1/13/2006
In 1930 the city of Seattle put in a waterline that
came down from Capitol Hill, through Interlaken Park, ran north under 22nd
Street to East Blaine and then up a steep 65’ ridge to the high point of the
Montlake Neighborhood. From there it continued
north to serve communities beyond the ship canal. Once the
waterline was completed one of the city’s charming sets of public stairs was thoughtfully
installed on that right-of-way.
As a kid I had never heard them referred to as anything other than the Government Stairs though I guess their official name is the “Howe Street Stairs” I still return to them and recall a cycling adventure that took place over a half a century prior.
Kasie and I were out for a Father/Daughter bike ride sometime back when we found ourselves in the Montlake neighborhood. She had heard most of my “Glory Days” tales before but this was the first time that we had visited this particular site where I had made my bones as a fairly major cycling stud to be reckoned with. As we stood over our bikes looking down the Government Stairs I proudly related something that happened there about 60 years ago.