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406 results for: Construction and Urban Planning

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Image of Hoge Building, 1911
Photograph

Hoge Building, 1911

The Hoge Building, at Second Avenue and Cherry Street, housed a bank at street level and other offices upstairs. For a short time, this terra-cotta and brick office building was the tallest building in Seattle. In this photo, taken in 1911, the Hoge Building nears completion. Webster & Stevens number: 2404
ID Number:1983.10.6875
Date:1911
Image of Lake Washington Ship Canal under construction, Seattle, circa 1915
Photograph

Lake Washington Ship Canal under construction, Seattle, circa 1915

The Lake Washington Ship Canal followed the routes of earlier canals and streams which connected Lake Washington, Lake Union, and Salmon Bay.This photo shows part of the canal in about 1915, about four years after construction started. It was taken towards the east, from a point between Fremont and Ballard. Plumes of steam billow from the heavy earthmoving equipment in…
ID Number:1983.10.6931
Date:Circa 1915
Image of Digging the channel for the Lake Washington Ship Canal, circa 1915
Photograph

Digging the channel for the Lake Washington Ship Canal, circa 1915

One part of the Lake Washington Ship Canal project involved connecting Salmon Bay with Lake Union. Workers dug the channel with steam shovels and used trains to carry the dirt away.This photo was taken around 1915. It shows a steam shovel and earthmoving train during the digging of the canal. The buildings in the far left are probably mills near…
ID Number:1983.10.6932
Date:Circa 1915
Image of Lake Washington Ship Canal under construction, Seattle, circa 1915
Photograph

Lake Washington Ship Canal under construction, Seattle, circa 1915

The Lake Washington Ship Canal followed the routes of earlier canals and streams which connected Lake Washington, Lake Union, and Salmon Bay. This photo shows part of the canal about four years after construction started and looks east from 5th Avenue NW towards the northern edge of Queen Anne. Handwritten on sleeve: Lake Wn Canal.Webster & Stevens number: 2511
ID Number:1983.10.6934
Date:Circa 1915
Image of Railroad Avenue under construction, Seattle, circa 1905
Photograph

Railroad Avenue under construction, Seattle, circa 1905

Good railroad service was vital to growth of Seattle as a seaport. Eight tracks were built in a 120-foot right-of-way along the waterfront. This made it easier to transfer freight between the railroad cars and waiting ships. This photo shows construction of a road alongside the railroad tracks. Railroad Avenue is now called Alaskan Way. Handwritten on sleeve: R.R. Ave…
ID Number:1983.10.7325
Date:Circa 1905
Image of Group of people on the unfinished Smith Tower, circa 1914
Photograph

Group of people on the unfinished Smith Tower, circa 1914

When it opened in 1914, Seattle's Smith Tower was said to be the tallest skyscraper west of the Mississippi River. Such a tall building attracted the curious, even before it opened. This photo, probably taken in 1914, shows a group of unidentified sightseers, who are clearly not afraid of heights, posing for the photographer among the construction materials on the…
ID Number:1983.10.7426
Date:Circa 1914
Image of Ballard locks under construction, Seattle, circa 1913
Photograph

Ballard locks under construction, Seattle, circa 1913

For years, there was no easy or cheap way to move logs, coal, and other resources directly from the east side of Lake Washington to Elliott Bay. There were many plans and several attempts to build a canal via Lake Union. However, none was successful until the Lake Washington Ship Canal was built. Ground was broken for the Lake Washington…
ID Number:1983.10.7659.2
Date:Circa 1913
Image of Groundbreaking ceremony for Cedar Falls dam, 1912
Photograph

Groundbreaking ceremony for Cedar Falls dam, 1912

In 1905, the turbines began to turn at Seattle City Light's first hydroelectric plant on the Cedar River. In 1912, work began on a large masonry dam to replace the original wooden one. This photo was taken at the groundbreaking ceremony for the new dam facility. According to Seattle Public Utilities personnel, the ceremony took place at Camp II, the…
ID Number:1983.10.7819
Date:1912
Image of City Engineer R.H. Thomson and sign for new dam, circa 1912
Photograph

City Engineer R.H. Thomson and sign for new dam, circa 1912

Reginald H. Thomson was appointed Seattle's City Engineer in 1892 and served off and on in that capacity until 1931. Thomson was particularly interested in providing a reliable source of inexpensive electric power for Seattle. He was convinced that city utilities should be municipally owned and that private ownership of vital public services was unwise.This photo, taken around 1912, shows…
ID Number:1983.10.7826
Date:Circa 1912
Image of Regrading Denny Hill at Third Avenue, circa 1908
Photograph

Regrading Denny Hill at Third Avenue, circa 1908

Third Avenue ran through downtown Seattle to the foot of Denny Hill. Visitors could take a cable car up the hill to the Washington Hotel. By 1908, workers had torn down the hotel and removed part of the hill. Most of the dirt was dumped into Elliott Bay.This photo was taken in 1908 or 1909 near the intersection of Third…
ID Number:1983.10.8070
Date:1908
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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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