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Totem Pole, Pioneer Square, Seattle, Washington, circa 1930

Subjects
Monuments & MemorialsNative American LifeSquares & Plazas
Card type
Linen
Date
c. 1930 (White Border)
Front of Totem Pole, Pioneer Square, Seattle, Washington, circa 1930, E. C. Kropp Co., WI, USA, c. 1930 linen postcard
Front
Back of Totem Pole, Pioneer Square, Seattle, Washington, circa 1930, E. C. Kropp Co., WI, USA, c. 1930 linen postcard
Back

About this postcard

A tall painted totem pole stands on a small planted island in Pioneer Square, surrounded by low shrubs. Behind it rise brick and stone commercial buildings, including a corner block dated 1889, and a glass-roofed shelter at right. The pole rises 60 feet and measures 8 feet around; it was carved from a single cedar by Tlingit carvers on Tongass Island, southeastern Alaska, as a monument to a distinguished family. It stood on the island for nearly a century before a group of Seattle businessmen removed it in August 1899 and presented it to the city. The pole became a landmark in Seattle's original downtown, whose commercial blocks were rebuilt after the Great Fire of 1889.

Postcard Details

Message

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PublisherSmith's Scenic Views
TOTEM POLE, PIONEER SQUARE SEATTLE, WASHINGTON This unique pole, 60 feet high and 8 feet in circum- ference, was carved from a single cedar tree by a tribe of Indians on Tongass Island, southeastern Alaska, who intended it as a monument to a distinguished family. For nearly a century the pole stood on the island, but in August 1899, it was removed by a group of Seattle businessmen, who presented it to the city.
Addressed to

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Postcard record

PublisherSmith's Scenic Views
Series8213
ConditionVery good
Place mentionedE. C. Kropp Co., Milwaukee, WI
PublisherTacoma, WA
NotesLinen-textured stock with visible crosshatch grain; no white border; colors are typical of the linen era. Postmark: none. Divided back, linen-textured 'Natural Color Post Card' (No. 8213); printer imprint: Made in U.S.A. by E. C. Kropp Co., Milwaukee, Wis.; published by Smith's Scenic Views, Tacoma, Wash.; E. C. Kropp logo, corner letters E C K C. No stamp, no address, no message — only a dealer's '#59' in pencil at lower right.

Cite this card

Totem Pole, Pioneer Square, Seattle, Washington, circa 1930, postcard, c. 1930. PostalPast Collection. https://postalpast.com/postcard/totem-pole-pioneer-square-seattle-washington-circa-1930. Accessed November 2, 2026.