Now....The Rest Of The Story.....Sort of ..

Whew!!!  We've done a lot this week gang, but I can't wait to share some other parts of our visit to the beautiful Northwest.  Today we're going to visit a place I mentioned the other day - the L. C. Smith Tower in Pioneer Square.  First, though, I need to point out something I forgot to mention.  Over time we have had quite a few folks from other countries join us on our wanderings.  We really love having friends from all over the globe along as part of the SCTravelersX3 Gang and we want to make our posts as meaningful as we can.  Most of our visitors are probably more proficient in English than I am - but - to make sure they have the best chance of understanding things when I go off on a tangent, we added a "Translation Service" over there on the right side right under the slide shows.  If you are struggling with my "Southern-ese", all you have to do is go click on it and pick out the language with which you are most comfortable.  But - let's get back downtown. On our way out to the christening ceremony we mentioned the Tower and posted a couple of pictures - past and present - of the Seattle skyline.   Remember - that building was begun in 1910 and opened in 1914!!!  As we talk about it, that fact will become increasingly meaningful.  Now - I have to correct something I said in my "preview" the other day.  I mentioned the tower and said something like; "... think Smith and Wesson and Smith Corona..."  Well - I was only partially correct.  While Mr. Lyman Cornelius Smith did have a firearms company it was not "Smith & Wesson" (that was Horace), it was the "L. C. Smith Shotgun Company." (The plaque above and to the right was wrong!!)   The history of Smith's involvement in firearms manufacturing is very interesting and complex and, while I won't try to explain it all here - weapons such as Ithaca shotguns, Marlin rifles, Springfield rifles and many more all have links to Smith and his family.  At age 23 Smith tried the livestock business and failed.  He then tried the lumber business and only escaped failing because he managed to sell his business before he did.  He then went into the firearms business with his brother and the rest is history - er... sort of. Ever the innovator, Smith and his colleagues took a look at the blossoming typewriter industry and realized that many of the production requirements were similar to those used by their company.  So - they began moving aggressively into the typewriter business.  As competition grew, Smith and his son, Burns, began looking for a "marketing edge."  After a visit to the West coast in the early 1909,  Smith told Burns he wanted to build a 14 story office building in the small town of Seattle in Washington state.  Living in an era of grandiose construction projects, Burns immediately realized the potential 'publicity value' for their typewriter business and convinced his father to make the building "the largest building in the country outside of New York."  And a dream was born.  I won't try to cover the unique construction features of the tower but the astonishing foundation preparation has made the structure virtually "earthquake proof."  Almost every traditional 'wood feature' in buildings was replaced with steel or bronze (not endearing him to the timber industry in Washington) rendering it virtually fireproof.  The outside of the building was constructed using marble and terrazzo tile making it almost 'maintenance free.'  The seven original Otis Elevators were state of the art in 1914 and to this day nearly all of them are still using the original electric components.  In fact, the elevators are such an iconic treasure that they operate the exact same way they did on July 4, 1914 - with a manual "operator."  They are also works of art!!  The 35th floor of the building where the observation deck  is houses the famous "Chinese Room."  Legend has it that the room was decorated by the artisans of the last Empress of China as a gift to Smith and the design, decor and furnishings are astounding.  The walls, floors and ceiling are ornately carved and decorated and the dark wooden furniture clearly has an oriental flavor.  One of the chairs is uniquely carved with figures of a  Dragon and a Phoenix.  It has become known as the "Wishing Chair" and it is said that a 'willing woman' who sits in it and wishes will be married within a year.  (?)  The observation deck provides some breathtaking views of the harbor and the city and, although the tower is now dwarfed by surrounding structures, it still has a truly unusual perspective on the city.  Take a look at the view you have looking down Second Avenue toward the Space Needle.  While we were looking around we heard a tremendous cacophony of sound from the ground.  We were puzzled for a while but soon realized that the honking was coming from small yellow cars on the street below.  It seems that the cabs were having some kind of  "protest".  It didn't last long but I think they made their presence known!  There are lots of fascinating features to be seen from the observation deck - if you know what you're looking at!!  A number of the buildings have plants on their roofs and some of the city government buildings have even planted the entire roof surface in grass!!  The insulating properties and waterabsorption are particularly helpful in this climate.  We spent some time talking to the docent in the Chinese room, managed to leave a few dollars in the gift shop and, after a wonderful visit decided to head up to the Olympic Sculpture Garden.  We'll give you a break for now but be ready to go when we come back.  It's a walking tour!! See ya.