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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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778 results for: Education

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Image of Seattle High School Glee Club, 1903
Photograph

Seattle High School Glee Club, 1903

When Broadway High School (originally Seattle High School) was built in 1902, Seattle some residents complained that it was too large and a waste of public money. By 1904 the school had 1,700 students, and the building was already crowded. The school closed in June 1946 and re-opened in September 1946 as Edison Technical College. Today the building's auditorium is…
ID Number:1978.6598.13
Date:1903
Image of The start of the Great Seattle Fire, June 6, 1889
Photograph

The start of the Great Seattle Fire, June 6, 1889

The Great Fire of June 6, 1889, was a significant turning point in Seattle's history and changed both the physical and political landscapes of the city. The fire started at 2:30 p.m. in a paint and woodwork shop at Front Street (now First Avenue) and Madison Street and over the course of the next 18 hours swept a southward across…
ID Number:1979.6815.3
Date:1889
Image of Joseph Mayer & Brothers Co. floor clock, Broadway High School, Seattle, circa 1920
Photograph

Joseph Mayer & Brothers Co. floor clock, Broadway High School, Seattle, circa 1920

Broadway High School opened (as Seattle High School) in 1902 on the corner of Broadway and E Pine Street. It was Seattle's first building specifically constructed as a high school. The high school Principal's office, shown here, contains a large portrait of the class of 1903, which had 103 graduates, at the time the largest graduating class in the history…
ID Number:1980.6877.5.104
Date:Circa 1920
Image of Assembly room in Franklin High School, Seattle, circa 1912
Photograph

Assembly room in Franklin High School, Seattle, circa 1912

The Franklin School opened in 1906 as a grade 1-8 school, which also accommodated overflow 9th and 10th graders from Seattle High School. The school operated as Franklin High School from 1909 through 1912 until the construction of a new Neoclassical style building in the Mount Baker neighborhood, which continues to operate as Franklin High School today.Jos. Mayer and Bros.…
ID Number:1980.6877.5.106
Date:Circa 1912
Image of Transit News, May, 1959
Serial

Transit News, May, 1959

The Seattle Transit System was created in 1940 to run the all-bus transit system for the City of Seattle. This department became part of Metro Transit in 1973, serving all of King County. This edition of the newsletter "Transit News" (Volume 2, number 9) covers funding and planning for the monorail, an appearance of bus operator James Wesselius on local…
ID Number:1980.6969.2.1
Date:1959
Image of Reunion of students and teachers of Denny School, Seattle, June 24, 1928
Photograph

Reunion of students and teachers of Denny School, Seattle, June 24, 1928

Seattle grew fast in the 1880s. Denny School was overcrowded from the day it opened in 1884 in what was then Seattle's north end. Two wings were soon added to hold additional classrooms. The west wing was torn down in 1911 when part of Denny Hill was regraded. Classes continued in the rest of the building until 1928, when it…
ID Number:1980.7039.2
Date:1928
Image of Seattle High School Class of 1897
Photograph

Seattle High School Class of 1897

As the population of Seattle grew, so did the city's schools. The first school was called "Central School," a name that was applied to several different buildings as the original building was outgrown and a subsequent building burned down. In 1900, the older students of Seattle would have attended Seattle High School, located on the third floor of a building…
ID Number:1980.7070.47
Date:1897
Image of Men posing outside Jewel Saloon after Great Seattle Fire, June 1889
Photograph

Men posing outside Jewel Saloon after Great Seattle Fire, June 1889

The Great Fire of June 6, 1889 was a significant turning point in Seattle's history and changed both the physical and political landscapes of the City. The fire completely consumed 100 acres of Seattle's business district and waterfront. The city didn't take much time to mourn; most businesses decided to rebuild where they had been, and quickly set up tents…
ID Number:1980.7092.1
Date:1889
Image of Exterior of Chicago Boot & Shoe Store before Great Seattle Fire, circa 1889
Photograph

Exterior of Chicago Boot & Shoe Store before Great Seattle Fire, circa 1889

This image was taken before the fire destroyed the Chicago Boot and Shoe Store, located on the northeast corner of Front Street (now First Avenue) and James Street in Pioneer Square. By the next year, proprietor John Henry Rengstorff (1860-1917) had reopened his shoe store at 707 Second Avenue, near Cherry Street. The individuals in the image are unidentified except…
ID Number:1980.7092.2
Date:Circa 1889
Image of Rainier Beach trolley on 4th Avenue in deep snow, Seattle,  February 2, 1916
Photograph

Rainier Beach trolley on 4th Avenue in deep snow, Seattle, February 2, 1916

The Big Snow of 1916 came after an exceptionally cold January during which about 2 feet of snow had already accumulated. In early February a storm hit which added an additional 21.5 inches of snow in one 24-hour period. The new and heavy snow added ice, trapping trolleys and cars, freezing railroads, halting classroom education and businesses, and collapsing roofs…
ID Number:1980.7166.1.71.2
Date:1916
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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.
Address: 860 Terry Ave N, Seattle WA, 98109
Phone: 206 324 1126
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