She shopped for antiques in this area before she realized that the buildings themselves were antiques and they should be preserved as well. What is interesting about Mrs. Crawford’s efforts in preserving what is now called Larimer Square Historic District, is that she put a spin on the old west lore when she was advertising the Square that was not exactly true. It was quoted from multiple sources that Larimer Street was the “most important street in the west” . Though his is not very reliable it was constantly repeated by other sources and started to become a sort of mantra for the city and especially Larimer Square. Increasing the tourist trade and revitalizing the area with more upstanding shops and customers. She had a keen head for business and made sure that the only businesses that were in her Square were ones that were going to be successes. Mrs. Crawford carefully sculpted a mixture between the past and the present to make some of the history of the space become a reality that was both profitable for both the city and its people.
However, Mrs. Crawford did not go through this process without strong opposition, she was hindered at most every turn by people who did not want the area to be zoned as a historical district and wanted to put in more modern buildings . She was eventually successful, but the success …show more content…
The Market began to fall into disrepair and, though still used, was losing customers because of its somewhat dilapidated state. The fight over whether or not to destroy Pike Place Market or revive it began in 1957 with an urban renewal law was passed. Many people fought tooth and nail to keep the Market just as it was, including notably Victor Steinbrueck , who was a staunch advocate for keeping the market as true to its roots as possible. There were others, however, who wanted to do other things with the space, such as put in a parking garage, roads, or to use the space for other