Land Use History

This station exemplifies land use changes throughout history. If you continue walking on the path and look to your left, the WAC and the Husky Stadium rise up prominently out of the Montlake Cut. This passage of water was once a canoe portage for Salish Indians; an isthmus that allowed access to prime camping, hunting and fishing grounds. The area used to be thickly forested by Douglas firs and Cedar trees, which represents an immense land use change for the entire city. In 1916, the Army Corps of Engineers finished the Montlake Cut as we know it today: a deep, long passage for boat travel. The alteration was inspired by a desire to move logs more easily from Lake Washington's Union Bay to Portage Bay on the banks of Lake Union. Since the early 20th century, countless land use changes have occurred in the Montlake neighborhood, including home construction, creation of the 520 bridge, and the designation of the Arboretum as a park site. The land use changes have been immense, and evidence of it are clearly visible today from this station.

Resources: http://www.capitolhilltimes.com/2012/05/digging-into-the-history-of-the-montlake-cut/