Starting around 1910, the Duwamish River was dredged and cut into a straightened river channel to be used as a shipping corridor and industrial waste site.

This caused enormous harm to the Duwamish Tribe whose villages along the river were burned down in the preceding decades, as well as to many Euro-American settlers living in the area. 

Today, residents of Georgetown and the other communities in the Duwamish River Valley are much more likely to suffer from chronic illnesses as a result of the industrial pollution and transit emissions.

In late 2025 Friends of Georgetown History and the Georgetown Business Association began collaborating to try and bring a little bit of the Duwamish River back to life along it's original route.

We are in the process of gathering more partners for the project, seeking input from the Duwamish Tribe and brainstorming possible designs to make the most beautiful, durable and educational displays possible. We aim to install these on public and private properties and will create digital media to accompany the physical installations so you can walk the old river channel and learn just from your phone or in person with a tour guide.