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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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183 results for: European American Settlement

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Image of The Foster spool bed, ca. 1850-1870

The Foster spool bed, ca. 1850-1870

This bed is from the home of Joseph Foster, who came to the Pacifc Northwest from Ohio and settled on the Duwamish River in 1852. Foster, founder of the former town that bore his name (now Tukwila), was an early Washington Territory legislator and the first superintendent of schools in the area. The spools for this bed were hand-turned on…
ID Number:1951.38.c
Date:1850-1870
Image of Saratoga trunk belonging to the John Collins family of Seattle, ca. 1900

Saratoga trunk belonging to the John Collins family of Seattle, ca. 1900

John Collins was in Irish immigrant to Washington by way of New York and Maine, arriving in Seattle in 1865. He was a successful industrial investor, and he purchased and managed the Occidental Hotel, becoming one of Seattle's wealthiest citizens. He also entered the political sphere and served as mayor in 1873.
ID Number:1951.980.13
Date:Circa 1900
Image of Embroidered motto

Embroidered motto "Forget Me Not" by Catherine McClellan, ca. 1900

This embroidery was done by Catherine McClellan, an early Seattle settler who at one time owned land at the corner of Terry Avenue and Columbia Steet.
ID Number:1952.177.1
Date:Circa 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 Small shell-encrusted box from Seattle pioneer, ca. 1887

Small shell-encrusted box from Seattle pioneer, ca. 1887

Alice Warbus Engle made this trinket box as a wedding gift for Alice M. (Cock) Owens in 1887. Shells used are probably from species native to the Pacific Northwest.
ID Number:1952.528.8
Date:Circa 1887
Image of Penknife with mother-of-pearl handle, 1889

Penknife with mother-of-pearl handle, 1889

This penknife was owned by Catherine Jane Maple Van Asselt, an early white settler from the Maple family who immigrated from England and married into the Van Asselt family.
ID Number:1952.563.3
Date:1889
Image of Shingle from Denny cabin, ca. 1851

Shingle from Denny cabin, ca. 1851

In 1851, Arthur Denny, at the age of 29, led a contingent of his family west from Illinois to the Pacific Northwest, where he helped found the city of Seattle. This shingle, donated by a descendent of those early settlers,was part of the original cabin built by the Dennys when they first arrived on what was later called Alki.
ID Number:1952.986.8
Date:Circa 1851
Image of Tin candle mold used by early Seattle settlers, ca. 1850

Tin candle mold used by early Seattle settlers, ca. 1850

This twelve-candle mold is one of the many items that were brought with the early European settlers when they journeyed to the Puget Sound region.
ID Number:1952.986.9
Date:Circa 1850
Image of Brass hand lantern that belonged to Sophie Frye Bass, ca. 1867

Brass hand lantern that belonged to Sophie Frye Bass, ca. 1867

This hand lantern belonged to Sophie Frye Bass, an early white settler in Puget Sound.
ID Number:1952.986.27
Date:Circa 1867
Image of School desk from a University of Washington library, ca. 1880

School desk from a University of Washington library, ca. 1880

The donor stated that this desk, in the Gothic Revival style, was from a previous library at the University of Washington. More research on this desk is necessary to better understand its provenance.
ID Number:1953.298.1
Date:1875-1900
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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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