The Crossing at Black River
In 1877, King County sought bids for a new bridge, marking a quiet moment of infrastructure expansion in a landscape that would soon be permanently altered by river rerouting.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Notice: For Proposals To Build A Bridge Across Black River. Auditor's Office, King Co., W. T., November 13, 1877. The Board of County Commissioners of King County, W. T., hereby solicit sealed proposals to build a bridge across Black River at the place now used by Mr. S. H. Footer for his ferry. Plans and specifications giving the general outlines of the bridge to be built by the bidder to accompany his bid, and to be filed with the Auditor on or before the first of February, 1878. The Board reserve the right to reject any or all bids. M. S. Booth, Clerk of Board.
“The Board of County Commissioners of King County, W. T., hereby solicit sealed proposals to build a bridge across Black River at the place now used by Mr. S. H. Footer for his ferry.”
The Black River was a vital waterway for the Duwamish people, but it was essentially erased from the map in 1916 when the construction of the Lake Washington Ship Canal and the lowering of the lake caused the river to dry up. Today, the area remains a complex site of ecological transformation, and the 'Black River' exists only in the history of the wetlands that once connected the Cedar River to the Duwamish.
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