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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 Seattle Police Department bicycle patrol, Seattle, June 5, 1990
Photograph

Seattle Police Department bicycle patrol, Seattle, June 5, 1990

Although bicycle patrol units had been used in some large cities in the 19th century, bicycles were gradually dropped in favor of motorcycles or cars. The Seattle Police Department re-instituted the practice in 1987, starting with two officers. Bicycles allowed the officers to move about the urban and suburban setting quickly and easily.Here, Alex Wiggins, Tony Little, and Steve Kilburg…
ID Number:2000.107.180.15.01
Date:1990
Image of Apartment building set for demolition, Seattle, February 10, 1982
Photograph

Apartment building set for demolition, Seattle, February 10, 1982

In the early 1980s, the state of Washington planned to widen the western end of Interstate 90 (I-90) and extend it to meet Interstate 5 (I-5) in Seattle’s Central Area. This expansion required the demolition of the Atlantic Street neighborhood near the I-90 overpass at Rainier Avenue. State agents began buying property in Atlantic Street and coercing residents into moving…
ID Number:2000.107.185.01.04
Date:1982
Image of Guests dining at Dimitriou's Jazz Alley, Seattle, August 8, 1990
Photograph

Guests dining at Dimitriou's Jazz Alley, Seattle, August 8, 1990

Family-owned Dimitriou's Jazz Alley opened in Seattle’s University District in 1979. Its bistro setting and live music attracted a diverse audience. In 1985, Jazz Alley moved to its present location at 6th Avenue and Lenora Street in the Belltown area. The new, larger venue has allowed the club to attract name jazz bands and other performers, including Dizzy Gillespie, Bill…
ID Number:2000.107.185.19.05
Date:1990
Image of Owner hugging staff at Jake O'Shaughnessy's, Seattle, 1993
Photograph

Owner hugging staff at Jake O'Shaughnessy's, Seattle, 1993

Restaurateurs Mick McHugh and Tim Firnstahl opened Jake O'Shaughnessy's Restaurant with what they claimed was the world's largest assortment of single-malt Scotches. First located in Lower Queen Anne at the northeast corner of Mercer Street and First Avenue North, it was displaced by a Larry's Market in 1993 and relocated to Bellevue Mall until closing for good in 2001.In this…
ID Number:2000.107.185.21.05
Date:1993
Image of Lifting the Polynesia Restaurant, Seattle, January 25, 1982
Photograph

Lifting the Polynesia Restaurant, Seattle, January 25, 1982

In 1961, the Polynesia Restaurant opened at the end of Pier 51, in advance of the 1962 Seattle World’s Fair. The popular Tiki-style restaurant closed two decades later, a casualty of the expansion of the Washington State Ferry Terminal. In January 1982, after the interior fixtures and furnishings had been removed, the building was reinforced with steel I-beams and lifted…
ID Number:2000.107.185.23.04
Date:1982
Image of Moving the Polynesia Restaurant, Seattle, January 25, 1982
Photograph

Moving the Polynesia Restaurant, Seattle, January 25, 1982

In 1961, the Polynesia Restaurant opened at the end of Pier 51, in advance of the 1962 Seattle World’s Fair. The popular Tiki-style restaurant closed two decades later, a casualty of the expansion of the Washington State Ferry Terminal. In January 1982, after the interior fixtures and furnishings had been removed, the building was reinforced with steel I-beams and lifted…
ID Number:2000.107.185.23.05
Date:1982
Image of Ray's Boathouse rebuilt after fire, Seattle, March 11, 1988
Photograph

Ray's Boathouse rebuilt after fire, Seattle, March 11, 1988

One of Seattle’s landmark waterfront restaurants, Ray’s Boathouse, burned in a spectacular fire on May 26, 1987. A wiring problem beneath Ray’s pier caused plumes of smoke, which spread up into the restaurant through the kitchen floor and prompted the evacuation of customers and staff. Some 50 to 60 fire fighters, plus 20 fire trucks and boats fought the four-alarm…
ID Number:2000.107.185.24.03
Date:1988
Image of Supporters of the Turf Grill and Smoke Shop gathering for protest, Seattle, November 28, 1984
Photograph

Supporters of the Turf Grill and Smoke Shop gathering for protest, Seattle, November 28, 1984

The Turf Grill and Smoke Shop opened in Seattle in the 1920s at 1407 Third Avenue. In addition to food, it sold beer and wine, cigars and cigarettes, and also had a barber shop. The Turf moved to Second and Pike in 1984 when 3rd Avenue was closed for the building of the Bus Tunnel (now the Transit Tunnel). In…
ID Number:2000.107.185.26.02
Date:1984
Image of View of sanitary landfill on 43rd. Ave. S. looking south, Seattle, December 1942
Photograph

View of sanitary landfill on 43rd. Ave. S. looking south, Seattle, December 1942

This image shows a sanitary landfill on 43rd Ave S between Genesee St. and Lake Washington Boulevard. A sanitary landfill, or fill, was a type of garbage dump in which trash was deposited, spread out and compacted, then covered in several inches of dirt. The city had proposed to expand the fill eastward to 45th Ave S, but residents of…
ID Number:2000.107.188.33.01
Date:1942
Image of View of sanitary landfill on 43rd. Ave. S. looking west, Seattle, December 1942
Photograph

View of sanitary landfill on 43rd. Ave. S. looking west, Seattle, December 1942

This image shows a sanitary landfill on 43rd Ave S between Genesee St. and Lake Washington Boulevard. A sanitary landfill, or fill, was a type of garbage dump in which trash was deposited, spread out and compacted, then covered in several inches of dirt. The city had proposed to expand the fill eastward to 45th Ave S, but residents of…
ID Number:2000.107.188.33.02
Date:1942
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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.
Address: 860 Terry Ave N, Seattle WA, 98109
Phone: 206 324 1126
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