The chaos of the car in Seattle’s early days

Knute Berger talks automobiles in Seattle.

If you think traffic is bad now, just imagine Seattle at the turn of the century: Cyclists, pedestrians and an army of wagons all competed for space on downtown streets. Then, along came the automobile. Knute Berger chronicles the car's bumpy ride in early Seattle — and how it came to dominate the road.

Knute has written a lot on the subject. You can read more stories here:

"The daze of Seattle's first cars"

"Seattle drivers: Atrocious from the start"

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About the Authors & Contributors

Knute Berger

Knute Berger

Knute “Mossback” Berger is Crosscut's Editor-at-Large.

Eric Keto

Eric Keto

Eric Keto is formerly a video producer for Crosscut and KCTS 9.