Wonder Bread Is History
Last year before moving off of Capitol Hill, Seattlest can remember coming out of our house and smelling the distinct smell of donuts. Yum. Where or where did that smell come from? We assumed it was coming from the Wonder Bread plant in the Central District, a mere half mile away. We had seen the Wonder Bread sign from across the city, a beacon of nostalgia from when folks thought that bleaching food made it more nutritious. Turns out Interstate Bakeries vacated the warehouse over five years ago. Now the PI reports the block is being bulldozed for redevelopment and several groups in Seattle are requesting the sign be preserved, much like the Rainier Beer ‘R’ and the blue flame from Washington Natural Gas – both now on display at the Museum of History and Industry.
So far,Pratt Fine Arts Center next door wants to use it for artsy things. Someone else wants to move it to the nearby sculpture park. MOHAI is considering it, as long as it’s deemed historical enough. What do you think should happen to the sign? And more importantly, where does that donut smell really come from?
