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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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736 results for: Transportation

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Image of Snowplow near Stevens Pass, circa 1925
Photograph

Snowplow near Stevens Pass, circa 1925

Stevens Pass, Washington, usually gets about 400 to 500 inches of snow each winter, although it snowed 800 inches during the winter of 1996-97. Road crews and railroad workers have had to work continually to keep the ways clear. This Lee Pickett photo, probably taken during the 1920s, shows a Great Northern Railway Snow King rotary snowplow at Scenic, near…
ID Number:1981.7265.5
Date:Circa 1925
Image of New electric locomotive near Cascade Tunnel, May 7, 1927
Photograph

New electric locomotive near Cascade Tunnel, May 7, 1927

In 1909, the Great Northern Railway Company began using electric engines to pull trains and their steam locomotives through the Cascade Tunnel in Washington's Cascade Mountains. Smoke from the coal-fired steam engines had nearly killed 100 people in the tunnel in 1903. On the steep downhill runs, the electric engines actually generated power which went back into the system.This May…
ID Number:1981.7265.7
Date:1927
Image of Cars being unloaded from train at King Street Station, Seattle, circa 1915
Photograph

Cars being unloaded from train at King Street Station, Seattle, circa 1915

Seattle's King Street Station was built between 1904 and 1906 for the Great Northern Railroad. The St. Paul, Minnesota, architectural firm of Reed & Stem designed the station, patterning its tall clock tower after a famous bell tower in Venice, Italy. This mimicry of European architecture added a touch of tradition and heritage to Seattle's growing downtown area. Here, cars…
ID Number:1981.7265.11
Date:Circa 1915
Image of Train of Tomorrow at Union Station, Seattle, 1950
Photograph

Train of Tomorrow at Union Station, Seattle, 1950

The Train of Tomorrow was a four-car American demonstrator train built as a collaboration between General Motors (GM) and Pullman-Standard between 1945 and 1947. It was the first new train to consist entirely of dome cars, or "Astra-Domes," as well as other features such as tri-level seating and sleeping accommodations. After being christened at a dedication ceremony in Chicago on…
ID Number:1981.7392.11.18
Date:1950
Image of Bridge construction at the Green River Gorge, circa 1914
Photograph

Bridge construction at the Green River Gorge, circa 1914

In 1914 and 1915, workers replaced the old road bridge which crossed the Green River Gorge near Franklin, Washington. The old bridge had been built in the late 1880s. This photo shows both the old and the new bridges. Compare the size of the workmen waving from the unfinished bridge with the size of the structures and the depth of…
ID Number:1982.20.6
Date:Circa 1914
Image of Pacific Northern Airlines Alaska Service brochure and timetable, June 1, 1967
Ephemera

Pacific Northern Airlines Alaska Service brochure and timetable, June 1, 1967

In 1932 Arthur G. Woodley founded Woodley Airways flying routes across Alaska. In 1945, Woodley changed the name to Pacific Northern Airways and moved the company headquarters to Seattle. In 1951, Pacific Northern Airways was able to start running regular flights between Seattle and Anchorage, and continued to operate these and its routes within Alaska until it was taken over…
ID Number:1982.26.31
Date:1967
Image of Workers shoveling snow at Snoqualmie Pass, circa 1923
Photograph

Workers shoveling snow at Snoqualmie Pass, circa 1923

Until 1931, the highway department closed the Sunset Highway through Snoqualmie Pass each winter. Work crews usually opened the road in late May, sometimes blasting through remaining drifts with dynamite. This photo from the 1920s shows workers clearing snow at the pass. Handwritten on sleeve: Snoqualmie Pass Snow.Webster & Stevens number: 104105
ID Number:1983.10.236.7
Date:Circa 1923
Image of Seattle waterfront near the Canadian Pacific dock, circa 1925
Photograph

Seattle waterfront near the Canadian Pacific dock, circa 1925

Starting in the late 19th century, trade with Asia grew to be an important part of Seattle's economy. By the 1920s the waterfront was crowded with piers, railroad tracks, and warehouses. A roadway had been built to keep the increasing car traffic away from the busy railroad tracks. This photo, taken in the 1920s near the Canadian Pacific dock, shows…
ID Number:1983.10.459
Date:Circa 1925
Image of Main Street, Bothell, circa 1925
Photograph

Main Street, Bothell, circa 1925

In its earliest days, Bothell was the home of a lumber camp and a shingle mill. Later, the area turned to dairy farming, poultry, and produce. When this photo was taken in the 1920s, Bothell had a wide, paved main street and was part of the transportation network of a busy and growing region. Webster & Stevens number: 111955
ID Number:1983.10.479
Date:Circa 1925
Image of Tourists in open-top observation cars, 1925
Photograph

Tourists in open-top observation cars, 1925

In the summer of 1925, the Great Northern Railway inaugurated its new open-top observation cars in the Rocky Mountains near Glacier Park. In Seattle, the railroad kicked off this new service with an open-air trip between King Street Station and Skykomish.In this 1925 photo, a group of sightseers sit in the Glacier Park observation car in Seattle's King Street Station…
ID Number:1983.10.495.2
Date:1925
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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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