Smith planned for an 18-story building, but soon found himself in a dispute, according to the Seattle Times, with fellow Seattle developer John Hoge, who had commissioned his Hoge Building around the same time. The purchase was the largest-ever property sale in Seattle. When Smith learned that it was also the fastest growing city in the nation, he purchased, sight unseen, eight separate properties in Pioneer Square on which to build a headline-inducing skyscraper for the Smith Premier Typewriter Company. For Smith, Seattle had a strategic geographic position out of earshot and eyeshot of then-President Woodrow Wilson's Democratic administration. The one-time gun manufacturer had recently transitioned into typewriter production. Smith was searching for a place to grow his new business. Begun by Syracuse, New York, businessman Lyman Cornelius Smith and finished by his son, Smith Tower brought the design and engineering tactics of New York City skyscrapers to the Pacific Northwest. When it opened on July 4, 1914, the 462-foot building was touted as "the highest, finest, and most complete office building outside of New York." Though it hit the skyline at the peak of the skyscraper era, forty years after the advent of the elevator made such tall buildings possible, it was the first such tower in Seattle-the city's tallest structure at the time, the King Street Station clock tower, stood at just 247 feet. Long before dot-coms became part of the vernacular, one tech giant gave the city its beacon of stature and modernity, Smith Tower. Visitors can opt for the $59 Rum Runner's card-benefits include unlimited rides, discounts, and a free birthday beverage.Seattle is a city shaped by tech booms and busts. Discounts are available for seniors, kids, locals, and when tickets are purchased online. The $19 admission includes tour and ride to the observation deck. to 9 p.m., with the bar serving until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays and 11 p.m. The Smith Tower Visitor Experience welcomes tourists and locals seven days a week from 10 a.m. And ask the bartenders for the $2.50 special cans of Rainier, a secret "animal-style" price (that's for all you In'n'Out fans) available when the volcano can be spotted from the deck. The first Mondays of each month feature Balboa, Blues, and Booze, a live jazz and blues dance party. Seahawks ticketholders benefit from free, same-day rides after the game. Time your visit to watch epic sunsets over Elliot Bay or the Friday fireworks at Safeco Field. Smith Tower is one of the last buildings on the West Coast to employ elevator operators, who sport old-timey uniforms while happily sharing historic tidbits while you ride. These shiny brass boxes have lattice doors, letting you glimpse into the offices as they whiz by. Visitors to Smith Tower get to ride the iconic Otis elevators, the same models the Empire State Building and Eiffel Tower boast. Score gray Ebbets Field Flannels sweatshirts embroidered with the red Rainiers logo, the Pacific Coast League baseball teamed named for the Seattle's iconic mountain and brewery. Pick up typewriter key cuff links, a wink to the machine that made Lyman Cornelius Smith rich, and tissue paper embossed with gold Seattle maps. The lobby's gift shop is stocked with appealing treasures from Seattle and beyond. See the radio equipment that Elisa Olmstead used to broadcast shows on KPQX or pick up a phone on the switchboard that operators used to spy on calls between bootleggers. Learn about the building's most prominent tenants as you wander rooms decorated with period pieces. Work up a thirst meandering through the Legends of Smith Tower, a self-guided tour spread over two floors. Views of both I-90, which travels all the way to Boston, and I-5, which reaches along the entire West Coast, provide a sense of the vastness of the States. On clear days, get postcard-worthy shots of Mount Rainier and the Olympic Mountains. Get a bird's-eye view of Seattle's ever-expanding downtown, ferries traversing Elliot Bay, colorful shipping containers and cranes along the port, and the nearby stadiums. Alongside the bar, the open-air observation deck offers breathtaking 360-degree views.
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