Indians Attack Seattle! Historical Marker - Seattle, WA
N 47° 36.078 W 122° 20.185
10T E 549880 N 5272202
This historical marker and anchor are located along Alaskan Way in downtown Seattle, WA.
Waymark Code: WMG5VC
Location: Washington, United States
Date Posted: 01/16/2013
Views: 6
Visitors walking along Alaskan Way, part of the Seattle waterfront, might notice an unobtrusive maritime monument attached to an anchor and mounted on a concrete railing, overlooking Puget Sound. This particular monument has a metal plaque with an inscription that says the following:
HISTORICAL POINT OF INTEREST
INDIANS ATTACKS SEATTLE! JAN. 26, 1856
THE SETTLEMENT WOULD HAVE BEEN
DESTROYED BUT FOR THE PRESENCE OF
THE U.S. SLOOP OF WAR "DECATUR".
ANCHORED OFF THIS POINT, SHE FIRED
A VOLLEY AT THE ATTACKERS, FRIGHT-
ENING THEM INTO HASTY RETREAT.
ERECTED NATIONAL MARITIME DAY 1959
There is a very good online article on Wikipedia regarding this attack by the Indians and was also known as the Battle of Seattle and lasted one day. This battle was part of the multi-year Puget Sound War or Yakima War. The following excerpts from Wikpedia mention the following regarding this battle:
The Battle of Seattle was a January 26, 1856 attack by native Americans upon Seattle, Washington.[1] At the time, Seattle was a settlement in the Washington Territory that had recently named itself after Chief Seattle (Sealth), a leader of the Suquamish and Duwamish peoples of central Puget Sound ... Backed by artillery fire and supported by Marines from the United States Navy sloop-of-war Decatur, anchored in Elliott Bay (Seattle's harbor, then called Duwam-sh Bay[2]), the settlers suffered only two deaths. It is not known if any of the Native American raiders died, though Phelps writes that they later "would admit" to 28 dead and 80 wounded. The battle, part of the multi-year Puget Sound War or Yakima War, lasted a single day ... The battle was part of the Puget Sound War, a series of skirmishes in the region that had been occurring over the course of several months, beginning October 28, 1855. The natives had been angered by treaties imposed by Territorial Governor Isaac Stevens. There had been fighting between federal troops and natives in southern King County, Thurston County [1] and Pierce County. Just five days before the attack on Seattle, Governor Stevens had declared a "war of extermination" upon the Indians ...
***NOTE*** This monument as well as others along this stretch of waterfront along Alaskan Way have had access to them temporarily blocked by fencing due to construction projects. I had to jump a fence to get access to this monument and others on this stretch of walkway. I don't know when construction will end but I wanted you to know this in the event you try to visit these monuments. I encourage visitors to this area to let me know when the fencing comes down and I'll remove this disclaimer. Thanks