Colman Dock - Seattle, WA
N 47° 36.165 W 122° 20.265
10T E 549778 N 5272361
This historical point of interest marker is located in front of the Seattle Ferry Terminal at Colman Dock and along the waterfront in downtown Seattle, WA.
Waymark Code: WMG5FM
Location: Washington, United States
Date Posted: 01/15/2013
Views: 4
Visitors to and from the Seattle Ferry Terminal might see an unobtrusive historical marker attached to the front of the terminal complex and tucked out of the way and next to a couple of payphones (also waymarks). This particular anchor has a metal plaque with an inscription that says the following:
HISTORICAL POINT OF INTEREST
COLMAN DOCK WAS BUILT ON THIS SITE BY
J. M. COLMAN IN 1909. THIS DOCK WAS CENTER
OF FERRY BOAT ACTIVITY ON PUGET SOUND.
SEATTLE FERRY TERMINAL DEDICATED MAY 18, 1966,
NATIONAL MARITIME DAY - 1966
PRESENTED BY
YUKON CLUB & PROPELLER CLUB - PORT OF SEATTLE
I did some research online and it seems as though I've discovered conflicting dates as to which year James Murray Colman built Colman Dock. The following excerpt is from HistoryLink.org and mentions the construction of this dock:
Colman built the original Colman Dock (now Pier 52, the terminal for Washington State Ferries on the downtown Seattle waterfront). He built it as a 40 x 60-foot shipping dock in 1882, but the 1889 fire destroyed that. He rebuilt it, and the ensuing Klondike Gold Rush (1897) made it a thriving hub.
The website mentions he died in 1906 but the historical marker says he built Colman Dock in 1909. There is also a history of Colman Dock on Wikepedia here.