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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.

Download lower resolution images directly from an item page. MOHAI offers high-resolution digital reproductions of photographs and other materials from our collections for personal and professional use.

We have many more items in our collections and not everything you see online is on view at the museum. We have additional materials online at the University of Washington’s Digital Collections.

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506 results for: Government and Public Services

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Image of Men's reading room in the Seattle Public Library, circa 1918
Photograph

Men's reading room in the Seattle Public Library, circa 1918

The city of Seattle established a public library in 1890 after several earlier attempts by private citizens. The library was housed in various places and in 1899 moved into the Yesler Mansion at 516 3rd Ave. After the mansion burned in 1901, industrialist Andrew Carnegie donated $200,000 for a new building, which opened in 1906 on the site of the…
ID Number:1983.10.9206
Date:1915
Image of Fire engines in front of Fire Station No. 25, 1912
Photograph

Fire engines in front of Fire Station No. 25, 1912

When Fire Station No. 25 opened on First Hill in 1910, it housed the fire department's blacksmith and the city's first motorized hose wagon. Fire trucks replaced the last of the horse-drawn equipment in 1920. The building still stands at Harvard Avenue and East Union Street and was renovated into condominiums in the 1990s.This 1912 photo shows three fire engines…
ID Number:1983.10.9394.2
Date:1912
Image of Puget Sound Power and Light powerhouse, possibly Electron, circa 1912
Photograph

Puget Sound Power and Light powerhouse, possibly Electron, circa 1912

Note from MOHAI records: Electron. Handwritten on sleeve: Powerhouse.Webster & Stevens number: 24340
ID Number:1983.10.9512.3
Date:Circa 1912
Image of South Piers 1 and 2, Seattle, circa 1915
Photograph

South Piers 1 and 2, Seattle, circa 1915

Signs in image: Port of Seattle South Pier 2 - American-Hawaiian S.S. Co. Port of Seattle South Pier 1 - American-Hawaiian S.S. Co.Handwritten on sleeve: Port of Seattle South Piers 1 & 2.Webster & Stevens number: 38465
ID Number:1983.10.9797.3
Date:Circa 1915
Image of Construction of the County-City Building, first phase, circa 1914
Photograph

Construction of the County-City Building, first phase, circa 1914

On June 11, 1914, county commissioners, contractors, and citizens gathered in downtown Seattle and officially broke ground for King County and Seattle's new County-City Building. Over the next few months, workmen moved nearly 57,000 cubic yards of dirt and then started to pour the 192 reinforced concrete footing piers.This 1914 photo, taken during the earthmoving phase of the project, shows…
ID Number:1983.10.9812.2
Date:Circa 1914
Image of First motorized fire engine in Seattle, circa 1914
Photograph

First motorized fire engine in Seattle, circa 1914

Handwritten on sleeve: First Motor Fire Engine Front Wheel Drive.Webster & Stevens number: 42094
ID Number:1983.10.9892
Date:Circa 1914
Image of Green Lake Branch Library, Seattle, circa 1916
Photograph

Green Lake Branch Library, Seattle, circa 1916

This library opened in 1910, one of three original Carnegie libraries in Seattle. The building, designed by W. Marbury Somervell and Joseph S. Cote, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Handwritten on sleeve: Green Lake Library. Photographer's Reference Number: 46516
ID Number:1983.10.10162.1
Date:Circa 1916
Image of Yesler Branch Library, Seattle, circa 1916
Photograph

Yesler Branch Library, Seattle, circa 1916

The Yesler Library was built in 1914 and was named after Seattle pioneer Henry Yesler. The name was changed in 1975 at the request of neighborhood community members. Today it is the Douglass-Truth Library, named after Frederick Douglass and Sojourner Truth. Handwritten on sleeve: Yesler Library. Caption information source: Seattle Public Library.Photographer's Reference Number: 46522
ID Number:1983.10.10164.1
Date:Circa 1916
Image of Georgetown precinct police, circa 1915
Photograph

Georgetown precinct police, circa 1915

Around 1915, Seattle had neighborhood police headquarters in Ballard, West Seattle, Columbia City, Densmore (now Wallingford), and Georgetown. This photo, taken about 1915, shows the men of the Georgetown precinct, lined up in front of the Georgetown City Hall. The Seattle Public Library and the city's health department had branches in the same building. Webster & Stevens number: 46814
ID Number:1983.10.10183
Date:Circa 1915
Image of Fire Station No. 24, Seattle, 1915
Photograph

Fire Station No. 24, Seattle, 1915

In 1903, Fire Station No. 24 opened on Fifth Avenue West at West Galer Street. Until the mid-1920s, the station housed fire companies using horse-drawn ladder and hose wagons. The building was remodeled in 1925 when the department bought motorized fire trucks. The station was closed in 1949.This photo, taken around 1905, shows Station No. 24 on Queen Anne Hill.…
ID Number:1983.10.10188.2
Date:1915
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Land Acknowledgement

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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