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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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557 results for: Alaska

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Image of Moving the totem pole, Pioneer Square, Seattle, circa 1923
Photograph

Moving the totem pole, Pioneer Square, Seattle, circa 1923

This Tlingit totem was carved around 1870 to honor a high-ranking tribal woman named Aanséet. The pole was named Naas-shagee-yéil and it was placed in Aanséet's village on Tongass Island on the Alaska coast. In 1899, a group of leading Seattle businessmen on a goodwill tour of southeastern Alaska stole the totem and brought it back to Pioneer Square. The…
ID Number:1983.10.2537.1
Date:circa 1923
Image of Snow vehicle, circa 1926
Photograph

Snow vehicle, circa 1926

Because Seattle was the closest major American port to Alaska, a number of Arctic explorers came through the city. Some tried out their equipment in the area. This photo, probably taken in 1926, shows a snow vehicle being tested near Snoqualmie Pass. This early snowmobile seems to have been part of the equipment considered by the British air explorer Hubert…
ID Number:1983.10.3112.1
Date:Circa 1926
Image of Ferry
Photograph

Ferry "Kitsap of Seattle" at Lake Washington Shipyards, 1926

The ferry "Kitsap of Seattle" was designed for the Kitsap Transportation Company, one of the first in Puget Sound to build auto ferries. The ferry operated on the Fauntleroy-Vashon Heights-Harper run beginning in 1926. The vessel was later sold to the Washington State Ferry system. Its career ended 1967 when it sank on the way to Alaska to become a…
ID Number:1983.10.3200
Date:1926
Image of The Grand Trunk Pacific dock at the foot of Marion Street , circa 1925
Photograph

The Grand Trunk Pacific dock at the foot of Marion Street , circa 1925

The Grand Trunk Pacific Railway expanded their business to include steamship service in 1910. Steamers ran south to California and north to Alaska goldfields.In this photo, cars and trucks are parked on the railroad tracks of Railroad Avenue, now Alaskan Way. Parking was a problem even in the 1920s. Webster & Stevens number: 119452
ID Number:1983.10.3225.1
Date:Circa 1925
Image of West Seattle junction, Seattle, circa 1926
Photograph

West Seattle junction, Seattle, circa 1926

The crossing of two streetcar lines at California Avenue and Alaska Street created what is now commonly referred to as the Junction, as well as the heart of West Seattle. By 1911, the junction became a full-fledged business district. The building shown in this photo stood on the southeast corner of California and Alaska Streets. Built in 1925 by Lawrence…
ID Number:1983.10.3301.2
Date:Circa 1926
Image of Whaleboats at Bellevue, circa 1922
Photograph

Whaleboats at Bellevue, circa 1922

From the 1920s to 1940, the ships of the American Pacific Whaling Company wintered in Bellevue, Washington. While there, the company made repairs to the ships and equipment and got them ready for the next Alaska whaling season. In 1940, the docks were turned over to the United States Coast Guard for a repair base.This photo, probably taken in the…
ID Number:1983.10.3974
Date:Circa 1922
Image of Man with harpoon cannon, Bellevue, circa 1925
Photograph

Man with harpoon cannon, Bellevue, circa 1925

From the 1920s to 1940, the ships of the American Pacific Whaling Company spent each winter in Bellevue. During the winter, the company made repairs to the ships and equipment and got them ready for the next Alaska whaling season. This photo shows a man checking out the harpoon cannon on the bow of the Westport. The vessel was part…
ID Number:1983.10.3975
Date:Circa 1925
Image of Departure of the steamer
Photograph

Departure of the steamer "Mexico" for the Klondike, 1897

On July 17, 1897, the steamer "Portland" arrived in Seattle with a large amount of gold from the Klondike. This set off a stampede of people wanting to go north to the gold fields. The steamer "Mexico" left Seattle on July 25th loaded with people and supplies. This was the ship's last voyage. It was wrecked in Alaskan waters on…
ID Number:1983.10.6057
Date:1900
Image of Piers on waterfront, Seattle, circa 1912
Photograph

Piers on waterfront, Seattle, circa 1912

Signs in image: Pier No. 4 - Northern Pacific. Arlington Dock Company. Nome, St. Michael, Tanana - S.S.Ohio, 3500 tons; S.S. Indiana, 3500 tons; S.S. Copenhagen, 3000 tons - Empire Transportation Co., 607 First Ave. Steamship Tickets [...] Valdez [...] San Francisco. Steamship Tickets for Alaska, California, Mexico, Central and South America, Hamburg, Antwerp, Havre, London, Southampton, Cork, Dublin, Continental…
ID Number:1983.10.6755.2
Date:Circa 1912
Image of Bunkers and wharves at the Pacific Coast Coal Company, 1911
Photograph

Bunkers and wharves at the Pacific Coast Coal Company, 1911

Railroad cars carried coal from the mines east of Lake Washington to the Seattle waterfront. The coal was offloaded and stored in bunkers. Then it was loaded onto ships bound for ports in Alaska or California.In this photo, taken in 1911, a railroad car filled with coal sits at the end of the dock at the Pacific Coast Coal Company…
ID Number:1983.10.6872.1
Date:1911
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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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