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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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257 results for: Washington Territory

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Image of First railroad depot in Seattle, circa 1880
Photograph

First railroad depot in Seattle, circa 1880

Seattle's first railway station stood near where King Street Station stands today. At that time, much of the land in that part of the city was still underwater at high tide, and the tracks of the Columbia & Puget Sound Railroad ran over the tidelands on wooden trestles. This photo, taken about 1880, shows the depot, sometimes called the Columbia…
ID Number:1983.10.6284
Date:Circa 1880
Image of King Street railroad yard, Seattle, circa 1883
Photograph

King Street railroad yard, Seattle, circa 1883

In 1881, the Oregon Improvement Company expanded the King Street Coat Wharf with a new trestle, along with two new docks and warehouses. This new wharf was the end point of the Columbia & Puget Sound Railroad, where cargo was loaded into ships. Original photo copied by Webster & Stevens.Handwritten on sleeve: Eng. House of Columbia & Puget Sound RR,…
ID Number:1983.10.6322
Date:Circa 1883
Image of Doc Maynard's former home,  circa 1880
Photograph

Doc Maynard's former home, circa 1880

Dr. David Maynard was one of Seattle's early white settlers. After living in Seattle for several years, he returned to live in the area of the original settlement at Alki Beach.This photo, taken about 1880, shows Maynard's West Seattle dwelling. When the photo was copied by Webster & Stevens sometime after 1902, the house was said to be Seattle's oldest…
ID Number:1983.10.6326
Date:Circa 1880
Image of Henry and Sarah Yesler residence, Seattle, circa 1860
Photograph

Henry and Sarah Yesler residence, Seattle, circa 1860

In this photo, taken around 1860, Sarah Yesler, the wife of mill owner Henry Yesler, stands on the front porch of their white house. Some trees remain from the dense forest which originally covered the area. The elevated wooden flume which carried water to the city from a hillside spring is towards the right side of the picture.This is said…
ID Number:1983.10.6331
Date:Circa 1860
Image of Seattle's downtown before the Great Fire, 1883
Photograph

Seattle's downtown before the Great Fire, 1883

In the 1880s, Seattle's business district was near Pioneer Square. Loggers, miners, and others came to this part of the city to find work, supplies, and entertainment. Others came to Seattle to attend the Territorial University, which stood on a hill above the city.This photo, taken around 1884, shows the intersection of Commercial Street (now First Avenue South) and Main…
ID Number:1983.10.6343
Date:1883
Image of Western Mill and southern Lake Union, circa 1885
Photograph

Western Mill and southern Lake Union, circa 1885

Pioneer David Denny owned the land south of Lake Union. In 1882, he opened the Western Mill on the lake's southern shore. A small community soon grew up around the lumber mill. By the end of the 1880s, streetcars and roads had been built as the area was settled.In this photo, taken around 1885 by Theodore Peiser, the Western Mill…
ID Number:1983.10.6380
Date:Circa 1885
Image of Female students at the Territorial University of Washington, 1883
Photograph

Female students at the Territorial University of Washington, 1883

The University of the Territory of Washington opened for classes in 1862 on a hill overlooking Seattle. Both men and women came to study at the university. Men lived in the school's one dormitory, and women lived in the university president's house.This photo shows the young women who attended classes at the university in 1883. In the early days, the…
ID Number:1983.10.6387
Date:1883
Image of Old Sixth Street School building at Marion Street, circa 1884
Photograph

Old Sixth Street School building at Marion Street, circa 1884

Seattle's Sixth Street School opened in September 1878. The two-classroom building was used only until 1883, when the new Central School opened. In 1884, the old wooden Sixth Street School building was sold and moved away.This photo shows Seattle's old Sixth Street School building after it was moved to the south side of Marion Street, east of Seventh Avenue. Notes:…
ID Number:1983.10.6408
Date:Circa 1884
Image of Quinault canoe and sightseers, Moclips, Washington, 1914
Photograph

Quinault canoe and sightseers, Moclips, Washington, 1914

The Quinault are a Coast Salish people whose historic territory was the southwestern Olympic Peninsula. The current Quinault Indian Nation (QIN) has a reservation covering part of their historic lands. In addition to Quinault people, the QIN includes people from several neighboring tribes: Queets, Quileutes, Hohs, Chehalis, Chinook, and Cowlitz. Fishing, especially for salmon, is an important part of Quinault…
ID Number:1983.10.8687
Date:1914
Image of Arthur and Rolland Denny standing in front of the Dexter Horton Bank, Seattle, circa 1880
Photograph

Arthur and Rolland Denny standing in front of the Dexter Horton Bank, Seattle, circa 1880

This photo of Arthur Denny and Rolland Herschel Denny in front of Dexter Horton Bank in Seattle is included in a cartes de visite album that was owned by Margaret Lenora Denny. It includes additional portraits which are probably of people in Washington, D.C. from when Arthur Denny served there as a representative for Washington Territory. Seattle pioneer Arthur Armstrong…
ID Number:1990.45.30.1
Date:Circa 1880
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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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