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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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3379 results for: Seattle Photographic Co.

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Image of Pike Street, looking east from west of Second Avenue, Seattle, circa 1898
Photograph

Pike Street, looking east from west of Second Avenue, Seattle, circa 1898

At the turn of the 19th century, businesses near the intersection of Second Avenue and Pike Street included a laundry, a barber shop, a hotel, a tobacco store, a restaurant, and a public bath. One sign of the future is the one-story Bon Marche Department Store (center right, beyond the awning), which opened at the southwest corner of Second and…
ID Number:SHS644
Date:Circa 1898
Image of Third Avenue, looking south from Pike Street, Seattle, circa 1900<br />
Photograph

Third Avenue, looking south from Pike Street, Seattle, circa 1900

By the turn of the 19th century, multi-story brick buildings had begun to spring up along Seattle's Third Avenue, and city streets were being repaved. In this image, the Abbott Hotel occupies the southeast corner of Third Avenue at Pike Street. In the near distance is Plymouth Congregational Church, at the corner of Third and University. The camera technology of…
ID Number:SHS645
Date:Circa 1900
Image of Crowd watching parade on Madison Street, Seattle, May 30, 1884
Photograph

Crowd watching parade on Madison Street, Seattle, May 30, 1884

In this photo, crowds line the dirt road along Front Street (now First Avenue) to watch the approaching parade, probably in honor of Memorial Day. The sign leading underground at lower left reads "People's Chop House. Meals At All Hours. 25 cents".This view looks north on Front Street from Madison Street, and all the buildings seen here would be destroyed…
ID Number:SHS675
Date:1884
Image of National Guard of Washington officers posing after the fire, Seattle, June 1889
Photograph

National Guard of Washington officers posing after the fire, Seattle, June 1889

The Great Fire of June 6, 1889 was a significant turning point in Seattle's history and changed both the physical and political landscapes of the City. 100 acres of Seattle's business district and waterfront were destroyed. The burned areas were guarded and patrolled by members of the Washington National Guard from Seattle, Tacoma, and Port Townsend until June 11, 1889.…
ID Number:SHS685
Date:1889
Image of Firemen posing outside Seattle Fire Department, November 1889
Photograph

Firemen posing outside Seattle Fire Department, November 1889

The creation of the Seattle Fire Department (SFD) can be traced back to July 6th, 1876, when the all-volunteer Seattle Engine Company No.1 was organized. In 1883, the City Charter was amended to create and fund equipment, but not staff, for a centralized municipal fire department. The volunteer-based system persisted until pressure from the insurance industry and citizens after the…
ID Number:SHS700
Date:1889
Image of Great Seattle Fire burning at waterfront, June 6, 1889
Photograph

Great Seattle Fire burning at waterfront, June 6, 1889

The Great Fire of June 6, 1889 was a significant turning point in Seattle's history and changed both the physical and political landscapes of the City. The fire started at 2:30 p.m. in a paint and woodwork shop at Front and Madison and over the course of the next 18 hours swept a southward across 100 acres of Seattle's business…
ID Number:SHS708A
Date:1889
Image of Members of the Washington National Guard in Seattle, June 1889
Photograph

Members of the Washington National Guard in Seattle, June 1889

The Great Fire of June 6, 1889 was a significant turning point in Seattle's history and changed both the physical and political landscapes of the City. One hundred acres of Seattle's business district and waterfront were destroyed. The burned areas were guarded and patrolled by members of the Washington National Guard from Seattle, Tacoma, and Port Townsend until June 11,…
ID Number:SHS710
Date:1889
Image of Seattle-Tacoma interurban trolley near Kent, Washington, circa 1909
Photograph

Seattle-Tacoma interurban trolley near Kent, Washington, circa 1909

Interurban trolley service between Seattle and Tacoma began in 1902. The high-speed Puget Sound Electric Railroad won passengers and freight away from the slower Puget Sound steamers. Regular trolley service on the line also speeded the development of the area between Seattle and Tacoma. Service ended in 1928, a victim of the more-popular automobile.This photo shows car 500 and two…
ID Number:SHS720
Date:Circa 1909
Image of Counterbalance streetcar on 3rd Ave, Seattle, 1903
Photograph

Counterbalance streetcar on 3rd Ave, Seattle, 1903

Denny Hill once stood north of what is now Seattle’s central business district, between Second and Fifth Avenues. Between 1889 and 1906, the Denny (later Washington) Hotel dominated its southern slope. The hill was so steep that the hotel’s second owner James Moore built a counterbalance streetcar on Third Avenue to carry guests up the two blocks from Pine Street.…
ID Number:SHS727
Date:1903
Image of Trolley car and horse barn, Seattle, circa 1886
Photograph

Trolley car and horse barn, Seattle, circa 1886

Public transportation in Seattle has been a topic of debate at least since 1884 when Frank Osgood built Seattle's first horse-drawn street railway on Second Avenue. Horse-drawn, and later electric trolleys and streetcars were a common site until the last Seattle streetcar made its final run in 1941.In this image two of the horse-drawn trolley cars operated by the Seattle…
ID Number:SHS734
Date:Circa 1886
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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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