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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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625 results for: Urban

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Image of Aerial view looking north from the freeway bridge under construction, Seattle, 1959
Photograph

Aerial view looking north from the freeway bridge under construction, Seattle, 1959

This aerial view shows construction phase of the Tacoma-Seattle-Everett Freeway that was to become Interstate 5 (I-5). Bridge piers stand on either side of the Lake Washington Ship Canal. The 4,429-foot-long bridge completed in fall 1961.Construction of the Tacoma-Seattle-Everett freeway, which opened to traffic in December 1962, took up 6,600 parcels of land, 4,500 of them in Seattle. In 1958-59,…
ID Number:1986.5.4000.2
Date:1959
Image of Aerial of freeway construction, Seattle, 1967
Photograph

Aerial of freeway construction, Seattle, 1967

This aerial view shows the construction of the Tacoma-Seattle-Everett Freeway that was to become Interstate 5 (I-5). Construction of the Tacoma-Seattle-Everett freeway, which opened to traffic in December 1962, took up 6,600 parcels of land, 4,500 of them in Seattle. In 1958-59, the Washington State Highway Department paid homeowners fair market value for their homes, then auctioned the buildings for…
ID Number:1986.5.4077.1
Date:1967
Image of Aerial of Evergreen Point Bridge under construction from west, Seattle, 1963
Photograph

Aerial of Evergreen Point Bridge under construction from west, Seattle, 1963

Washington's Evergreen Point Floating Bridge carries State Route 520 across Lake Washington, connecting Seattle with the growing area east of the lake. When it opened, the bridge's 7,578 foot floating span was the longest in the world. This was the second floating bridge to cross Lake Washington, and both bridges are overcrowded daily with commuters in their automobiles. This photo…
ID Number:1986.5.7595.4
Date:1963
Image of Crane removing cupola of First Presbyterian Church, July 13, 1962
Photograph

Crane removing cupola of First Presbyterian Church, July 13, 1962

The third First Presbyterian Church building at 7th Avenue and Spring Street was erected in 1907, during the ministry of Rev. Dr. Mark A. Mathews, a Southerner from Jackson, TN, who led the congregation from 1902-1940. In 1962, a new Chapel and Christian Education Building dedicated to Matthews were built, and in 1968 the church shown here was demolished and…
ID Number:1986.5.7932.1
Date:1962
Image of St. Nicholas Russian Orthodox church during construction, Seattle, 1937
Photograph

St. Nicholas Russian Orthodox church during construction, Seattle, 1937

St. Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church is located at 1714 13th Avenue East in Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood. It features the onion domes common to Russian church architecture. One of the oldest Russian Orthodox parishes in the U.S., it was founded in 1932 by Russian immigrants. The church building shown here was consecrated in December 1937 and dedicated to the 4th…
ID Number:1986.5.8213.1
Date:1937
Image of Seattle Center Coliseum during renovation, March 1964
Photograph

Seattle Center Coliseum during renovation, March 1964

The Washington State Pavilion was built by the state to house the World of Tomorrow exhibit for the 1962 World's Fair (also Century 21 Exposition). After the fair closed, the city of Seattle bought the Pavilion, renamed it the Seattle Coliseum, and converted it into a convention, sports, and entertainment facility. After an extensive remodel in 1995, the building was…
ID Number:1986.5.8802.1
Date:1964
Image of Seattle Center Coliseum during renovation, April 1964
Photograph

Seattle Center Coliseum during renovation, April 1964

The Washington State Pavilion was built by the state to house the World of Tomorrow exhibit for the 1962 World's Fair (also Century 21 Exposition). After the fair closed, the city of Seattle bought the Pavilion, renamed it the Seattle Coliseum, and converted it into a convention, sports, and entertainment facility. After an extensive remodel in 1995, the building was…
ID Number:1986.5.8803.1
Date:1964
Image of Open housing demonstration at Garfield playfield, Seattle, October 20, 1963
Photograph

Open housing demonstration at Garfield playfield, Seattle, October 20, 1963

In the mid-20th century, protesters began challenging long-established inequitable practices in housing. Racially restrictive housing covenants and discriminatory lending (“redlining”) excluded people of color from buying or renting housing in most of Seattle’s neighborhoods. In 1963, the Seattle Human Rights Commission drafted an open housing ordinance and presented it to the City Council for approval. The Council held public hearings…
ID Number:1986.5.9653.7
Date:1963
Image of Civil rights supporters demonstrate at Westlake Plaza, Seattle, March 7, 1964
Photograph

Civil rights supporters demonstrate at Westlake Plaza, Seattle, March 7, 1964

This image was taken as more than 1,500 demonstrators attended a rally at Westlake Plaza in support of open-housing in Seattle. Several local clergy and representatives of the NAACP spoke to the crowd, encouraging everyone to vote for a local ordinance that would provide for criminal penalties for acts of housing discrimination on the basis of race, ethnic origin, or…
ID Number:1986.5.9654.1
Date:1964
Image of Aerial of Seattle Public Library under construction from northeast, Seattle, 1959
Photograph

Aerial of Seattle Public Library under construction from northeast, Seattle, 1959

Since 1906 Seattle Public Library's central branch has been located at 1000 Fourth Avenue. The original Carnegie building was demolished after 50 years of service to make way for the second Central Library. This southwest view over Fifth Avenue shows the early construction stages of the new library that opened in 1960. Handwritten on sleeve: SEATTLE PUBLIC LIBRARY, New, construction.Date…
ID Number:1986.5.11240.1
Date:1959
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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.
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