The Unfinished Potential of Lake Washington
In 1887, U.S. Senator J.N. Dolph toured Seattle to inspect Lake Washington, envisioning a naval base that could reshape the region's infrastructure—long before the ship canal was a reality.
Senator J. N. Dolph of Oregon visited Seattle yesterday and spent most of his time investigating Lake Washington. In conversation with a representative of the Post-Intelligencer, the Senator expressed himself much astonished at the rapid growth of Seattle since his last visit. 'My main object in coming here today,' he said, 'was Lake Washington, in which I have for some time been interested. It is undoubtedly a magnificent body of water, and, to judge from appearances, can easily be connected with the Sound. I am unable to understand how the Government engineer who examined it came to the conclusion that it would cost so much money to make the connection.' When asked if he favored a naval station, the Senator replied, 'I should certainly favor the establishment of a navy yard somewhere upon Puget Sound, and the lake would doubtless be an advantageous locality. It presents the only navy yard upon the coast is at San Francisco.'
“I am unable to understand how the Government engineer who examined it came to the conclusion that it would cost so much money to make the connection.”
Senator Dolph’s 1887 visit captures a pivotal moment when Seattle was just beginning to dream of its massive engineering projects. Today, the Lake Washington Ship Canal remains a central piece of our city’s identity, proving the senator’s foresight regarding the lake's strategic value—though the debate over local versus federal infrastructure funding continues to be a staple of Seattle politics.
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