Historical Note
The Department of Streets and Sewers was responsible for the planning,
construction, repair and cleaning of the City’s streets, sidewalks and sewers.
City Council appointed the first Street Commissioner in 1875. The position came
under the jurisdiction of the Board of Public Works in 1890. The position of
Superintendent of Streets, Sewers and Parks was established in 1896, although
authority over Parks was removed in 1904. The department was abolished in 1936
and became the Maintenance Division of the Engineering Department.
Content Description
The Streets and Sewers Annual Reports date from 1895 to 1931; there is
not a report for every year in this series. Additional copies can be found at
the Seattle Public Library and in the Engineering Department Unrecorded Subject
Files (located on microfiche at the Seattle Municipal Archives and in hard copy
at the Puget Sound Regional Branch of the State Archives).
The earliest report, for 1895, is an itemized list of new construction
for the year. The next report, for the year 1903, is a breakdown of costs for
the department, including dollars spent for repairing, cleaning, and supplies,
for paved streets, planked streets, dirt streets, and in other areas are
listed. The 1904 reports includes both narrative and statistics, and includes
reports of the street inspector, sidewalk inspector, sewer inspector, and a
report on work of the chain gang. The 1905, 1908 and 1909 reports are primarily
statistical; the 1908 report includes suggested amendments to ordinances
relating to streets and sewers, such as moving buildings through any public
place. Reports from 1896 to 1900 include parks. Discussion of the benefits of
paving streets and the problems of planked roads is a common thread through
these reports. Reports in the 1910s have more narrative than earlier reports
and discuss the huge increase in motor driven vehicles and the implications for
the department, as well as the effect of war activities on streets and
sewers.
Reports in the 1920s continue to have narrative and many statistical
reports. Root bound sewers and snow storms are some of the issues that arise.
Maintenance and repair costs are a constant theme throughout the reports. The
last report in this series is 1931.
Records were originally filed with the City Clerk in the
Comptroller/Clerk's Files (CFs) and were removed to create this record series.