Seattle Press on Line - What Color Should the Fremont Bridge Be?

What Color Should the Fremont Bridge Be?

By Kirby Lindsay

Nov 15, 2000 -- Much Fremont history has never been written down. We have a strong oral tradition of passing stories along from person to person and viewpoint to viewpoint. As the source changes, the stories change and a legend is built.

Some legends, like the origins of the Fremont Neighborhood Council, have so many different versions and points of view that they are impossible to write down or sort out. Others, like the colors of the Fremont Bridge, just take talking to everyone.

The Fremont Bridge, as far as I know, is the only orange and blue bridge. It is one of four bridges built to span the new Lake Washington Ship Canal at the beginning of the 20th century, and the other three are nice dull colors. Most bridges in Seattle are army green or gray. In Washington State I have seen some painted a lovely cornflower blue along Stevens Pass. The Fremont Bridge is not a lovely blue; it is cobalt blue and tangerine orange, two colors that could only be made harmonious and complementary in one place in the universe.

Why? That question took a great predominance over our community in the 1980s. At the time, the bridge, our most precious landmark and lifeline, was orange. Since the last painting in 1972, the color had faded badly, into a dusty, jaundiced pink.

The origin of the orange color is part of legend. As the story goes, it was a primer coat applied and left to dry too long by city painters. By the time they returned to do the green overcoat, the neighborhood had grown accustomed to the outrageous color and fought to keep it. Against the wishes of the city, the color stayed. At that time, orange paint pigment was unstable and, as city officials predicted, it faded terribly.

In 1985, the city came back ready to work with us. They were going to paint the bridge again, but with a stable, lead-free paint. Orange was not available. Carla Main, our Neighborhood Service Center representative, organized community meetings for input. Army green, brown, and even brick red were offered. Armin Stephanian, unofficial Mayor of Fremont, refused to consider it. He ran a campaign for orange.

Irene Ingalls (now Ingalls-Turner) owned Frame-Up and Eclectic Designs, a business in downtown Fremont, as well as living above the Red Door Ale House. She also created murals and large paintings, including one in the Longshoreman's Daughter restaurant. She was involved in the community meetings and recalls Armin wearing overalls splattered with orange paint and orange buttons. She also recalls him stomping out of every meeting, furious any other color would be considered, although the predominant atmosphere at that time was "Let's compromise."

An election was called. Held at our very own Fremont Street Fair, the colors were offered, and blue won. It was an attempt by the community to acknowledge the city's objective, avoid orange, and exert our will by choosing another color. The blue is a vivid, dark blue that doesn't blend in or avoid notice.

Many people still weren't happy. Sometimes majority rule doesn't work, and the "Let's compromise" feeling still prevailed. Carla suggested Irene look at the choices. Taking pictures, studying the bridge in both closed and open positions, and examining the different surfaces of the intricate structure, Irene designed a paint plan. In my own opinion, it is a credit to her talent as an artist that she could take such divergent, conflicting colors and make them work together. According to her, "the city loved it!" Using very little orange and the blue selected by voters, the bridge was painted. And when our bascule bridge is raised, many times a day for boats to enter and exit Lake Union, the main color one sees is orange.

Armin has moved away, although he is still Fremont's one and only Mayor, and Carla now works for the Light Rail Management Program. Irene sold the Frame-Up shop nearly two years ago for "baby leave," but she still lives beneath the Aurora Bridge near the Fremont Troll, and she still takes an active interest in our community. When the city re-painted our bridge in 1997, most of the neighborhood took it for granted that the colors would stay as they had "always been," blue and orange. And Irene watched to see that the paint plan was followed.

As the story slips into history, and legend, it may be hard some day to believe the Bridge was ever anything but an outrageous homage to compromise.

Irene insists that a look back at 29 years of Fair posters and other Fremont history reveals a predominance of orange and blue, long before our bridge took our colors. Maybe it wasn't hard work and creative thinking that resulted in the unique color scheme. Maybe it was just always meant to be.

Kirby Lindsay voted for blue in the Fremont Street Fair election to choose a new bridge color. If you have questions about the neighborhood, you may write to her c/o The Seattle Press or e-mail to fremont@oz.net.

Reader Comments

Discuss this article in the forums!


jewels	Sep 12, 2002	ontario,canada	ball hockey
Today i'm doing a school proget on bridges and i chose the fremont bridge i think it is so KEWL!!!!!! and i thik u sould paint it (Red)!!!! ps with my e-mail i have MSN messenger! good luck with all that paint!!!


Natalie Kortus	Dec 11, 2002	Gainesville FL Crestion	None
It should be Orange and blue.


Elizabeth Brooks Michael	Jan 03, 2003	Jacksonville, FL	Employee Instructor
It needs to be emerald green! I Love Seattle. I remember the days of light rain and heavy love sessions with Jimmy!!!


some1	Nov 02, 2003	ny	urgay
PAINT IT REd or Pink :-) hehe bye


Dude Dudey	Apr 26, 2004	new jersey	poopsmith
my message is the message I'm thinking of.