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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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18 results for: Mining

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Image of Shaft timbers from a coal mine near Issaquah, ca. 1895

Shaft timbers from a coal mine near Issaquah, ca. 1895

Miners used these timbers to support the mine shaft and prevent collapse.
ID Number:1993.15
Date:Circa 1895
Image of Commemorative medal purchased at the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition (AYPE) by Robert or John Moran, 1909

Commemorative medal purchased at the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition (AYPE) by Robert or John Moran, 1909

These medals were given out as prizes to exhibitors at the Exposition but this one was specifically purchased as a souvenir by either Robert Moran or his son John. All the medals were originally bronze and then the gold and silver medals were plated. Typically the name of the winner was engraved on the reverse of the medal but this…
ID Number:2006.35.163
Date:1909
Image of Set of gold scales used by Clarence Kinsey during the 1898 Gold Rush at Bonanza Creek, Yukon Territory

Set of gold scales used by Clarence Kinsey during the 1898 Gold Rush at Bonanza Creek, Yukon Territory

These gold scales were originally owned by Clarence Kinsey, a local photographer along with his brother and partner, Clark, who were noted for their photographs of the early logging industry in the Pacific Northwest. Before settling in Washington, Kinsey used these scales during the gold rushes at Bonanza Creek in 1898, and Haggart Creek in 1911, both located in the…
ID Number:2010.57.1
Date:Circa 1898
Image of Gold scales originally owned by Albert and Markus Mayer of the Mayer Bros., Klondike prospectors and jewelry store proprietors, 1897

Gold scales originally owned by Albert and Markus Mayer of the Mayer Bros., Klondike prospectors and jewelry store proprietors, 1897

The firm of Mayer Bros. was established in Seattle in 1897 under the name Joseph Mayer and Brothers. The company was founded by Joseph, Albert, and Markus Mayer, who emigrated from Germany. They were manufacturing jewelers, silversmiths, and jewelry wholesalers. In 1897, Albert and Markus left the company to join the Klondike gold rush where they established a retail jewelry…
ID Number:2011.7.1
Date:Circa 1897
Image of Oil painting of rustic log cabin in the North Cascades of Washington, by Julian Itter, 1908

Oil painting of rustic log cabin in the North Cascades of Washington, by Julian Itter, 1908

Julian Itter (1876-1967) was born in Canada and came to Seattle in 1904. In 1905, Itter traveled around Lake Chelan, painting the scenery, and the next year, his paintings were presented in an exhibition at the Butler Hotel in Seattle. This exhibition inspired a Portland-based mountaineering group to advocate for a national park in the Lake Chelan region. Itter went…
ID Number:2013.85.2
Date:1908
Image of Cutter bit or tooth from the cutter head of the Seattle Tunnel Boring Machine, ca. 2012

Cutter bit or tooth from the cutter head of the Seattle Tunnel Boring Machine, ca. 2012

The Seattle Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM), nicknamed "Bertha" after the city's first female mayor Bertha Knight Landes, was the largest TBM ever built at the time in 2012. For over 4 years, Bertha dug a nearly 2-mile long tunnel along the city's waterfront, completing it's underground journey in 2019. Bertha's cutter head consisted of eight 24-foot long spokes, and along…
ID Number:2017.42.3.1
Date:Circa 2012
Image of Thermometer advertising Pacific Coast Coal & Oil Co., ca. 1930s

Thermometer advertising Pacific Coast Coal & Oil Co., ca. 1930s

Pacific Coast Coal & Oil Company was established in 1869 and precipitated the development of the town of Newcastle around the local coal mine. Prior to the 1900s, the company became a subsidiary of the Pacific Coast Company which also owned the Pacific Coast Steamship Company and the Pacific Coast Railway. All of these operations were vital in the development…
ID Number:2019.54.2
Date:Circa 1930
Image of Bar of US Mechanics Soap, made by Columbia Star Mfg Co., Seattle, ca. 1905

Bar of US Mechanics Soap, made by Columbia Star Mfg Co., Seattle, ca. 1905

In 1897, a significant mineral deposit of silica, clay, lime, and alkali was discovered in Eastern Oregon. The Columbia Star Manufacturing Company was formed to manufacture this mineral mixture into soap. Initially, their factory was in Portland, Oregon, but when the needed to expand, real estate agents in Seattle lured them to a location on the shores of Lake Union.…
ID Number:2024.63.1
Date:Circa 1905
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