SEATTLE — Every Sunday, Argosy Cruises takes passengers back in time, sharing more than 200 years of Seattle's history.
The cruise journeys from Lake Union, through the Montlake Cut and into Lake Washington. Along the way, you discover how the city has evolved. One of the narrators is Courtney Lee, who has spent the past five Summers working for Argosy Cruises.
"On the history tour, I get to talk all about how Seattle has come from this really industrious background into a more cosmopolitan technology-focused future," says Lee.
Argosy Cruises has been there for many of the changes. The company is celebrating its 70th anniversary in 2019.
"It started back in 1949 as the Spring Street Water Taxi," says longtime employee Brock Gilman. "They were running supplies from [the Seattle waterfront] to the ships at anchor."
It was in the early 1950s that the company started doing tours around Elliott Bay. At that time, Spring Street became Seattle Harbor Tours and began making trips to Tillicum Village on Blake Island. By 1994, it was time for another change. The company wasn't just sailing around Seattle. It had expanded to other parts of the region like Kirkland and Lake Washington. That's when Seattle Harbor Tours became Argosy Cruises.
That's also the time Brock Gilman joined the team. He's been with Argosy Cruises for 25 years now and has done almost every job imaginable.
"I started as a deckhand and made my way to driving the boat," says Gilman. "Then I was a vessel team manager, I managed the dinner ship, and then from there I transitioned into the engineering team."
After a few years of that, Gilman took over as Port Captain where he handles Coast Guard compliance and the maintenance of Argosy's fleet.
"We're a homegrown business here," says Gilman. "It started locally [and has been] owned locally its entire life."
People have made Argosy a part of their lives as well. A prime example of that is the popular Christmas Ships.
"The Christmas Ships have really become a family tradition," says Gilman. In December, it's fantastic. The Christmas lights on all the boats are just spectacular to watch as you cruise around."
So what's in store for the next 70 years?
"Just keep doing what we do," says Gilman. "I got to be here when we turned 50 years old and to be here when we turn 70 is a true milestone. It's something all of us who work here are proud of."
This story was brought to you by Argosy Cruises. KING 5's Evening celebrates the Northwest. Contact us: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Email.