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Explore stories in Northwest history through highlights from MOHAI’s collections. Search by keyword below or browse the entire online collection by entering the asterisk symbol (*). Filter your search by type of materials.

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36 results for: Police and Law Enforcement

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Image of Pair of handmade hatpins, ca. 1900

Pair of handmade hatpins, ca. 1900

These hatpins were made from the buttons off of a Seattle Police Department uniform. The Seattle Police Department was formed in 1869 with the first town marshall, John T. Jordan, elected in 1870.
ID Number:1961.2228.10
Date:Circa 1900
Image of Colt revolver, ca. 1870

Colt revolver, ca. 1870

This is a five shot cap and ball percussion revolver once owned by John Cornelius Holgate, an early white settler in the Pacific Northwest. This model is called the Colt Model 1862 Police Revolver and these models were made from 1861-1873.
ID Number:1962.2529.1
Date:Circa 1870
Image of Rifle, 44-caliber, used by first Seattle Chief of Police, William Surber, ca. 1880

Rifle, 44-caliber, used by first Seattle Chief of Police, William Surber, ca. 1880

William Surber was the Seattle Town Marshall in 1861 and became the first of this city's chief of police in 1866.
ID Number:1964.3483.72
Date:Circa 1880
Image of Hat check tag from Doc Hamilton’s resataurant, ca. 1926-1932

Hat check tag from Doc Hamilton’s resataurant, ca. 1926-1932

John Henry "Doc" Hamilton (1891-1942) moved from Mississippi to Seattle around 1914 at the age of 23. He served in WWI in the 92nd infantry division in France and returned to Seattle after the war ended. When the Prohibition Act took effect in 1920, Hamilton opened his first speakeasy in his home on E. Union Street. Seattle police shut it…
ID Number:1968.4523.2
Date:Circa 1926-1932
Image of Emergency Police badge, ca. 1919

Emergency Police badge, ca. 1919

This pin is thought to have been used during the General Strike of 1919 as an Emergency Police badge. Seattle's Police Chief deputized thousands of citizens to deal with unrest.
ID Number:1969.4641.1
Date:1919
Image of Police blackjack, ca. 1900

Police blackjack, ca. 1900

This blackjack belonged to John H. Reitz who arrived in Seattle in 1904 after fighting in the Spanish American War in the Philippines. He worked for the Seattle Parks Department and was the superintendent at Woodland Park from 1919 to 1944.
ID Number:1969.4650.2
Date:Circa 1900
Image of Seattle Police Department handcuffs belonging to John Reitz, ca. 1900

Seattle Police Department handcuffs belonging to John Reitz, ca. 1900

These handcuffs belonged to John Reitz, who settled in Seattle in 1904 after completing his military service in the Philippines during the Spanish American War. He worked for the Seattle Parks Department and was superintendent of Woodland Park from 1919-1944.
ID Number:1969.4650.6a
Date:Circa 1900
Image of Bamboo opium pipe confiscated in police raid in Seattle's Chinatown, ca. 1900

Bamboo opium pipe confiscated in police raid in Seattle's Chinatown, ca. 1900

This opium pipe was said to have been seized in a raid in Seattle's Chinatown around 1900. The area was a favorite for police raids of the time amidst anti-Chinese and anti-immigrant sentiment. The police chief who picked it up, Charles "Wappy" Wappenstein, was eventually convicted of bribery and extortion for accepting payoffs from organized crime.
ID Number:1969.5072.74
Date:Circa 1900
Image of King County Sheriff badge worn by Harlan S. Callahan,1943-1955

King County Sheriff badge worn by Harlan S. Callahan,1943-1955

Harlan S. Callahan was a King County Sheriff from 1943 to 1955. Previously he was King County Coroner from 1940-1942 and a Deputy Sheriff from 1930-1935.
ID Number:1972.5547.4b
Date:1943-1955
Image of Dietz brand police lantern flashlight, ca. 1900

Dietz brand police lantern flashlight, ca. 1900

This police flashlight belonged to Thor Ulstrop (1861-1941) who was born in Norway and came to Seattle in 1889. He worked as a deckhand on a steamer on Puget Sound, and also as a bricklayer, helping to build the White Henry Stuart building in 1913.
ID Number:1973.5679.2
Date:Circa 1900
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MOHAI stands on the historic and contemporary lands and shores of the Duwamish, Suquamish, Muckleshoot, and other Coast Salish Nations. We acknowledge the forced displacement of Native Communities from this land while honoring the endurance of the Duwamish people who still live here.
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Phone: 206 324 1126
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