Seattle was originally inhabited by Native Americans from the Duwamish tribe. The name Seattle honors their Chief Si’ahl. The Klondike Gold Rush brought many settlers and helped Seattle become a transportation center. In the early 1900s, theaters and silent movies found their home in Seattle. Today, Seattle’s orchestra and ballet companies have won awards, while their theaters rival those of New York. Seattle helped many musicians, such as Jimi Hendrix, Nirvana, Kenny G, and Ray Charles become who they were. Many international film festivals and museums draw tourists every year. Seattle is home to one of the largest Ferris wheels in the country, as well as the famous Space Needle, which was built for the 1962 World Fair. With a mild climate, Seattle has year-round outdoor recreation, which may draw many people to settle in the area. To help with traffic congestion the city is moving towards more mass transit options, such as adding to their light and commuter rail services. Seattle is considered one of the fastest growing cities in the country, due in part to their economy.
Logging was the first major part of Seattle’s economy. Shipbuilding and commercial industries took off during World War I. During World War II, aircraft manufacturing added to the economy of Seattle. A few companies that have their start in Seattle are Washington Mutual, UPS, Starbucks, and Eddie Bauer. After Microsoft moved to Washington in the mid 1900s, Amazon, T-Mobile, and Nintendo of America decided to call Washington home as well. In the early 2000s, the city saw amazing growth and the construction of a considerable number of apartment buildings. Seattle is one of the top container handling ports in North America. The port, along with the International Airport, Seattle-Tacoma, helps Seattle’s economy through cruises to Alaska and trade with Asia. Seattle is known for its clean technology and its green buildings, which follows the city’s goal of zero net per capita greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. Today, software and Internet companies as well as biotechnology are the leaders in Seattle’s economy.