Raaaaaaaiiiiii niiiiieeeeeeeeeerrrrrr Beeeeeeeeeerrrrr

I just discovered this this morning.

It makes me sad and I feel as though I needed to share this news.

I am sure that in a couple of years I will have forgotten this landmark that draws on my imagination to depict images from decades ago. I understand that the building was "dangerous" in its current condition. I might even think that what goes in the place of Rainier Cold Storage's place is an improvement. But today is a day that I need to mourn.





Though many might not even know of these buildings, I used to drive by them daily. They spoke of a different Seattle each time I drove by... often we over-state the truth in these matters, claiming something happens more often than it actually did. But in this case I am not. That is why I have such a connection to these buildings. Every time I drove by these giants of a century past, I was transported to Old Seattle. A place filled with people that were survivors. A population of worn and weary survivors. Gold miners from Alaska, loggers moving west, and sailors hailing from the reaches of the globe found Seattle. They made their homes in the place we call home, they conquered the mountains that surround our Eastern limits, and they returned to drink the sweet nectar that became Rainier Beer. Men with rugged beards and hands that would hide a Granny Smith or a Red Delicious. There were many tough generations that endured the dreary winters, finding solace in the aluminum can with a golden mountain and a scrawled red "R". These buildings transport my mind to the days of Seattle's Skid Row and . A time that shaped the city I love.



Yesterday, one of these buildings was destroyed. I am not sure if others will follow. Either way, a piece of Seattle's history was lost. A giant that looked down on Seattle's Hooverville is gone today.