The Underground Becomes A Hotbed For Local Criminals
Technically, no one was allowed to do business in the Seattle Underground anymore, and people were scared of catching the plague, so honest law-abiding citizens stayed away. However, this did not stop hustlers on the black market from taking advantage of all of the free square footage underneath their feet.
In the 1920’s, the city of Seattle seemed like a very clean and wholesome town. Anyone who came to visit would be shocked by the low crime rates and zero homelessness, despite the growing rate of unemployment during the Great Depression. Everyone seemed to be abiding by the new rules of prohibition in the light of day, but all of the sin was happening underneath their feet. The Seattle Underground became one massive place for people to hide their speakeasies, casinos, and opium dens. And, of course, homeless men would sleep in the abandoned buildings underground, instead of on the streets where people could see them.
People did not start going back into the underground city on a regular basis until around the 1960’s, when some brave souls decided to set up sight-seeing tours. These business owners installed electric lights in the Seattle Underground so that people could actually see down there.
When everything is so dark and spooky, it’s really no surprise that some people believe the underground city is haunted. Witnesses have reported floating orbs and apparitions of ghostly women wearing Victorian era clothing. Anyone who visits the city can take a night time ghost and paranormal tour to hear all of the different stories and legends of the spirits who apparently haunt the old city.
Today, the current city of Seattle is more than a little bit afraid that the the hollow city underneath the streets of the town may one day collapse, if there was ever a major earthquake. Supports are being added, and certain sections of the underground are closed off from visitors. It is considered to be too dangerous for people to hang around in the underground city for very long, so it is mostly used for guided tours, and nothing more. Despite all of the tragedy leading up to the modern-day Seattle, the legacy of the underground has become a gem that is unique to their city, and totally worth a visit.
Where did we find this stuff? Here are our sources:
Seattle Burns Down In The Great Fire on June 6th, 1889. Walt Crowley. HistoryLink.org
Underground Worlds: A Guide to Spectacular Subterranean Places. David Farley. Running Press. 2018.
A Little History. UndergroundTour.com
Haunted Road Trip: The Twisting Tunnels of the Seattle Underground. Lucia. Washington Ghosts. 2017.