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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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1580 results for: City of Seattle

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Image of Members of Seattle Volunteer Fire Company No. 1, 2nd and Columbia, Seattle, 1883
Photograph

Members of Seattle Volunteer Fire Company No. 1, 2nd and Columbia, Seattle, 1883

The creation of the Seattle Fire Department (SFD) can be traced back to July 6th, 1876, when the all-volunteer Seattle Engine Company No.1 was organized. In 1883, the City Charter was amended to create and fund equipment, but not staff, for a centralized municipal fire department. The volunteer-based system persisted until pressure from the insurance industry and citizens after the…
ID Number:SHS323
Date:1883
Image of Arrival of the first log shipment via the Columbia & Puget Sound Railroad, Seattle, 1880
Photograph

Arrival of the first log shipment via the Columbia & Puget Sound Railroad, Seattle, 1880

As Seattle grew, the trees on the hills above the city were gradually cut down, and logs needed to be hauled a longer distance to the sawmills along the waterfront. In this 1880 image, dignitaries pose by part of the first shipment of logs carried into the city by the Columbia & Puget Sound Railroad. Original photo copied by Webster…
ID Number:SHS330
Date:1880
Image of Car driving on Seattle to Bothell road, February 9, 1915
Photograph

Car driving on Seattle to Bothell road, February 9, 1915

Two years after the town of Bothell was incorporated in 1909, King County improved the Bothell Highway by paving it with Warrenite in 1911, then with sand and brick in 1918, and asphalt in 1928. The road was an important connection from Seattle and nearby towns to Bothell, running north from Lake City along the northern shore of Lake Washington.…
ID Number:SHS437
Date:1915
Image of Waterfront from Beacon Hill, Seattle, circa 1898
Photograph

Waterfront from Beacon Hill, Seattle, circa 1898

The area south of downtown Seattle was originally made up of tidal flats; soil dredged from the Duwamish River and sluiced from the Denny triangle and Beacon Hill regrades was used to create this industrial area needed by area businesses and railroads. This image, taken between 1890-1900, shows what much of Seattle's waterfront looked like before the tidal flats were…
ID Number:SHS462
Date:Circa 1898
Image of Jackson Street looking east from waterfront, Seattle, circa 1892
Photograph

Jackson Street looking east from waterfront, Seattle, circa 1892

The topography of Seattle neighborhood now called the Chinatown - International District (CID) was altered drastically during the Jackson Street regrade from 1907 to 1909. About fifty-six city blocks were reshaped by the regrade, twenty-nine of them excavated and twenty-seven raised above the tide flats. On Jackson, dirt was mostly removed to lower the street nearly 90 feet at 9th…
ID Number:SHS469
Date:Circa 1892
Image of Seattle's downtown before the Great Fire, Seattle, 1883
Photograph

Seattle's downtown before the Great Fire, Seattle, 1883

n the 1880s, Seattle's business district was near Pioneer Square. Loggers, miners, and others came to this part of the city to find work, supplies, and entertainment. Others came to Seattle to attend the Territorial University, which stood on a hill above the city.This photo, taken around 1884, shows the intersection of Commercial Street (now First Avenue South) and Main…
ID Number:SHS470
Date:1880
Image of Photo of map of Seattle before fire, 1889
Photograph

Photo of map of Seattle before fire, 1889

Seattle in the 1880s was a rapidly growing city, aided in no small part by the 1883 connection with the Northern Pacific Railway Company. Lumber and coal were the primary industries, but the growth of fishing, wholesale trade, shipbuilding, and shipping also contributed to the town's economic expansion and population growth. The Seattle City Census of 1888 records population at…
ID Number:SHS483B
Date:1889
Image of Regrading on Third Avenue near Spring Street, Seattle, 1906
Photograph

Regrading on Third Avenue near Spring Street, Seattle, 1906

Seattle's hills are steep, but they used to be steeper. During various regrading projects, the city tried to make the streets and avenues more level. Some areas were raised and some were lowered. Nearby buildings were raised or lowered too. Others were torn down or moved away.This photograph was taken during the regrading project on Third Avenue in downtown Seattle.…
ID Number:SHS503
Date:1906
Image of Man guarding a safe after Great Seattle Fire, June 6, 1889
Photograph

Man guarding a safe after Great Seattle Fire, June 6, 1889

The Great Fire of June 6, 1889 was a significant turning point in Seattle's history and changed both the physical and political landscapes of the city. The fire started at 2:30 p.m. in a shop at Front Street (now First Avenue) and Madison Street and swept across 100 acres of Seattle's business district and waterfront. The fire left little standing…
ID Number:SHS511
Date:1889
Image of Commercial Street in snow, Seattle, January 10, 1880
Photograph

Commercial Street in snow, Seattle, January 10, 1880

In the 1880s, Seattle's business district was near Pioneer Square. Loggers, miners, and others came to this part of the city to find work, supplies, and entertainment. Others came to Seattle to attend the Territorial University, which stood on a hill above the city .This photo, taken in 1880, shows the intersection of Commercial Street (now First Avenue South) and…
ID Number:SHS613
Date:1880
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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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