Western Washington 1936

This map of Western Washington was produced in 1936 and features early roads and trails. These were an important source of transportation for those who lived in the state, as well as an important source of revenue as tourists began to visit Washington more and more each year. Various ferry routes are noted, as well as forest trails and state parks as indicated by the legend inset.

The Olympics are featured as one of the more larger typography sections of the map. Mount Olympus can be clearly seen, as well as the location for Olympic Hot Springs. Various other important peaks and locations are noted throughout the mountain range.

Furthermore, distance to outlying cities in respect to important Washington cities are noted on the right-hand side of the map. This would have been handy for travelers and tourists at the time, as anyone could use the mileage to calculate how long their road trip would take.

By this time, Washington had achieved statehood, and there were a few notable events that happened right around this time period. For instance, in the same year, Eddie Bauer invented the down parka from his Seattle based office. The idea came to him from a near-death fishing experience he had where his wool clothing got soaking wet. He patented his Skylander Down Jacket, and it became one of the most popular items sold in his stores.

On January 12 of the same year, the S.S. Iowa wrecked at Cape disappointment. 34 people lost their

lives, yet only 10 bodies would ever be recovered. This incident would go down as the worst maritime disaster recorded on the Columbia River Bar in the 20th century.

Schmitz Park Bridge completed in December of 1936. This West Seattle construct was considered to be quite innovative at the time. It had Art Deco inspired design, and would replace the old timber truss crossing that previously spanned the area.

Olympic gold would be found that year by Washington as well. The rowing crew from the University of Washington would take home the gold medal after their hard-fought 8 man rowing efforts at the Berlin Olympics.

Finally, ushering in a new error of travel, the electric trolley system in Spokane Washington would literally go out in a blaze of glory. Upgrading to a more modern bus system, the final old electric trolley car number 202 would make its final trek on August 31, 1936 to the end of the line. It would then be set ablaze with a fire so fierce that it reddened the entire sky above the city, marking the end of Spokane's trolley service that spanned five decades.

In time, more roads would show up on Washington maps, and railway lines would become all but obsolete. However, at this particular time in history, we get valuable insight into just how young the state was, and hints as to how large it would later become.

All sizes are approximate.