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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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406 results for: Construction and Urban Planning

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Image of Warren Avenue School, Seattle, 1903
Photograph

Warren Avenue School, Seattle, 1903

Construction of Warren Avenue School began in 1902, and the school opened in 1903 on the corner of Harrison Street and Warren Avenue in Seattle’s Lower Queen Anne district. Possibly named for Revolutionary War hero Major-General Joseph Warren, the three-story, wood-frame building helped relieve crowding at nearby Denny and Mercer Elementary Schools at a time the city was booming. In…
ID Number:SHS7726
Date:1903
Image of Mayor Bertha Landes breaking ground for the Civic Auditorium, Seattle, November 7, 1927
Photograph

Mayor Bertha Landes breaking ground for the Civic Auditorium, Seattle, November 7, 1927

Seattle Mayor Bertha K. Landes broke ground for the city's new Civic Auditorium and Stadium in November 1927. The complex, at what is now Seattle Center, was completed the following year. Mayor Landes, who served from 1926 to 1928, was the first female mayor of a major American city. The Civic Auditorium later became the Seattle Center Opera House and…
ID Number:SHS8480
Date:1927
Image of Alaska Building under construction, Seattle, August 9, 1904
Photograph

Alaska Building under construction, Seattle, August 9, 1904

In 1903, work began on the 14-story Alaska Building. This office building was Seattle's first skyscraper to be built with steel framing. Steel framed buildings could be taller than those in Pioneer Square which were built by earlier methods. This photo shows construction of the Alaska Building, which still stands on the southeast corner of Second Avenue and Cherry Streets.…
ID Number:SHS9373
Date:1904
Image of The Orcas at Lake Washington Ship Canal, February 2, 1916
Photograph

The Orcas at Lake Washington Ship Canal, February 2, 1916

The Lake Washington Ship Canal was created to move logs, coal, and other resources directly from the east side of Lake Washington to Elliott Bay. Construction began in 1911 under Hiram M. Chittenden of the Army Corps of Engineers. The formal dedication and opening of the Lake Washington Ship Canal for business was on July 4, 1917, when the SS…
ID Number:SHS10603
Date:1916
Image of View of Jackson Street regrade, 1910
Photograph

View of Jackson Street regrade, 1910

Before the Jackson Street regrading project, Beacon Hill formed a barrier between Seattle's waterfront and the Rainier Valley. Between 1907 and 1910, over three million cubic yards of earth were moved to make a cut through the hill. Most of the dirt was used to fill in Seattle's tidal flats.This panorama of the Jackson Street regrade area shows the project…
ID Number:SHS10792
Date:1910
Image of Workers making metal work for Smith Tower, circa 1912
Photograph

Workers making metal work for Smith Tower, circa 1912

Gaggin & Gaggin, an architectural firm in Syracuse, New York, designed Seattle's Smith Tower. Construction began in 1910, and the 42-story building opened in 1914. At that time, it was the tallest building west of the Mississippi River.This photo, taken in 1912 or 1913 shows workmen, including one teenager, making the iron and brasswork used in the the Smith Tower's…
ID Number:SHS15303
Date:Circa 1912
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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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