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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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150 results for: Nature

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Image of Boats on Puget Sound, July 1942
Photograph

Boats on Puget Sound, July 1942

Photographer Josef Scaylea (1913-2004) worked for 35 years as chief photographer for the Seattle Times, winning over 1000 awards for his photographs highlighting the scenery and people in the Pacific Northwest. He donated a collection of his photographs and photography equipment to MOHAI in 1993.This photo, from earlier in his career, focuses on a scenic view of boats on Puget…
ID Number:Lib1993.20.273
Date:1942
Image of Mount Rainier from Leschi Park, Seattle, 1979
Photograph

Mount Rainier from Leschi Park, Seattle, 1979

Photographer Josef Scaylea (1913-2004) worked for 35 years as chief photographer for the Seattle Times, winning over 1000 awards for his photographs highlighting the scenery and people in the Pacific Northwest. He donated a collection of his photographs and photography equipment to MOHAI in 1993.This photo features Mount Rainier from the Leschi neighborhood of Seattle. Handwritten on image: Josef Scaylea.Handwritten…
ID Number:Lib1993.20.324
Date:1979
Image of Aerial of Snoqualmie Falls, near Snoqualmie, circa 1965
Photograph

Aerial of Snoqualmie Falls, near Snoqualmie, circa 1965

The Snoqualmie River drops 268 feet at Snoqualmie Falls. The waterfall was spiritually important to the Snoqualmie people who once lived in the area and was a scenic wonder to the settlers who came later. After the Seattle, Lake Shore and Eastern Railway was built along the south shore in 1889, the falls became a popular place for day trips…
ID Number:Lib1993.20.333
Date:Circa 1965
Image of Seattle trolley car on trestle, Woodland Park, circa 1910
Photograph

Seattle trolley car on trestle, Woodland Park, circa 1910

By 1902, the trolley line that ran along the east shore of Green Lake had been extended through Woodland Park. In 1903, the Seattle Electric Company began regular sightseeing tours on the line during warm weather. In their plan for Woodland Park, the Olmsted Brothers wanted low embankments built beside the tracks to cut down on noise and screen out…
ID Number:SHS753
Date:Circa 1910
Image of Skaters on Green Lake, circa 1906
Photograph

Skaters on Green Lake, circa 1906

Green Lake freezes rarely, but its shallow depth and still waters mean that it can freeze quite fast. Skaters flocked to the lake whenever it froze. In order to ensure safety, the Seattle Parks Department decreed that the ice had to be six inches thick before skating would be allowed. This only occurs during the coldest winters.This photo shows skaters…
ID Number:SHS1760
Date:Circa 1906
Image of Military road on Beacon Hill, Seattle, circa 1900
Photograph

Military road on Beacon Hill, Seattle, circa 1900

The Fort Steilacoom to Fort Bellingham Military Road was a network of roads running through the Puget Sound area to promote the migration of settlers to Washington Territory and to secure U. S. interests in the region from those of Native Americans. Today’s I-5 roughly follows the route north from Fort Vancouver, built in 1924 by the Hudson's Bay Company…
ID Number:SHS2354
Date:Circa 1900
Image of View of Lake Union from the Lake Washington Bicycle Path, Seattle, circa 1902
Photograph

View of Lake Union from the Lake Washington Bicycle Path, Seattle, circa 1902

Between about 1894-1904, after the horse and before the automobile, bicycles were the hottest new form of do-it-yourself urban transportation in Seattle. The region's many cycling groups regularly sponsored outings along the twenty-five miles of urban bicycle trails which were built, funded, and maintained with the aid of city engineers. Bike cops enforced cyclist speed limits, safety, and dealt with…
ID Number:SHS2964
Date:Circa 1902
Image of Men and cows at Madison Park, Seattle, August, 1897
Photograph

Men and cows at Madison Park, Seattle, August, 1897

The Madison Park neighborhood of Seattle is situated on the western shore of Lake Washington. The Duwamish Peoples who originally inhabited it called it "Where One Chops." After Seattle was founded in the 1850s, the area's first developer, Judge John J. McGilvra (1827-1903), purchased land and opened Madison Street at his own expense in 1864-1865. Madison Park became a favorite…
ID Number:SHS4977
Date:1897
Image of Woman sitting on bridge over Ravenna Creek, Seattle, 1910
Photograph

Woman sitting on bridge over Ravenna Creek, Seattle, 1910

Before Green Lake was lowered in 1911 to create the park that surrounds the lake, a stream ran from its eastern shore to Union Bay on Lake Union. The creek, Duke Creek, or more commonly, Ravenna Creek, dried up when Green Lake was lowered. Eventually Ravenna Boulevard was built above the old creek bed with soil dredged from the eastern…
ID Number:SHS6500A
Date:1910
Image of Lookout at Madrona Park, Seattle, 1909
Photograph

Lookout at Madrona Park, Seattle, 1909

The Madrona beach on Lake Washington was popular for swimming and picnics. In 1890,the park was expanded and an electric trolley line built from downtown Seattle. This image shows a rustic lookout perched on a tree stump in the woods overlooking the shore. SHS category: ParksCaption information source: HistoryLink.org essay 2235.
ID Number:SHS9163
Date:1909
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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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