The world below

One of Seattle's most intriguing history lessons cannot be found in Suzzallo's textbooks, nor is it taught in the UW's classrooms. To experience this part of Seattle's history one must travel not through time, but space - below the sidewalks in the heart of Pioneer Square. There one finds one of Seattle's oldest neighborhoods.

Bill Speidel's Underground Tour is an odyssey through Seattle's past, showing visitors the beginnings and roots of Seattle. The Tour, begun by Speidel in 1965, takes visitors into the city's dark and often muddy underbelly to see Seattle as it was settled in the early 19th century.

The only natural light that penetrates below the surface comes from the purple skylights lining the sidewalks of Pioneer Square. Like its location and lack of lighting, the history of Seattle holds secrets not found in history books.

Speidel's tour begins in a less gloomy saloon-themed room in Doc Maynard's Lounge. Here, those who will be exploring the subterranean passages gather to chat before going underground.

The group is a diverse mix of Seattle residents and tourists from around the globe. Word of mouth has provided the tour with good publicity - many said they had come after hearing good things from those who had taken it before them.

Alberta, Canada residents Carol Sordo and Craig Servage heard about the tour from a family member who visited Seattle and described it as a must-see.

"She was talking about the fact that it was so unusual," said Sordo. "She travels a lot, so she does a lot of this touristy stuff, but was really intrigued by this kind of tour."

"We had heard from friends that it was the best thing in the whole town," said Annamarie Reed, a visitor from Florida.

That's not to say this tour is all sunshine and roses.

As the group wandered through the dingy world below Pioneer Square, tour guides Ed Christian and Ailsa Prideaux-Mooney spoke of the bubonic plague and reminded everyone that rats still wander through the underground.

Christian and Prideaux-Mooney began by telling the story of Seattle's founding fathers, Henry Yesler, Arthur Denny and Doc Maynard, whose names are today associated with Seattle streets and monuments.

Christian and Prideaux-Mooney also talked about the great Seattle fire of 1889, which destroyed dozens of wooden buildings on 29 blocks of city property. The fire leveled Seattle's business district, but it killed no one until workers began trying to clean up the wreckage.

Indeed, "many think [the Seattle fire] is a blessing in disguise," Christian said, because it gave the city the impetus to rebuild itself. In doing so, it became one of the west coast's most modern.

The tour guides took the group through nooks and crannies, talking of the issues and scandals that faced early Seattleites. The stories are little known and often scandalous.

Settlers' difficulties included dealing with corrupt city governor Henry Yesler, a man who, according to Speidel's book Sons of the Profits, had "a lifelong philosophy of not respecting himself or anyone else -- only money." Other problems included building a city on un-elevated land, and Seattle's early prostitution ring, better known as the "sewing circle," led by the notorious Madam Lou Graham.

Both Christian and Prideaux-Mooney poke fun at everything, from the city's pioneers to Seattleites to Tacoma and even themselves, to keep the tour fun and lighthearted.

"I do supplement my income by doing a bit of sewing," Prideaux-Mooney said, eliciting a wave of laughter from the group.

This sense of humor is what keeps some coming back.

"I remember the tour guides were really funny throughout the tour and kept it interesting," said Seattle native Quinn Neugebauer.

Neugebauer was visiting the tour for the second time with friend Robert Mahjoubian of Pennsylvania. Neugebauer said the tour was on her list of things to do again and wanted to bring Mahjoubian to see it as well.

"I remember I liked it because it was more interesting than most history lessons," she said.

Speidel's tour ends at the Rogues Gallery and an underground gift shop that gives one an idea of what the underground stories may have looked like. The gallery is filled with photographs of the characters mentioned on the tour and houses a vintage printing press.

Servage and Reed agreed that the tour lived up to its reputation and their expectations.

"I thought it was wonderful; very entertaining," said Reed. "I think it is an interesting way to learn about the city."

"Well worth it," added Servage.

The underground tour lasts 90 minutes and costs $9 for students and $11 for the general public. It is recommended one arrive 30 minutes in advance, as no reservations are taken and tickets are on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Visit undergroundtour.com for more information.