Mt. Baker History
sharing
the past
The Hub Alliance works to understand, engage with, and archive information about the founding of the neighborhood. We have conducted interviews, gone to the archives, and scoured reports to compile our records. Now, they inform everything we do, particularly relating to advocacy in our placemaking program.
1907
Hunter Tract Corp. buys Mt. Baker
The Hunter Tract Company developed the residential neighborhood to the east of Rainier Ave, with guidance from the Olmsted Brothers on the boulevards. Today, it is on the National Register of Historic Places.
1912
Franklin High School is completed
One of the largest landmarks of the neighborhood, Franklin High School was built while the neighborhood was developing, nestled in the curves of Mt. Baker Blvd. It was the second high school in Seattle.
1912
Dugdale Field is built
One of the first stadiums in the city, Dugdale cemented Rainier Ave as a destination along the Interurban Rail line, which connected Mt. Baker to Downtown Seattle. At the time, the neighborhood was home to produce farms that sold their goods at Pike Place Market.
1923
First Zoning Code Ensures Rainier Ave's Future
Seattle’s first zoning code officially designated Rainier as a commercial district, primarily serving automobiles.
1938
Iconic Sick's Stadium opens
Replacing Dugdale Field, Sick’s Stadium became the home of the Seattle Rainiers and was an icon of the area for decades. In 1970, it hosted concerts by Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin before being replaced by the Kingdome in 1977.
1968
Seattle Black Panthers form after sit-in at Franklin High
Founders of the Seattle Chapter of the Black Panther Party, the first outside California, harnessed student activism into productive action.
2009
Light Rail Station opens
The long-awaited light rail station, which Mt. Baker had been anticipating for a decade, was finally completed and opened. It returned rail, the original method of travel to Mt. Baker, to the area after decades away.