A crowd of onlookers and several daring photographers were on hand in 1916 for the breaking of the temporary dam at Portage Bay that let water into the new Montlake Cut.

Pioneer Henry Pike was among the first to see transportation potential of the Montlake Canal, shown here about 1900. From the 1860s, it was used to float logs to the city from the heavily timbered lands around Lake Washington. The original canal was south of the present one, near the site of the Museum of History and Industry.

Each spring, the University of Washington's graduating class sponsored a day of water sports in the Montlake Cut. This photo -- taken May 26, 1916 -- shows the risky high-diving contest. The event also included canoe fights and a parade of floats.