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Rainier Valley was a dense forest until the arrival of the Rainier
Valley Electric Railway from Seattle in 1891. The railroad was used by
C.D. Hillman to promote the sale of Columbia City lots, a lumber mill was soon built, and settlement of "Columbia", named
after Christopher Columbus, began in earnest. Three streets in the neighborhood bear names of other famous explorers: Ferdinand
Street after Magellan, Hudson Street after Henry Hudson, and Americus Street after Amerigo Vespucci.
Columbia was incorporated as "Columbia City" in January 1893, and was annexed to
Seattle on May 3,1907. Columbia city prospered from logging and the railroad. It was during this prosperous era in the early
1900's that much of Columbia City's commercial district took form. The district's 2- and 3-story buildings expressed
similar turn-of-the-century architectural styles and shared a similar scale geared to pedestrian use and streetcar traffic.
Meanwhile, Columbia City's ambitions to become seaport were thwarted with the completion of the Lake Washington Ship Canal
in 1917, lowering Lake Washington by nine feet and causing Wetmore Slough to dry up. (The
former slough, which was used as a dump, is now Genesee Park.) In the late 1930's
and 40's, Columbia City entered a period of slow decline, soon followed by a period of benign neglect and outright deterioration.
By the mid-1970's, the business district experienced trying times, with many of the storefronts vacant or boarded up. Local
residents, recognizing the intrinsic value of the district, sought designation of Columbia City as a Landmark District.
More history? Click here
Learn about the Landmark District
If the late-70's marked a turning point in the preservation of Columbia City's building stock, it also was a turning
point for boot-strap community activism. Four oragnizations have had an important and lasting impact in shaping today's
vibrant Columbia City.
In 1976, the Columbia City Development Association (CCDA), besides leading the effort for Landmark designation, worked
to create a "local improvement district" which financed streetscape improvements that the community still enjoys. At
about the same time, a group of business owners, residents and community activists formed a broadly representative council,
which in turn created the Southeast Effective Development (SEED) non-profit community development corporation. SEED's Columbia
City investments include the Rainier Valley Cultural Center, the Columbia Hotel, and the Columbia City Gallery building.
Learn about SEED
The next boost of energy was provided by the Columbia City Revitalization Committee (CCRC), which was founded in 1995
as a grassroots organization of residents working toward a strong neighborhood and business core. CCRC created the impetus
for change through annual "town meetings", from which arose two of Columbia City's defining institutions, BeatWalk
and the Farmers Market.
The Columbia City Business Association (CCBA) has served as the most recent source of revitalization energy. The CCBA
has a two-fold vision for the business district....first, a pedestrian-friendly, one-stop shopping district that meets
the day-to-day needs of the surrounding neighborhoods, and second, a Seattle-wide destination for great food and for stimulating
art, entertainment and specialty shops.
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More about the CCBA
The character and vitality Columbia City displays today is the result of active, positive choices made by individuals
and groups in the hope of building and rebuilding a sense of community and a special place.
[The foregoing text is based liberally on the research paper of an anonymous student, who will hopefully surface
to take appropriate credit.]
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