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Kirkland Now & Then — Downtown in the 1940′s

By on January 18, 2012 in History, Now & Then

The old Kirkland Junior High building--site of today's Heritage Park--is visible at the left, immediately west of Market Street--and many of the downtown buildings in the shot remain today. (Photo courtesy of the Kirkland Heritage Society).

This color image looking north over Moss Bay comes from the collection of the Kirkland Heritage Society and is not dated, but is likely the winter of 1948-49. The image shows the old Kirkland ferry dock and bumper dolphins still in place and those were removed in 1951, so the photo obviously pre-dates that.

Color film was expensive in the late 1940′s, so such images from that time are a rare treat.

Present day Kirkland has a mix of single-story and multi-story buildings such as those in the upper right of this photo taken from The 101 on Kirkland Ave.

About Matt McCauley

Matt McCauley is a Kirkland native who has written about its history since the early 1990s. He is an alumnus of Seattle University, where he majored in Journalism, and the Seattle University School of Law. McCauley has authored the new book, A Look to the Past: Kirkland — From Wilderness to High Tech, Kirkland’s History in 50 Vignettes which is available at Parkplace Books: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=lf#!/pages/A-Look-To-The-Past-Kirkland/159417827413248
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  • mikey

    so what’s latest on the Costco gas station in Kirkland??

  • Anonymous

    I think this must have been the winter of 1949-1950. That was the year we had the big snowstorm.  Look at the list that was published of big snowstorms and that year is on the list.  I remember it vividly, I was a junior in highschool in Bellevue. We were out of school for days.

    • Matt McCauley

      Thanks Bonnie and Alice, I think I had the ’49 part correct, but missed the ’50, lol! I really appreciate you two setting the record straight and sharing your memories of that time, THANKS!

  • Alice (Medzegian) Stoops

    I agree with Bonnie.  I, too, went to school in Bellevue.  We had a huge snowstorm the year I was a senior.  I graduated in 1950.   We lived up by Sears (Highland, now Overlake Park), and we were without power for 5 days.  You don’t forget things like that very easily.