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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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653 results for: Urban

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Image of Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center under construction, Seattle, August 15, 1991
Photograph

Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center under construction, Seattle, August 15, 1991

Seattle's world-renowned research facility, the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, was named for baseball great and hometown hero Frederick Charles "Hutch" Hutchinson (1919-1964). Begun as the Pacific Northwest Research Foundation in 1956 by Dr. William B. "Bill" Hutchinson (1909–1997), Hutch's brother, the Foundation was dedicated to the study of heart surgery, cancer, and diseases of the endocrine system. The center…
ID Number:2000.107.175.09.01
Date:1991
Image of Bernie Whitebear and Pete Schnurman at Daybreak Star construction site, Seattle, June 9, 1976
Photograph

Bernie Whitebear and Pete Schnurman at Daybreak Star construction site, Seattle, June 9, 1976

In 1970, a group of activists led by Bernie Whitebear (1937-2000), Sin-Aikst, or Sinixt (now one of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation), began a protest which culminated in approval for the development of both a cultural center for Indigenous peoples and a municipal park on decommissioned surplus land at Seattle's Fort Lawton site. After several years spent raising…
ID Number:2000.107.178.13.01
Date:1976
Image of Cecilia and George White welcoming visitors at Daybreak Star Cultural Center, Seattle, March 8, 1985
Photograph

Cecilia and George White welcoming visitors at Daybreak Star Cultural Center, Seattle, March 8, 1985

On March 8, 1970, about 100 members and sympathizers of United Indian People's Council (later United Indians of All Tribes Foundation, or UIATF) occupied Fort Lawton, a 1,100-acre army post in Seattle's Magnolia neighborhood. They were inspired by the passage of a bill signed by President Richard Nixon, which granted non-federal entities the ability to obtain surplus federal lands for…
ID Number:2000.107.178.14.01
Date:1985
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
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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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Phone: 206 324 1126
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