Home › Forums › Open Discussion › California and Alaska: Was it Regraded?
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April 21, 2013 at 8:43 pm #607230
JayDeeParticipantI seem to recall that someone said that the literal Junction of California and Alaska was regraded. Now having ridden my bike north and south of the Junction from East to West it is a B—- doing so. But Alaska is “just right” (aside from the buses, and drivers who think the Junction is the best route through the Junction…but that’s another topic). Was the Junction regraded, and when?
April 21, 2013 at 11:55 pm #788597
miwsParticipantJayDee, I don’t recall of hearing this myself, and couldn’t find any confirmation after a quick check in West Side Story, but will try to do a more thorough check.
Mike
April 22, 2013 at 12:56 am #788598
JayDeeParticipantIf it was not for the fact that the grade from Alaska to California was so gradual compared to one to two blocks north or south of it that I was wondering.
April 22, 2013 at 6:17 am #788599
cjboffoliParticipantAccording to this article, California was regraded along its entire length:
http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&file_id=8725
I didn’t see any specific mention of SW Alaska Street. But the gentle incline seems that it was indeed regraded at some point, most likely to accommodate streetcars.
April 22, 2013 at 7:21 am #788600
inactiveMemberSWHS has newspaper clips I read which are notable for how little “process” has changed. I recall them describing early solicitation of transit development by the first WS developers/realtors  with city.  There are plenty of pics of street cars across the original clackety bridge but prior, there was a very big brouhaha.  Sound familiar?Â
More recently I saw an old pic where the island had not been built up yet and there was rail on trestles waaaay out over the water to unload/load ships. Â I know that this isn’t really answering the question, but I think it is so interesting how the North Delridge/Harbor Ave area developed. Â Â
Small coincidence that I went to a Pigeon Point estate sale this weekend of an103-year-old owner of a nonrenovated  house right above the Delridge bridge ramp.  Amazing history. She and her husband were from Estonia; he was a port worker. The house was from the teens or twenties…*before* the port was built out or a skyline existed anywhere.
Totally digressing there, but fascinating. Anyway, call and make an appointment to check the clippings at SWHS. Let them know what you are looking for and they’ll pull material for you. Â Least they have for me when I called.
Edit: And just a wild guess when this planning/road development happened – 1915-1920? Let us know what your research reveals.
April 22, 2013 at 8:05 am #788601
inactiveMemberApril 22, 2013 at 2:11 pm #788602
miwsParticipantThanks Christopher.
I meant to check Historylink, (or suggest it to JayDee).
I love WS (and Seattle) History, and am thrilled to have recently gotten back my copy of West Side Story, after it being stored at a friend’s for nearly two years! :-)
Mike
April 22, 2013 at 3:31 pm #788603
cjboffoliParticipantI was amused to read the bit about how West Seattle residents have been wringing their hands over “parking, traffic flow, density, and building heights” since the 80’s. Had to have a chuckle over that one. Some things never change.
April 22, 2013 at 7:05 pm #788604
inactiveMemberOh, misw!
If you are not already doing so and have the time, you would be a fanTAStic volunteer for the Historical Society. They always need help from folks like you.. The photos, ephemera and written (sometimes by hand!) resources that did not make it into Westside Story are really neat to peruse.
April 22, 2013 at 7:14 pm #788605
miwsParticipantI’ve thought about that before, ‘dood.
Just might have to give it more serious consideration!
And to your earlier mention of the bridges; the pictures of the various ones over the decades has particularly fascinated me.
From my first time of perusing West Side Story back in ’87, I have had this sense of familiarity; kind of a deja vu, of some of those bridges, much like I do when either seeing particular older buildings either in photos, or in person, or simply physically being in certain ares, with older buildings.
Mike
April 23, 2013 at 1:16 am #788606
JayDeeParticipantAs a geologist, regrading of California is child’s play…the Vashon Glacier did the bulk of the work.I am sure there were some challenges, but nothing too major.
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But the glacial striations are N/S, and east-west roads and streets can be brutal. Anyone riding E/W across non-graded Vashon Island can attest to that. Hmmm. I may dig up my Historical West Seattle photo book and see if they mention regrading of the Junction (A picture containing an earlier version of me was in the book which is a little scary…)
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