Damage Case Records
Scope and Contents note
Files from the Court Section of the Engineering Department, including correspondence, reports, ordinances, claims, court documents, patents, deeds, contracts, blueprints, maps, and photographs relating to court cases brought either against or by the City of Seattle concerning property damage due to natural causes, street grading, or construction projects. Case topics include railroads, waterways, bridges, parks, libraries, sewers, drainage, and streets. Files on the Cedar River watershed and dam include engineersâ reports, field notebooks, maps, data and photographs regarding Cedar River projects and flooding from the Cedar River masonry dam. A few files concern property acquisitions and condemnations. More than six hundred photographs have been scanned and added to the online photograph collection for this series. To view the entire series click the link below. To view photographs in correlation to a specific case, use the folder list below. Files for the period of the late 1950s through early 1970s are missing.
Dates
- Creation: 1891-2003
- Creation: 1914-1987
Creator
- Seattle (Wash.). Engineering Dept. (Organization)
Conditions Governing Access note
Records are open to the public.
Historical Note
The Engineering Department (SED) maintained the City's streets and bridges, designed and oversaw construction of public works projects, provided traffic and transportation planning, and operated the sewer and solid waste utility. The position of City Surveyor was created in 1873 to survey the City, establish boundaries and street grades, and administer condemnation processes. This position was renamed City Engineer in 1890. In 1931 the Engineering Department absorbed part of the Department of Public Utilities and in 1936 it assumed the responsibilities of the Department of Streets and Sewers and the Traffic Department. In 1997, the water, solid waste, drainage, and wastewater utilities from the Engineering and Water departments were merged with the Engineering Services Division of SED and the Customer Service Call Center and Construction Engineering Sections of City Light to form Seattle Public Utilities. The traffic and transportation functions of the Engineering Department were consolidated in the Seattle Transportation Department.
Full Extent
10.8 Cubic Feet (27 boxes)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
Legal case files, primarily concerning litigation over public and private property damages.
Arrangement note
Arranged numerically by case number.
Associated Digital Objects
Subject
- Seattle (Wash.). Engineering Dept. (Organization)
Genre / Form
Geographic
Topical
- Bridges -- Washington (State) -- Seattle
- Civil Procedure and Courts
- Floods -- Washington (State) -- King County
- Grading (Earthwork) -- Washington (State) -- Seattle
- Litigation -- Washington (State)
- Public works
- Public works -- Washington (State) -- Seattle
- Sewerage -- Washington (State) -- Seattle
- Storm sewers -- Washington (State) -- Seattle
- Streets -- Washington (State) -- Seattle
- Truck farmers -- Washington (State) -- Seattle
- Title
- Guide to the Seattle Engineering Department Damage Cases 1891-2003
- Author
- Finding aid prepared by Janet Ness
- Date
- 2011
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description note
- Finding aid written in English.
- Sponsor
- Funding for processing this record series was provided through a grant from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission.
- EAD Location
- http://archiveswest.orbiscascade.org/ark:/80444/xv08993
Repository Details
Part of the Seattle Municipal Archives Repository