd & Braas. Annotated.
Looking north, park under construction, presumably 1890. Unknown photographer. Annotated.
Looking at Pioneer Building east of park, c. 1890. Park under construction at left. Photo by Frank LaRoche. Minimally annotated.
Looking north, park under construction with the northern tip of the original park would be at foreground left, 1890. Photo by Arthur Churchill Warner. Annotated.
Looking northeast across the park, c. 1891. Photo by Boyd & Braas. Annotated.
Looking southeast across the park for a parade to welcome President Benjamin Harrison, May 6, 1891. Photo by Asahel Curtis. Annotated.
Looking north from the park circa 1891. Photo by Frank LaRoche. Annotated.
Looking north from the park circa 1892. Photo by Frank LaRoche. Annotated.
Looking north, with just the north tip of the park showing, March 14, 1899. Photo by Arthur Clarence Pillsbury. Annotated.
Looking north. Park and rear of totem pole visible at left, 1900. Photo by Asahel Curtis. Annotated.
Looking northeast circa 1900. Shows park and rear of totem pole. Photo by Arthur Churchill Warner. Annotated.
Looking north, 1901 or 1902. Photo by Asahel Curtis. Annotated.
Looking slightly east of north c. 1903. Photo by Arthur Churchill Warner. Annotated.
Looking east of south with a good view of the totem pole, 1903. Photo by Asahel Curtis.
Looking east of south with good image of totem pole c. 1903. Unknown photographer. Annotated.
Looking northwest across the park, c. 1900-1903. Other than the Mutual Life Building at left, little of this remained even in 1960. Photographer unknown.
Pioneer Building seen across the park, 1905. Photo by Webster & Stevens (company). Annotated.
Looking southwest circa 1905; park at left. The buildings at center and right were all partially or full demolished before 1960, though the lower portions of two remain in 2020. Photo by Arthur Churchill Warner. Annotated.
Pioneer Building seen across the park, 1906. Park and side of totem pole visible. Photo by Asahel Curtis. Annotated.
Looking southwest across the park shortly before 1909. Good view of totem pole. Photo by Arthur Churchill Warner.
Looking slightly north of east. From the materials for the 1909 Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition. Predates the 1909 installation of the Pergola. This appears to be a retouched version of a wide-angle photo. Photographer unknown.
Looking southeast c. 1910. Park and front of totem pole visible. Photo by Webster & Stevens (company). Annotated.
Looking northeast circa 1912, with pergola added to park. Photo by Webster & Stevens (company). Annotated.
Looking southeast circa 1924; a particularly good view of the totem pole. Photo by Asahel Curtis. Annotated.
Looking just south of east in 1960. This would be shortly before the Hotel Seattle was demolished. Uncredited image from the Seattle Municipal Archives. Good (though partial) picture of the "new" totem pole, installed 20 years earlier.

Park and buildings, looking east across the parking lot where the Starr Boyd building used to be, November 10, 2007. Photo by Joe Mabel.
Howard Building, April 28, 2008. Photo by Joe Mabel.
Pioneer Building, April 28, 2008. Photo by Joe Mabel.
Looking just north of east across the park February 22, 2010, featuring the Pergola. Photo by Joe Mabel.
Park and Howard Building, and Pioneer Building, February 22, 2010. Photo by Joe Mabel.
Looking southeast into the park, August 1, 2010. Photo by Joe Mabel. Annotated.
Looking southeast past street trees and into the park, August 1, 2010. Photo by Joe Mabel.
Panoramic view of park and vicinity, August 1, 2010. Photo by Joe Mabel.
Looking south toward the park at street level, May 19, 2017. Photo by Adam Moss.
Park, looking northwest, November 18, 2018. Photo by Joe Mabel.
Park, looking south from a car on First Avenue, April 24, 2020. Photo by Joe Mabel.

Totem pole and pergola[edit]

Early postcard of the original totem pole, which was installed 1899. Detroit Publishing Company. As the sender of the postcard accurately writes, the pole was "stolen from Indians in Alaska," not a pretty story.
1907 photo; photographer unknown. From Artwork of Seattle and Alaska, 1907, W. D. Harney Photogravure Publisher, Racine, Wisconsin.
Crop from the 1924 view by Asahel Curtis, above.
1940s postcard of the second totem pole. After the original stolen pole was destroyed by arson, the city of Seattle finally paid for it, and commissioned a replica.
Photographed September 24, 2007. Photo by Joe Mabel.
Detail September 24, 2007. Photo by Joe Mabel.
Detail September 24, 2007. Photo by Joe Mabel.
View of west side, April 25, 2020. Photo by Joe Mabel.

The pergola in 1914. From the Seattle Municipal Archives; photographer unknown.
First of three views of the pergola, September 24, 2007 by Joe Mabel.
First of three views of the pergola, September 24, 2007 by Joe Mabel.
First of three views of the pergola, September 24, 2007 by Joe Mabel.
Pergola detail, September 24, 2007. Photo by Joe Mabel.
The pergola at night, October 4, 2013. Photo by Visitor7.

Drawings[edit]

Visualization of the Pioneer Building, 1889.
A somewhat fictional illustration from Northwest Magazine, February 1891.

Miscellany[edit]

Temporary building, The Mineral Palace, 1893.
Dog sled team on display in front of the Lowman Building in January 1898 during the Yukon Gold Rush, before the construction of the Lowman and Hanford Building.
Theodore Roosevelt's coach passing the Lowman Building, May 23, 1903.
Trade unionists march past the park in a Labor Day Parade, September 12, 1912. Photograph by Asahel Curtis.
1973 photo from the Seattle Municipal Archives. Cars parked on what is now part of the park. Totem Pole Loans (pawn shop) occupying the ground floor of the Lowman & Hanford Building. From the Seattle Municipal Archives; photographer unknown.
Excelsior V-Twin motorcycles gather at Pioneer Place in 1914 or 1915. From the Seattle Municipal Archives; photographer unknown.
Cargo bike rally at the pergola, July 4, 2008. Photo by Joe Mabel
James Wehn's bust of Chief Seattle installed in the park, photographed July 26, 2008. Photo by Steven Pavlov.