The Oldest Resident of Seattle

Sometimes I wonder
as I wander,
what life was once like,
if only we were witnesses to times past.

The Duwamish- People of the Large Lake and People of the Inside- live in what will one day be Seattle. The Vancouver Expedition sailed by in 1792. The first Europeans to settle here were members of the Collins Party in 1851. In 1853 the town was renamed Seattle, after the local chief, instead of Duwamps. Soon after Native Americans attack in 1856 in the Battle of Seattle. In 1885 and 1886 Seattle residents rioted, expelled, and killed Chinese workers. In 1889 we had the Great Seattle Fire, and in 1896 Seattle became the gateway to the Klondike Gold Rush. The first general strike in the country occurred in 1919, in response to which 950 troops occupied the city. If only there were someone still alive who could see all these events unfold.

It turns out there is one Seattle resident who does remember all these events. She's been watching since 1600 or 1700. In a hat tip to Capitol Hill Seattle, the only native oak left in Seattle is up on Capitol Hill. After reading about it, I drove up there, and drove round and round, until I could finally locate it at the intersection of Belmont Ave. E, Bellevue Pl. E, and Summit Ave. E. She is as awe-inspiring as is the contemplation of all she has observed.