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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 Model of Fort Nisqually, ca. 1910-1930

Model of Fort Nisqually, ca. 1910-1930

The artifact donor made this model when he was 11 years old. It represents the Hudson's Bay Company fur trading and farming post located in what is now Dupont, Washington. Nisqually was chosen for its ideal ship anchorage location and, in 1832, the first structure, the Nisqually House, was built, with more buildings added thereafter.
ID Number:1958.1563
Date:Circa 1910-1930
Image of Painting,

Painting, "Panoramic View of the Olympic Mountains," by Emily Inez Denny, 1894

The daughter of one of Seattle’s founding families, Emily Inez Denny (1853 – 1918) was both a painter and writer. Greatly influenced by seeing the drawings of Sarah Willoughby as a student at the Washington Territorial University, she took on painting as a life-long pursuit. This painting is a grandly romantic view of native people in a pristine landscape. Five…
ID Number:1959.1762.3
Date:1894
Image of Framed photograph of Seattle's Central High School graduating class, 1890

Framed photograph of Seattle's Central High School graduating class, 1890

Seattle's first high school classes were held in 1876-1877 at the Territorial University. This photo depicts the graduating class of 1890, whose students were the first to attend classes on the third floor of the newly built Central School, after a fire had destroyed the previous school in 1888.
ID Number:1959.1767
Date:1890
Image of Red print calico wrapper, 1850s

Red print calico wrapper, 1850s

This 1850s maternity wrapper is made of washable cotton with a pattern that disguises dirt. Wrappers were worn as casual home-wear when the realities of frontier life necessitated practical choices and garments that could serve multiple purposes.
ID Number:1959.1770.4C40
Date:Circa 1850
Image of Upholstered side chair, 1880-1900

Upholstered side chair, 1880-1900

Frances Mercer and J.W. McCallister, members of early white settler families in Seattle, brought this side chair, part of a parlor set, around Cape Horn, South America.
ID Number:1959.1788.5
Date:1880-1900
Image of Ribbon with Chinook Jargon text,

Ribbon with Chinook Jargon text, "Nika Chahko Kopa Washington Hyas Ahnkuttie," ca. 1910

Chinook Jargon was the trade language used by European American settlers to the Pacific Coast (originally fur traders) and Northwest Pacific Coast tribes. Many early settlers in Seattle were able to speak and understand it. As the language fell out of use, knowledge of Chinook Jargon became a point of pride and proof of longevity in the region. This ribbon…
ID Number:1960.1818.11
Date:Circa 1893-1911
Image of Oil portrait of Henry Yesler by unknown artist, ca. 1850-1890

Oil portrait of Henry Yesler by unknown artist, ca. 1850-1890

On July 8, 1885, voters elected Henry Yesler (1810-1892) as mayor of the City of Seattle. Yesler had served a previous one-year term beginning in 1874. His total education consisted of a few years in a log-cabin school, but when he arrived in Seattle in 1852, he turned the place into a real town instead of a collection of a…
ID Number:1960.1924
Date:Circa 1850-1890
Image of Brass preserving kettle, 1855-1890

Brass preserving kettle, 1855-1890

This brass kettle was donated by Carrie B. Raser whose family came to Seattle around 1890. This kettle was likely used around that time. It is a “spun” kettle which was popular in the late 19th-century. Prior to 1851, most kettles were hammered over a form and the pieces dovetailed together. H.W. Hayden patented a new technique for creating kettles…
ID Number:1960.1936.28
Date:1855-1890
Image of Bedstead brought to Seattle by Captain Renton ca. 1850s

Bedstead brought to Seattle by Captain Renton ca. 1850s

Captain William Renton and his family sailed from the East Coast, around Cape Horn, and up to San Francisco in 1850. The family then moved to the Puget Sound where he owned a sawmill until 1863, when he relocated to Blakely harbor on Bainbridge Island and established the Port Blakely Mill Company. He was a major investor in the coal…
ID Number:1960.2014.4
Date:Circa 1850
Image of Pitcher with Sweet Briar Bride pattern, ca. 1903

Pitcher with Sweet Briar Bride pattern, ca. 1903

Louisa Boren Denny was nicknamed the "Sweet Briar Bride" for the sweet briar plants she brought with her to the Pacific Northwest from Illinois, and for being the first non-native bride in Seattle. This chinaware was made in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of Louisa Boren Denny's wedding, ca. 1853. The design was probably painted by Emily Inez Denny, her…
ID Number:1960.2050.1
Date:1903
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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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