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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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Image of Portrait of Thomas Mercer by Edwin Isaac Ames, ca. 1870-1900

Portrait of Thomas Mercer by Edwin Isaac Ames, ca. 1870-1900

Thomas Mercer (1813-1898) was born in Ohio and came to Seattle in 1852 with Aaron Mercer, his father, Dexter Horton, David Bagley, and William H. Showdy. His first wife died in 1853 and he remarried in 1859. He owned a dairy farm, was a probate judge for ten years, and was one of the first county commissioners. Artist Edwin Isaac…
ID Number:1946.407.b
Date:Circa 1870-1900
Image of Portrait of John Wesley Maple, 1862

Portrait of John Wesley Maple, 1862

John Wesley Maple was the son of Jacob Maple, an early white settler, who came to the Puget Sound in 1851 a few months before the Denny party arrived on Alki. The Maple family settled along the Duwamish River on land that eventually became the site of present day Boeing Field.
ID Number:1952.327.1
Date:1862
Image of Portrait of Monsignor Francis X Prefontaine, ca. 1868

Portrait of Monsignor Francis X Prefontaine, ca. 1868

Father Francis X. Prefontaine (1838-1909) was born in Quebec and arrived in Seattle in 1867. He was the city's first resident priest and built Seattle's first Roman Catholic church, Our Lady of Good Help, located on Third Avenue and Washington Street. In 1877, he bought a soap factory and this became the site of the Sisters of Providence first hospital…
ID Number:1953.360
Date:Circa 1868
Image of Model of first gas station at Holgate and East Marginal Way in Seattle in 1907

Model of first gas station at Holgate and East Marginal Way in Seattle in 1907

This model, of which the maker is unknown (possibly Stanley Stretton), features what claims to be the first gas station ever established right here in Seattle. This is highly debatable as it is more widely known that St. Louis, Missouri, holds that title dating back to 1905. The story goes that John L. Mclean, local manager for Standard Oil (now…
ID Number:1954.1698
Date:Circa 1950
Image of Battle of Seattle

Battle of Seattle "Petticoat Flag," 1856

On the morning of January 26, 1856, the "Battle of Seattle" began when Native Americans raided the white settlement in what is now known as Seattle. Previously warned of the attack, most settlers had barricaded themselves in a blockhouse. Settlers say the women who sought shelter in the blockhouse used strips from their petticoats to sew this flag during the…
ID Number:1955.921.1
Date:1856
Image of Oil painting,

Oil painting, "Battle of Seattle, Jan. 26, 1856," by Emily Inez Denny, ca. 1890

On the morning of January 26, 1856, the "Battle of Seattle" began when Native Americans raided the white settlement in what is now known as Seattle. Previously warned of the attack, most settlers had barricaded themselves in a blockhouse. The attackers were driven off by artillery fire. The battle was the penultimate event in a series of armed conflicts, known…
ID Number:1955.921.2
Date:Circa 1890
Image of Oil portrait of Jacob Furth by unknown artist, ca. 1900

Oil portrait of Jacob Furth by unknown artist, ca. 1900

Jacob Furth (1840-1914) was an early Seattle businessman and public figure who played a large role in developing Seattle's city infrastructure. As the president of Seattle National Bank, Furth also helped Seattle recover from the Great Fire of 1889 and financial panic of 1893.
ID Number:1956.1145.2
Date:Circa 1900
Image of Oil portrait of John Webster by unknown artist, ca. 1880

Oil portrait of John Webster by unknown artist, ca. 1880

Oil portrait of John Webster (1817-1891). He came west around the Horn to the Pacific Coast in 1857, eventually moved to Seattle in 1880 after being a territorial representative, molder, blacksmith, and rancher. He retired and resided at 3rd Avenue and Madison Street. Webster also served as University of Washington Regent, organized and was the first president of the Seattle…
ID Number:1956.1164.1
Date:Circa 1880
Image of Painted portrait of Phoebe Anne Stowell Webster by unknown artist, ca. 1860-1880

Painted portrait of Phoebe Anne Stowell Webster by unknown artist, ca. 1860-1880

Phoebe Ann Stowell married John Webster in New York in the 1850s, but he soon travelled to the West Coast, with Phoebe and family joining him in Port Madison, Washington, in 1862. In 1880, they moved to Seattle to a home on 3rd Avenue and Madison Street where John retired. Phoebe died in 1886 and John died in 1891.
ID Number:1956.1164.2
Date:Circa 1860-1880
Image of Plaster figure of

Plaster figure of "Umbrella Man," ca. 1909-1932

This caricature represents a famous local figure, Robert W. Patton, a Civil War pensioner who lived on Lake Union and was given the nickname "Umbrella Man" for the umbrella hat he invented and wore around town, ca. 1909-1932.
ID Number:1957.1229.3
Date:Circa 1909-1932
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Land Acknowledgement

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.
Address: 860 Terry Ave N, Seattle WA, 98109
Phone: 206 324 1126
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