Seattle Historical Sites

The Yesler Way cable car line to Lake Washington opened in 1888 going to Lake Washington and by 1891, street car lines were running to South Seattle , Madison Park, Fremont , Phinney Ridge, Green Lake and Ballard. By the mid-1890s, houses were being built in Squire Park, as people took advantage of its proximity to downtown, its view properties available and its good transportation. After a brief recession following the Panic of 1893, the 1896 discovery of gold in the Klondike brought thousands of prospectors to Seattle to purchase supplies.  By 1896 a car line ran from downtown on James and Jefferson streets, connecting via Cherry Street to Madrona Beach . Other nearby lines ran on Broadway, Madison Street and Yesler Way. Much of the Central Area was predominantly Jewish before World War I, and numerous significant buildings from this period remain near Squire Park .  These include numerous former synagogues such as Congregation Bikur Cholim ( 17^th Avenue and Yesler Way , now Langston Hughes Cultural Center ) and others. After World War II, most of the Jewish community moved outside the city and established new synagogues in Seward Park , Mercer Island and Bellevue . Also before World War II, a substantial Japanese community lived nearby and in Japantown several blocks to the southwest.  They owned many businesses near Yesler Way and had a number of important institutions, including the Japanese Language School ( 1414 S. Weller Street ) and the Seattle Buddhist Church ( 1427 S. Main Street ).  However, following their internment in World War II, relatively few Japanese returned to the area. Since the mid-20^th century the Central Area has been particularly connected with the African-American community.