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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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506 results for: Government and Public Services

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Image of Power lines from Grand Coulee Dam, July 1942
Photograph

Power lines from Grand Coulee Dam, July 1942

From the start, Grand Coulee Dam was controversial. Private electric companies opposed such a huge government involvement in the power industry. Many taxpayers didn't want to pay for a dam they believed would generate more electricity than the country needed. By the end of World War II in 1945, the availability of cheap hydroelectric power had spurred the growth of…
ID Number:PI22078
Date:1942
Image of Irrigation canal near Pasco, May 15, 1948
Photograph

Irrigation canal near Pasco, May 15, 1948

Although the Columbia River carries a huge volume of water through eastern Washington, rainfall in the area is low and the land is very dry. Columbia River Project planners dreamed of a system of dams and channels which would give farmers a steady supply of water to grow wheat, sugar beets and other crops. After the completion of the Grand…
ID Number:PI22145
Date:1948
Image of Woman serving soup to WPA strikers, Seattle, 1937
Photograph

Woman serving soup to WPA strikers, Seattle, 1937

In 1936, the federal Works Progress Administration hired some 9,000 unemployed King County residents on 271 different projects ranging from improving roads and parks to serving school lunches. Congress reduced funding for the WPA in 1937, causing nationwide layoffs. In Seattle, some workers stormed the WPA offices to protest the layoffs. Others staged sitdown strikes or picketed on downtown sidewalks.…
ID Number:PI22389
Date:1937
Image of Naturalization ceremony at Woodland Park, Seattle, July 4, 1939
Photograph

Naturalization ceremony at Woodland Park, Seattle, July 4, 1939

Assembled in Woodland Park, a group of foreign-born residents of Seattle received citizenship papers as part of a Fourth of July ceremony arranged by Seattle Post No. 1 of the American Legion. John S. Robinson, associate justice of the State Supreme Court, gave the main address; a parade and elaborate nighttime fireworks show over Green Lake were also part of…
ID Number:PI24518
Date:1939
Image of Group taking oath of citizenship, Seattle, September 23, 1940
Photograph

Group taking oath of citizenship, Seattle, September 23, 1940

On September 23, 1940, 207 individuals took their citizenship oaths in one of the largest naturalization classes that year. Oaths had not been administered for several weeks due to a law prohibiting immigrants from becoming citizens within 30 days of an election.In this image, a large group of people raise their right hands as the clerk of the court administers…
ID Number:PI24523
Date:1940
Image of Group taking oath of citizenship, Seattle, July 31, 1944
Photograph

Group taking oath of citizenship, Seattle, July 31, 1944

On July 31, 1944, 61 people took the oath of citizenship before Judge Lloyd L. Black at the U.S. District Court building in Seattle.This photo shows the naturalization ceremony in the courtroom, with the court clerk administering the oath as the new citizens raise their right hands. Handwritten on negative: Naturalization group 1944Date photograph was filed at the Seattle Post-Intelligencer…
ID Number:PI24525
Date:1944
Image of Naturalization ceremony at Woodland Park, Seattle, July 4, 1946
Photograph

Naturalization ceremony at Woodland Park, Seattle, July 4, 1946

In this photo, a group of foreign-born residents of Seattle are administered the oath of citizenship in front of a large crowd in a naturalization ceremony at Woodland park, a part of the city's annual Fourth of July celebration. The program's main address was given by U. S. Navy Fleet Admiral William Frederick "Bull" Halsey, Jr. (1882-1959), who earlier in…
ID Number:PI24526
Date:1946
Image of Naturalization ceremony at Woodland Park, Seattle, July 7, 1947
Photograph

Naturalization ceremony at Woodland Park, Seattle, July 7, 1947

Assembled in Woodland Park, a group of foreign-born residents of Seattle received citizenship papers as part of the annual Fourth of July ceremony arranged by Seattle Post No. 1 of the American Legion. The main address was given by General Carl Andrew Spaatz (1891-1974) and was to be followed by an elaborate nighttime fireworks show over Green Lake.This photo shows…
ID Number:PI24528
Date:1947
Image of Betty Morrison and Thomas Morrison holding their naturalization papers, December 22, 1947
Photograph

Betty Morrison and Thomas Morrison holding their naturalization papers, December 22, 1947

In this image Betty Lorraine Morrison (b. 1931) and Thomas Lyle Morrison (b. 1930), two new American citizens, pose holding their naturalization papers. The siblings were born in Vancouver, B. C., and were adopted by Mr. and Mrs. Robert Morrison of Seattle. Along with about 40 other foreign-born residents, the Morrison children took their oaths of office in a ceremony…
ID Number:PI24530
Date:1947
Image of Reception for new citizens at Seattle P-I building, April 29, 1949
Photograph

Reception for new citizens at Seattle P-I building, April 29, 1949

On April 29, 1949, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer held a reception for newly naturalized citizens at the P-I building at Sixth Avenue and Wall Street. This photo shows the large group of new citizens standing, holding their right hands over their hearts, as a woman walks down the aisle carrying an American flag. Handwritten on negative: New citizen reception PI 4/29/49Handwritten…
ID Number:PI24535
Date:1949
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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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