The Unbuilt Boulevard That Should Have Been

When the people of Seattle first suggested the question of a public drive, the project was heartily approved, and so much interest was that many believed the proposed plans could be speedily carried out, the lines made, the right-of-way secured, and the roadway itself constructed and opened to the public. Many months have come and gone, however, since the suggestion was first made, and there are no more signs of a boulevard than there were when H. L. Yesler put up the first sawmill on the shores of Elliott Bay. It was proposed to lay out the drive along the old coal road valley to Lake Union, thence to Lake Washington, follow the shore of the latter lake in a southward direction for two or three miles, and then back to the heart of the city. The time will come when, unless the proper steps are now taken, the people of Seattle will greatly deplore the lack of drives around the city. It is consequently important that some action should be taken now while the city is in its infancy and when it is possible to secure routes which years hence will be covered with buildings or of such a value as to make their acquisition for public purposes out of the question.