Continuing my series on the bridge, today I work my way north from What is now Terminals 113 and 115,  or McLaughlins Waterfront.  I have no parcel number for this property because it has been lumped in with parcel 5367202505.  Land that is economically and politically productive, but an ecological disaster, has a way of disappearing from public records by washing the Deed through possession by the State of Washington.

William Boeing was born in Detroit Michigan.  He was the son of a successful Taconite Miner and Lumberman; both industries very destructive to the environment it their own way.  Young Wilhelm Boing, or William Boeing as he later preferred to be called, found himself enrolled in the Yale School of Forestry in the first years of the previous century.  It must have been an unpleasant place for him, surrounded by Gifford Pinchot and other young radicals committed to saving the forest.  in 1903, the same year as the Wright Brothers flew the first succesful flight in America, he dropped out and went into the Lumber business.  He started in Hoquiam Washington, a little port town in the southwest of Washington State on the coast, with abundant groves of large spruce trees.   Fortunate for him, because planes used spruce for the frame of  airplane’s at the time.  Weight to strength ratio was everything.  He learned about milling lumber  by starting the Greenwood Logging Company.  That in place, he visited Seattle  in 1909 for the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific world industrial exposition, or worlds fair.  While in Seattle, he visited Heath Shipyard (The Little Red Barn) on the Duwamish, to inspect progress on his new yacht.  He witnesses a Curtiss airplane taking flight from the Meadows Racetrack, a mere two miles away.  The next year he bought the Heath Factory, and started learning woodcrafting techniques.  Smart move, because shipwrights are extremely skilled at woodwork.  They are very accustomed to working  curved surfaces, and recognizing faults in wood.  It didn’t hurt the property that it was located 1 mile directly east of Georgetown’s electric plant.  (side note: The patent for the steam turbine that turned the generator was originally held by Charles Curtis, Americas’s first VP with American Indian heritage.  He was a Republican of course)

In October of 1913 dredging began on the River.  The plan was to make a straight waterway in the twisted river.  This accomplished at least three things.  It more than doubled the Port capacity of Seattle, It prevented flooding of the fields of South Park, and gave Seattle some more dirt.  Seattle was creating the largest man-made island ever in the US at this time downriver, extending the river further into Puget Sound, as the East and West Duwamish waterways.  Discussions as to how the river was to be dredged were held in the University Club, a conglomeration of all Seattle players including the City Engineer R H Thomson and Bill Boeing, as to how the Duwamish was to be dredged, and where it was to be cut.  Also in the Club was recent MIT graduate George Westervelt.  The cut for the waterway fit perfectly with Boeings properties.

http://www.legendsofamerica.com/WA-HarborIsland.html

Boeing discussed airplanes with George Westervelt from 1910-1915; there hanging the sign outside the door officially in 1915.  Maiden flight of the B+W was June 15, 1916.  Westervelt was not there to see it; he had been called up by the Navy in anticpation of WW1.

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“Conrad Westervelt never profited from his work with Boeing, but he continued to advance aviation in his Naval career. During World War I he supervised all Navy construction of aircraft. In 1919, he designed the NC-4 flying boat which became the first airplane to cross the Atlantic”. (historylink.org)

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“One month later, on July 15, 1916, Boeing formed a new company, Pacific Aero Products, with the hopes of selling the B&W to the Navy”… snip

…”Unfortunately, Navy decided against the B&W, but Boeing decided to move forward all the same. He hired Tsu Wong, a young Chinese-American engineer, to design an improved seaplane, to be called the Model C. Boeing was sure the U.S. would enter the war then raging in Europe and was determined to have a plane ready”…  snip

Every story about Boeing and Westervelt is different, including on Boeings various websites.  But now watch this business trick carefully.  Keep in mind Westervelt now supervises all Navy construction of aircraft.

un-snip ……”America entered the conflict on April 6, 1917 and Boeing reincorporated his company as the Boeing Airplane Company on May 9.

Boeing’s confidence was not misplaced. The Navy  awarded Boeing an order for fifty Model C planes as well as fifty Curtiss flying boats.

from website: http://www.promotex.ca/articles/cawthon/2004/2004-08-23_article.html

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Thus began a long and profitable relationship with the Federal Government.  Boeing has been well taken care of by the community and nation, and has taken good care of itself as well.  Plant 2 is built so close to the South Park Bridge, they actually cut the corner of the building off.  When Boeing wanted a pedestrian overpass, every government and agency in the state came running to pay for it. Now would be a good time for it to give back to the  community in it’s time of need.  Take a walk across the bridge sometime from Seattle headquarters and look around at some of the older structures in the community.  It was a proud place before World War 2 and the ensuing Cold War industrial expansion.

Boeings pedestrian overpass

75 year old South Park Bridge

Photo: Seattle PI