Seattle, Washington story
A Legacy of Light
Long before the modern grid, Seattle's industrial era was powered by steam and coal. Between 1906 and 1956, the Seattle Gas Light Company operated a massive gasification plant rig…
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Long before the modern grid, Seattle's industrial era was powered by steam and coal. Between 1906 and 1956, the Seattle Gas Light Company operated a massive gasification plant right here on Lake Union. For half a century, this site supplied the fuel that kept the city running.
When the plant finally closed, the city bought the land in 1962, but instead of tearing everything down, they did something groundbreaking. They reclaimed the post-industrial landscape, turning the skeletal remains of the plant into Gas Works Park. They even used on-site excavated material to build the Great Earth Mound for kite flying and strolling.
Now a National Register of Historic Places site, it's a place where industrial ruins and public recreation exist in a strange, beautiful harmony.
Updated June 2026