explore pioneer square
Welcome to the Original Seattle Neighborhood – rich in history, arts, culture, and food!
About a half block south of S Jackson St, the tideflats of Duwamish Island began. The tideflats continued all the way to the mouth of the Duwamish River, and east to the base of Beacon Hill. For centuries, the Duwamish people lived in clearings along the banks of the river and its tributaries, on the shores of Lake Washington, and along Elliott Bay – now the waterfront area of Pioneer Square and downtown Seattle. When early settlers arrived in the 1850s, the tribes welcomed and helped settlers build their city. Chief Si’ahl, or Chief Seattle, after whom the city was named, was the leader of both the Duwamish and neighboring Suquamish peoples. Chief Seattle sought alliances for the prosperity of his people, but urbanization eventually caused the Duwamish to leave the Pioneer Square area.
