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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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258 results for: Politics and Politicians

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Image of
Ephemera

"Divide the tax load with initiative no. 69" leaflet, 1932

Two hotly contested initiatives were on the November 8, 1932 ballot in Washington State: The Washington 40-Mill Tax Levy Limit Initiative, also known as Initiative 64, was approved by 61% of voters, limiting property taxes to 2 percent of assessed value; and the Washington Income Tax for Schools Initiative, also known as Initiative 69, which won 71 percent of the…
ID Number:2018.3.3.11
Date:1932
Image of
Ephemera

"What holds Seattle back?" handbill, 1921

The Building Owners and Managers Association Seattle King County (BOMA) is a professional trade association established in 1912 by members of the Office Building and Commercial Real Estate Industry.This handbill was published by BOMA on July 1, 1921, to protest a three-cent car fare raise proposed by Seattle public officials.
ID Number:2018.3.3.12
Date:1921
Image of
Ephemera

"Save your schools, vote "NO" on 64, vote "YES" on 69" flier, 1932

Two hotly contested initiatives were on the November 8, 1932 ballot in Washington State: The Washington 40-Mill Tax Levy Limit Initiative, also known as Initiative 64, was approved by 61% of voters, limiting property taxes to 2 percent of assessed value; and the Washington Income Tax for Schools Initiative, also known as Initiative 69, which won 71 percent of the…
ID Number:2018.3.3.13
Date:1932
Image of
Ephemera

"Horse car days are gone!" leaflet, 1937

Seattle’s transportation system grew out of a mixture of privately-owned cable car lines, streetcars, and buses. When the city took these over in 1918, it turned out to be a financial disaster. By 1936, the infrastructure was aging, and the system was $4 million in debt. The city explored alternatives and, in 1937, promoted a plan to modernize the system…
ID Number:2018.3.3.14
Date:1937
Image of Initiative measure no. 61 flier, 1932
Ephemera

Initiative measure no. 61 flier, 1932

Washington state voters had approved a Prohibition initiative in 1914, several years before the 18th Amendment to the US Constitution, enforced by the Volstead Act, outlawed alcohol nationwide. By 1932, as in much of the rest of the country, Washington citizens were turning against Prohibition. That year, State Initiative 61 was approved by voters, which removed regulations on the importation,…
ID Number:2018.3.3.15
Date:1932
Image of Dollars for bread instead of dollars for taxes flier, 1933
Ephemera

Dollars for bread instead of dollars for taxes flier, 1933

John Francis Dore (1881-1938) served as Mayor of Seattle twice during the Great Depression. Thousands of people were out of work, and many families had lost their homes, overwhelming the traditional city, county, and private relief agencies. Confidence in the economic and political systems was shaken and Mr. Dore won the mayoral election on March 8, 1932 when he proposed…
ID Number:2018.3.3.16
Date:1933
Image of
Ephemera

"Don't be deceived by the down town landlords" leaflet, 1912

The Municipal Plans Commission of Seattle, established in 1910, hired civil engineer Virgil G. Bogue to prepare a strategic development plan for the city. Bogue’s 1911 proposal was very ambitious, including a Civic Center in the Denny Regrade area, a park and boulevard system, separation of railroad tracks from streets, and a variety of other municipal improvements. The plan, as…
ID Number:2018.3.3.17
Date:1912
Image of Keep the ball rolling for Cotterill campaign advertisement, circa 1910
Ephemera

Keep the ball rolling for Cotterill campaign advertisement, circa 1910

George Fletcher Cotterill (1865-1958), born in Oxford, England, was an American civil servant and politician. He came to Seattle in 1883 and found work as a civil engineer, and later ran for various city and state offices. He served as a state senator from 1906 to1910, as mayor of Seattle from 1912 to 1914, as chief engineer of the State…
ID Number:2018.3.3.18
Date:Circa 1910
Image of Vote for Ole Hanson postcard, 1918
Postcard

Vote for Ole Hanson postcard, 1918

Ole Hanson (1874-1940) was a man who packed multiple lives into one. He's best known in Washington for his role, as Seattle's mayor, in ending the city's General Strike of 1919, but he's also well known for founding the city of San Clemente, California, six years later. Though opportunistic and erratic, Hanson was a shrewd politician and realtor who left…
ID Number:2018.3.3.19
Date:1918
Image of Invitation to reception for President Harrison, May 1, 1891
Correspondence

Invitation to reception for President Harrison, May 1, 1891

Two years after U.S. President Benjamin Harrison (1833-1901) signed the Enabling Act of 1889 which allowed Washington to become a state, he and First Lady Caroline (Scott) Harrison made an official visit to the region. They arrived in Tacoma by train on May 6, 1891, then later that afternoon traveled by steamer to Seattle, where virtually the entire population of…
ID Number:2018.3.3.74
Date:1891
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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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