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The Urban Myth of Rat City
The origin of the nickname ‘Rat City’ also known as White Center has lead to a wild goose chase. Growing up in the area, I assumed it was because of the rat problems we faced. Yes, we had rat problems back in the good old days. But so do many affluent neighborhoods, so what. How did we get dubbed ‘Rat City’? This conversation was brought up last week with a group of adults, all raised in the Highline area. Unbeknownst to me, they had other ideas of the origin. Now after trying to locate the correct answer, I’ve uncovered more stories with no proof of any of them being true. Can anyone out there bust this myth? Did it come from WWII when Seattle was designated a Restricted Alcohol Territory (RAT), when servicemen visited the unincorporated White Center where they had less restrictive liquor laws? Was it during that same time when there was a military Relocation and Training (RAT) facility in the area? Or did it stem from Southgate Roller Rink, in which the name ‘rink rats’ referred to skaters. I’ll keep searching and let you know if I can find an answer. In the meantime, if someone has proof of the origin, I’ll be waiting…
