- Columbia City, a historic neighborhood in southeast Seattle, began as a townsite developed by promoter J. K. Edmiston, who built an electric rail line from downtown Seattle through the Rainier Valley along the route now followed by Rainier Avenue. It was incorporated as an independent town in 1893 and was annexed into Seattle in 1907. Manufacturers such as the Hitt Fireworks Company and Heater Glove Company sustained the local economy until World War II, when the neighborhood became home to defense workers and Hitt Fireworks switched to military production. Columbia City saw declines in the post-war years, reaching a nadir in the late 1970s when crime was a major concern and many storefronts were empty. In subsequent decades, a combination of public and private efforts helped revitalize the area. The local business community won Landmark District status for Columbia City in 1978, helping to preserve the neighborhood’s historic ambience. Once-empty storefronts have become restaurants, offices, an art gallery, and other businesses.
- Steptoe Butte Natural Area Preserve (dnr.wa.gov)
Steptoe Butte Natural Area Preserve (NAP) was established in 2018 to protect the largest known remaining occurrence of Palouse prairie in Washington. With an estimated 2% of its historic range remaining, the Palouse prairie is considered one of the most endangered ecosystems in the continental United States. The 437-acre preserve was identified by the Washington State Natural Heritage Program for NAP status to protect four rare plants, four priority plant associations, and one rare earthworm species.