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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 Warren Avenue School, Seattle, 1903
Photograph

Warren Avenue School, Seattle, 1903

Construction of Warren Avenue School began in 1902, and the school opened in 1903 on the corner of Harrison Street and Warren Avenue in Seattle’s Lower Queen Anne district. Possibly named for Revolutionary War hero Major-General Joseph Warren, the three-story, wood-frame building helped relieve crowding at nearby Denny and Mercer Elementary Schools at a time the city was booming. In…
ID Number:SHS7726
Date:1903
Image of Bartenders and customers at Rathskellers, Seattle, circa 1935
Photograph

Bartenders and customers at Rathskellers, Seattle, circa 1935

Rathskeller, or Ratskeller, is a German word for a bar or restaurant located in the basement of a city hall (Rathaus) or nearby. Many taverns, nightclubs, bars, and similar establishments throughout the world use the term, including several different businesses in Seattle. This image was taken in a bar called Rathskeller's that was located at 94 Pine Street, near the…
ID Number:SHS8383
Date:Circa 1935
Image of Mayor Bertha Landes breaking ground for the Civic Auditorium, Seattle, November 7, 1927
Photograph

Mayor Bertha Landes breaking ground for the Civic Auditorium, Seattle, November 7, 1927

Seattle Mayor Bertha K. Landes broke ground for the city's new Civic Auditorium and Stadium in November 1927. The complex, at what is now Seattle Center, was completed the following year. Mayor Landes, who served from 1926 to 1928, was the first female mayor of a major American city. The Civic Auditorium later became the Seattle Center Opera House and…
ID Number:SHS8480
Date:1927
Image of Mayor Robert Harlan standing by a shack at Hooverville, October 27, 1931
Photograph

Mayor Robert Harlan standing by a shack at Hooverville, October 27, 1931

During the Depression of the 1930s, over 600 unemployed people lived in Hooverville, just south of downtown Seattle. There were several other such settlements in the city, and many others around the nation. The average Hooverville resident was a white, unmarried male, about 45 years old. During the booming 1910s and 1920s, he had been a logger, fisherman, miner, or…
ID Number:SHS8661
Date:1931
Image of Seattle City Light service truck, September 21, 1917
Photograph

Seattle City Light service truck, September 21, 1917

By the 1910s, electricity from Seattle City Light powered homes and businesses as well as the streetlights and trolleys. This 1917 photo shows Seattle City Light "Underground Service" truck No. 29, with an workman at the wheel. Photographer's number: 3886SHS category: Lighting
ID Number:SHS8748
Date:1917
Image of Denny Way sewer outfall into Puget Sound, Seattle, May 12, 1913
Photograph

Denny Way sewer outfall into Puget Sound, Seattle, May 12, 1913

Prior to 1890, Seattle relied on a haphazard assortment of sewers and cesspools that, at best, drained into surrounding lakes and salt water. Faced with recurring threats of waterborne diseases including typhoid and cholera, City Engineer Benezette Williams designed the Seattle's first centralized combined sewage system plan in 1891. This plan sought to remove as much city sewage as possible…
ID Number:SHS8888
Date:1913
Image of Alder Street sewer outfall into Lake Washington, June 19, 1917
Photograph

Alder Street sewer outfall into Lake Washington, June 19, 1917

Prior to 1890, Seattle relied on a haphazard assortment of sewers and cesspools that, at best, drained into surrounding lakes and salt water. Faced with recurring threats of waterborne diseases including typhoid and cholera, City Engineer Benezette Williams designed the Seattle's first centralized combined sewage system plan in 1891. This plan sought to remove as much city sewage as possible…
ID Number:SHS8917
Date:1917
Image of Residence of Jacob Furth, Seattle, circa 1890
Photograph

Residence of Jacob Furth, Seattle, circa 1890

Jacob Furth was born in Bohemia (now part of the Czech Republic) in 1840. He started out in the clothing and dry goods business in San Francisco before coming to Seattle in 1882. Furth founded one of Seattle's early banks, owned real estate, and was active in the development of the city's street railway system.This photo, taken around 1890, shows…
ID Number:SHS8966
Date:Circa 1890
Image of Canoes and houseboats on Lake Washington, Seattle, 1912
Photograph

Canoes and houseboats on Lake Washington, Seattle, 1912

The unique floating homes of Seattle got their start almost simultaneously with the development of the city itself. Seattle's first industries were logging and fishing, both seasonal enterprises, and it became common for loggers and sailors to build themselves floating shacks from scrap boards during their off seasons. As the trend spread, houseboats were built as permanent homes for families…
ID Number:SHS9025
Date:1912
Image of Gazebo in Pioneer Square, Seattle, 1901
Photograph

Gazebo in Pioneer Square, Seattle, 1901

Before about 1905, Pioneer Square was the heart of Seattle's central business district. Large brick buildings were built after the Great Fire of 1889, and the square was the start of many of the city's streetcar lines. Typed on verso: Pioneer Place 1901SHS category: Streets
ID Number:SHS9129
Date:1901
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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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