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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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506 results for: Government and Public Services

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Image of Fire Station No. 13, Seattle, circa 1915
Photograph

Fire Station No. 13, Seattle, circa 1915

Fire Station No. 13 was constructed at 1536 14th Avenue South in 1904. The horse-drawn steamers shown in this photo lasted until 1918, when a motorized pumper took over. In 1928, the company moved to a new single-story masonry station at 3601 Beacon Avenue South. Handwritten on sleeve: FIre Dept Station #13Webster & Stevens number: 48665
ID Number:1983.10.10191
Date:Circa 1915
Image of Georgetown Fire Station and crew, 1915
Photograph

Georgetown Fire Station and crew, 1915

Georgetown, located north of Boeing Field, was once a separate city connected to Seattle by streetcar. After Georgetown became part of Seattle in 1910, its old city hall remained a hub of community activity. The police department had a branch in the front of the building, and the Seattle Fire Department had a fire station in the rear.This 1915 photo…
ID Number:1983.10.10192
Date:1915
Image of Construction of the County-City Building, first phase, circa 1916
Photograph

Construction of the County-City Building, first phase, circa 1916

In 1916, the new King County Courthouse and Municipal Building, also called the County-City Building, opened on Third Avenue at Jefferson Street in downtown Seattle. The building was designed by Seattle architect Augustus Warren Gould.This 1916 photo shows the new County-City building in downtown Seattle shortly before completion. Jefferson Street and the park across the street are still littered with…
ID Number:1983.10.10254
Date:Circa 1916
Image of Post office, 1916
Photograph

Post office, 1916

Seattle's Third Avenue post office was begun in 1903 and completed in 1908. The building's official name was the U.S. Court House, Custom House, and Post Office. Third Avenue was being regraded at this time, and the front door of the new building ended up four feet above the new sidewalk. The steps that were added to the building became…
ID Number:1983.10.10268.2
Date:1916
Image of Interior of U.S. Assay Office, circa 1916
Photograph

Interior of U.S. Assay Office, circa 1916

The United States monetary system used to be on the gold standard. People used gold coins, as well as paper currency which was backed by gold. When gold started arriving in Seattle from the Klondike in 1898, the government opened an assay office to buy gold and to certify its purity.In this photo, taken around 1916, a workman at the…
ID Number:1983.10.10297
Date:Circa 1916
Image of Fire Station No. 5, Seattle, circa 1917
Photograph

Fire Station No. 5, Seattle, circa 1917

The building shown in this photograph was not the first fire station at this location. A two-story wood fame building stood here from 1902 until 1912, and prior to that, a simple one-story structure had done the job. This waterfront station served as the headquarters for the fireboats "Snoqualmie" and "Duwamish" in the early 1900s. Handwritten on sleeve: Fire Station…
ID Number:1983.10.10424
Date:Circa 1917
Image of Seattle Lighting Company plant, Seattle, circa 1918
Photograph

Seattle Lighting Company plant, Seattle, circa 1918

Handwritten on sleeve: Seattle Lighting Co. Plant Panorama.Webster & Stevens number: 60383
ID Number:1983.10.10656.1
Date:Circa 1918
Image of Seattle Lighting Co. plant, Seattle, circa 1918
Photograph

Seattle Lighting Co. plant, Seattle, circa 1918

Handwritten on sleeve: Seattle Lighting Co. Plant Panorama.Webster & Stevens number: 60383
ID Number:1983.10.10656.2
Date:Circa 1918
Image of Elevator and storage bunker at Seattle Lighting Co. plant , Seattle, circa 1918
Photograph

Elevator and storage bunker at Seattle Lighting Co. plant , Seattle, circa 1918

The Seattle Lighting Company, which was the gas company for Seattle, opened a nine-acre plant on the north shore of Lake Union in 1905-06. Huge quantities of coal arrived in railroad cars and fueled the ovens that produced gas and coke, supplying Seattle with lights and home heating. This photograph looks towards Queen Anne and shows a portion of the…
ID Number:1983.10.10656.3
Date:Circa 1918
Image of Soldiers and trucks outside National Guard Armory, Seattle, February 1919
Photograph

Soldiers and trucks outside National Guard Armory, Seattle, February 1919

The Seattle General Strike was a work stoppage by more than 65,000 workers in Seattle begun on February 6, 1919. The strike began in shipyards when workers were refused pay increases after two years of World War I wage controls. Most of the city's 110 local unions, including members of the American Federation of Labor (AFL) and the Industrial Workers…
ID Number:1983.10.10696
Date:1919
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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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