This is not just the birthday of America. It's the birthday of the Ballard Locks, too. When the locks first opened on July 4, 1917, they created a link between the salt waters of Puget Sound and the fresh waters of Lake Washington—and, in the process, dried up the Black River and further ruined a way of life long enjoyed by the Duwamish people. There was a celebratory boat parade on that day, and it was led by the SS Roosevelt.